Tears for Allah-Chapter VII
1004 Local_ 1404 Zulu
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
"Your Legalman?" Bud repeated. He knew there was something else to this, but it sounded like he was going have to drag it out of the former Admiral's Yeoman.
"Yes, Legalman Two Rachel LaGrew," Jason replied, but still he didn't say what exactly had happened or why he was calling Bud.
One thing he had learned from his mentor Harmon Rabb, Jr. was when someone was reluctant to talk, you kept asking questions. So he tried that. "Are you prosecuting or defending?"
"Defending sir," Jason was getting good at answering a question with an economy of words.
Ah that was it. First time jitters. How well Bud remembered those. "Tiner, you can handle this, I'm sure of it. Otherwise your CO wouldn't have assigned you to the case," the junior JAGC officer said reassuringly.
"It more than that, sir. Jennifer suggested I talk to you..." Okay, so what exactly was going on? And how was Jennifer involved in this?
Bud looked up the hall at Jennifer Coates who gave him a sheepish look before she headed back into the bullpen. "What about talking to Commander Rabb?" he said into the phone. He was really beginning to feel like he was out of his league on this one.
"After what happened earlier this summer, I can't face him, sir. You understand."
Bud could certainly sympathize with that. Though he and Commander Turner were getting along better, but things were still not hunky dory between them.
He tried another question. "What happened? What did she do, Tiner?"
That opened the dam spillway. "It wasn't her so much as her boyfriend...he tried to kill her. Tried to throw her off a bridge near La Grange, Texas. Turns out he was working for al Jihad, but he was deep undercover. No one knew until after his death that he was working for al Jihad."
Bud wasn't sure what to say next. And he had other pressing matters to take care of. "Look Tiner, I'm getting ready to head overseas for a couple of days, but-"
Then the newly minted JAG attorney dropped a bombshell that changed everything. "Sir, I think this also involves Lieutenant Singer."
Bud was flummoxed by that announcement. "Uh, Lieutenant Singer? How?"
"It's difficult to explain over the phone, sir-" the former Yeoman began somewhat tentatively.
Bud sighed. Stuck between the proverbial rock and a hard place. He closed his eyes and made a decision. "You want me to come down there?"
Tiner's voice immediately became grateful. "Oh sir, if you could, I'd really appreciate that."
Bud sighed again. "Okay, fax me what you have and how it ties to Lieutenant Singer."
Now Tiner sounded energized for the first time in this conversation. "It might take a few minutes, sir, but I'll get it sent to you. Thanks again, sir."
Bud silently prayed that he knew what he was getting into. "All right Tiner, don't worry. One way or another I'll help."
"Thank you, sir," Jason said appreciatively.
"This may not work, Tiner," Bud cautioned the former Yeoman. "It may turn out there is nothing we can do to save her career."
Jason was sobered by that comment. "Yes sir, but thank you for being willing to try."
xxviixx
Bud walked back down the hall into the bullpen. When he entered, Harriet immediately stood. She could tell something was up.
"Bud, what is it?" She walked over to him.
"Tiner needs my assistance with a case," Bud explained to his wife.
Harriet tried to remind him that he already had a case he was going to be working on. "But Bud, weren't you supposed to be heading to Camp Lemonnier this afternoon?"
Bud knew what she was trying to do, but he couldn't just turn his back on Jason. "Yeah, but the Admiral may change his mind after I talk to him. Don't worry Harriet, it'll be fine."
Leaving his wife to her thoughts, he walked over to Jennifer's desk. "Coates, I need to speak with the Admiral."
Jennifer was honest enough to give him an embarrassed smile. "Thanks for helping him, Lieutenant. I don't know all the details, but from what he told me he's going to need all the help he can get."
xxviixx
"Enter!"
Jennifer Coates stuck her head in the door. AJ looked up from his never ending mound of paperwork. "What is it, Coates?"
"Lieutenant Roberts needs to see you, Sir."
AJ weighed whether or not to grant the request. Hell, the paperwork would keep. "All right, send him in."
Jennifer opened the door wider and Bud walked up to the Admiral's desk and came to attention.
The JAG didn't look up as he continued to sign off on various investigative reports. "Lieutenant," he said as a way of acknowledging the junior JAGC attorney but also letting him know he was a very busy man and to get to the point for his visit.
So Bud took a breath and then plunged ahead. "Sir, I'm requesting permission to go to Corpus Christi."
AJ put his pen down and looked up at Bud Roberts over his top of his reading glasses. "Today?"
Bud tried hard not to flinch. "Yes, sir," he replied with as much steel as he could put into his voice.
AJ looked down at his paperwork again. "Denied," he said flatly.
Bud couldn't believe he was being dismissed so cavalierly. "Admiral...!"
The JAG was not in the mood for this kind of malarkey. He stood, taking off his reading glasses and giving Bud a harsh stare. "Lieutenant! In case you've forgotten I just assigned you to head to Camp Lemonnier this afternoon with Commander Turner!"
Bud hurriedly acknowledged that fact. "Yes, sir, I know that, sir."
"Then you better have a damn good reason for needing to go to Corpus Christi instead!" He paused and took a breath. Bud Roberts was not just a wet behind the ears attorney fresh out of Naval Justice School anymore. He had matured quite a bit since then. So the Lieutenant probably did have a good reason for coming in here like this. "This, um, doesn't have to do with your recent problems with Commander Turner, does it?"
Bud wanted to assure the JAG this wasn't the case. "No, sir. Not at all, sir. Sir, I don't know how else to say this. Lieutenant Tiner needs my help."
Now the irritation came back to Chegwidden's voice. "Help with what?"
"A conduct unbecoming case," Bud said simply.
The JAG sighed. He knew that Bud had bonded with the former Yeoman before he left, probably remembering his own days as a law school student. "Lieutenant, if his CO assigned him the case, then he must be the right man for the job."
Bud had expected that the JAG would say that, so he had to impress on him, as Tiner had with him, why this case was so important. "Sir, his case involves Lieutenant Singer."
AJ, though, wasn't following Bud's logic. "Lieutenant Singer? How the blue blazes does his case involve Lieutenant Singer?"
Before Bud could say anything else, a sharp rap on the door interrupted their 'discussion'.
"Enter!" AJ barked somewhat more sharply than he usually did.
Coates quickly opened the door and walked in. "Sorry, sir," she said by way of an excuse as she came in. "Lieutenant, here is that fax you asked for."
Bud numbly took the multipage fax from her. Jason had compiled quite bit since their last conversation. Either that or Jason really did have a whale by the tail, so to speak. "Uh, thank you, Coates. I, uh, think, Admiral, this will explain why I'm needed in Corpus Christi, sir."
AJ took the multipage fax from the Lieutenant, and putting on his reading glasses looked at the papers for a few moments.
Silence reigned while the JAG flipped through pages. After a few more moments, he sighed and put the pages on his desk. He looked over at his aide.
"Coates, cut new travel orders for the Lieutenant. He's going to be working out of the Corpus Christi Naval Legal Service Office for a few days."
"Aye sir," Jennifer said smartly then she turned and headed back out to her desk to work on the revised travel orders.
Bud wasn't sure this was good news. After all, he was supposed to be headed to Camp Lemonnier. Just what had Jason said in that fax? "What about Commander Turner, sir?"
AJ sat back down and handed the fax back to Bud. "I'll send Commander Mattoni with him. He should be getting back any minute now from the District"
"But sir," Bud began. He didn't want to add Alan Mattoni to the list of people who had a bone to pick with him...
The JAG gave the junior JAGC officer a withering glance. "Don't strain my good nature, son. You just get ready to head to Corpus Christi. Find out what the hell is going on down there. I'll alert Commander Pelzer you're on your way and why."
Bud came to attention, glad to have cleared this hurdle. "Aye, aye, sir."
xxviixx
Mac sat staring blankly at her monitor. Reading about this alleged al Jihad member who had died trying set up a meeting with his compatriots had gotten her to thinking about another al Jihad operative.
xx_begin flashback_xx
'That so called freedom will drag your country to the bottom...'
'We write in blood…a language you can understand...'
xx_end flashback_xx
Sadik's sneering face disappeared from view. Mac saw herself with Clayton Webb when they were locked in that shack in the Chaco Boreal
I had no idea it would get this bad... she heard herself say.
Suddenly her lower back gave a violent twinge. So violent that it left her gasping for air and wondering if she was going to pass out.
Slowly the spasm subsided and she was left feeling a little lightheaded. Ever since her adventure in the Paraguayan jungle she had been having more and more trouble with her lower back and pelvic region.
Still, she wasn't about to go whining to a doctor. She had dealt with this before. Usually though, it only came after loving making. For it to spasm while she was sitting in her office chair was unusual. Well, she'd monitor it and if got worse, she'd think about seeing a doctor. She looked up and noticed Harm had not joined her yet. He was supposed to be helping with this...where was he?
xxviixx
Harmon Rabb had opened the folder on Loren Singer that had been left in his inbox, more out of curiosity than anything else. When he asked Coates and Harriet about it, both claimed ignorance to how it got there. It didn't come in an interoffice envelope, it didn't have the DJAG's or Chegwidden's familiar scrawl on it, so where did it come from? Well, maybe opening it up and looking at it would solve the mystery.
He admitted to himself that he really hadn't thought about the file after he stuffed it in his briefcase, and when he put other files in his case, it got lost in the shuffle. It wasn't until he had cleaned out the last of the administrivia files that he noticed it was still there in his case.
So now here it was in front of him. It was just a plain manila folder with Singer, Loren on the file tab. Nothing really mysterious about it. Harm opened it up. Inside was a one page brief and some other documents. Some stapled, some not. The brief was recap of Loren's service record. Highlighted was her work with Admiral Chegwidden on finding and locating Kabir Atef. Next to the highlighted part was a scribbled note. 'See annex A'. Harm leafed through the papers until he found Annex A. It was a listing of al Jihad members, some names he knew very well like Darcy Livingston and Sadik Fahd, but there were others he didn't know. By one name was scribbled the word 'pilot?' Then he saw another name that stopped him cold... Abu Fahrad Hamadi. What kind of list was this...was it Loren's? If so, how did she get a list of these names?
Harm was about to flip back to the previous pages to see if he could learn more about why this one person that had the word 'pilot' written by his name when Mac rapped on his doorframe. He closed the file folder.
Mac looked at her partner with concern. "Harm, are you all right?"
The aviator/lawyer looked up from the closed file on his blotter. He gave her a blank look.
Usually the Commander would look up with a startled look on his face and begin shuffling papers when she caught him like this, but not this time. "What are you reading?" The Light Colonel could see Harm was really intrigued with whatever was in that file.
"Oh, uh, sorry Mac, I, uh, got caught up in some last bits of the administrivia the Admiral had given us," Harm said apologetically.
The SJA Colonel smirked at him. "Well you'd better get you head out of the clouds and get your six into my office. We're supposed to be working on this analysis and evaluation together, remember?"
Harm looked away from her and down again at his blotter. What was he looking at his blotter for? Was it that folder? "Uh, sorry, Mac. I'll be right there," he almost mumbled.
Mac moved closer to his desk. He wasn't going to get off that easy. "What's so interesting in that file anyway?"
Harm quickly opened his middle drawer on his desk and slipped the file inside. "Just an oversight on one of the annotated wills I was working on," he said, looking up and giving her an innocuous smile. Then his smile thinned and disappeared replaced by a look of concern. "Hey, are you all right?"
Mac stopped short of coming around the desk to face him. "What? What are you talking about?"
Harm stood. "Mac, you're pale as ghost."
Mac quickly deflected his concern. It was nice that he cared, but now was not the time. "Harm, I'm okay, really."
"Really." He didn't believe her, but he didn't want to pursue the matter at the moment, but they would talk about it later.
"Yes really," she said trying to reassure him. "Now c'mon, Flyboy. We got a deadline to meet."
1431 Local_1831 Zulu
Andrews Air Force Base
Camp Springs, Maryland
Alan Mattoni made his way on board the C-17 and saw a glowering Sturgis Turner looking him as he made his way to the bench seat next to him.
Alan gave his new partner a nonchalant smile. "I hope that scowl isn't for me. I didn't even know until I was twenty minutes outside DC that I would be going to Camp Lemonnier with you. Luckily, Jacque packs me an extra seabag just in case."
The former Dolphin shook his head. "No," he rumbled, "it isn't for you. It's because I had to deal with a Lieutenant that thinks with his heart first and his brain second. Which is why you are here instead of back at JAG Corps Headquarters."
"Whoa, now man, that's a little harsh, even for you. I take it this Lieutenant is one Bud Roberts? What did he do?" Alan didn't say 'this time' on purpose because like everyone else at JAGC, he had hoped that the former Bubblehead and the former PAO had smoothed over their differences in Mirbullah. At least it had seemed that way, until now.
Sturgis chuckled ruefully. "You guessed right. Bud decided at the very last possible moment that helping Jason Tiner was more important than working on a JAGMan case which the Admiral had assigned him to," Sturgis said bitterly. "The man runs off at drop of hat just because a former staffer cries for help. And the worst part is, the Admiral let him."
Alan shook his head. "Come on now, Sturgis, you know that isn't the case, and I know from personal experience that if AJ Chegwidden had thought Bud merely wanted to go down there to help any JAG personnel that felt overwhelmed, be they enlisted or officers, he'd read the riot act to both of them."
Now Sturgis shook his head. "That may be, but why didn't Bud tell me what this was about? All he said was there was 'a change of plans and that he was going to Corpus Christi.'"
Alan gave the former submarine officer a harsh look as he strapped in. "Probably because he feels like you wouldn't listen to him." When Sturgis looked at him for an explanation, he continued. "I heard you two had a falling out before he went with you, Mac, and Harm to Mirbullah.
Sturgis sighed. "Bud's bobbling of my disciplinary hearing before the board. He had taken Tiner's advice then."
"Look. I know you don't think much of Jason Tiner. Heck, I didn't think he would ever amount to much, but a lot has changed since that incident. When JAG was attacked, Jason kept Jennifer Coates and several other people from getting killed. He also helped ferret out two spies Colonel Livingston had planted at JAG. If the Admiral sent Bud down there to help him, it must important."
Just as Alan finished, the Air Force crew chief made to signal to the ground crew and the jet engines on the big plane began to spool up.
Talking now without almost yelling would be impossible. So Sturgis elected to chew on what Alan Mattoni had told him. Okay, just what had Jason Tiner stumbled onto in Corpus Christi?
xxviixx
Bud's butt was still sore from that rough flight on that C-130 from Andrews. At least he wouldn't be jet lagged. And he wouldn't have deal with a certain Commander. The look Turner gave him at Andrews could have set his suit on fire when he told him he was headed to Corpus Christi. He wished he'd been able to explain what happened, but something told him any talk with the former Bubblehead at this point in time would have led to some kind of blow up.
The Marine crew chief grinned at his Squid passenger. Navy types were always so fussy when they fly. "You survive okay, sir? I know it got a little rough on the way down from Washington when we went around that squall line."
Bud though grinned right back at the Marine crewman. "I've had much worse flights with Navy crews, Staff Sergeant. They tend to be hurricane hunters in training when it comes to bad weather."
The crew chief was impressed. He hadn't expected that kind of answer. "Really sir?"
Bud nodded his head. "Absolutely. Give the pilot my thanks for getting me down here so quickly. By the way can you direct me to the base motor pool?"
The Staff Sergeant stood a little taller. Maybe Squids weren't so bad after all. At least this one wasn't. "Yes, sir, that building next to the hangar. Ask for Sergeant Perez, she'll take care of you."
Bud gave him a grin like they were two old buddies as the Staff Sergeant saluted him and he returned the salute. "Thanks again." As Bud started down the plane's ramp, he began whistling 'Anchors Aweigh'.
xxviixx
Mac clicked her mouse and pages began spitting from her printer. "There, now we have a rough draft to work with."
Once the document finished printing, Mac divided the printed pages in half and gave one set to Harm and kept the reminder for herself.
Harm, pen in hand, started looking at the analysis they had hammered together for Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence Richard La Porte.
He knew that Mac's sense of urgency about getting this done stemmed from her last run-in with Admiral La Porte when she botched that Article 32 defending his daughter's desertion charge. The aviator/lawyer also knew that her flub would not have happened if she hadn't been worried about him flying for the CIA Air Corps.
But he also knew something else was bothering her. Whether she realized it or not she would wince every once in a while and shift her position in her chair. Mac probably thought she was doing a good job hiding this but she had forgotten Harm had seen her looking pained and pale when she stopped by his office.
Harm looked up and saw Mac staring at him over the top of her sheaf of papers. "Well?" she asked trying hard, and failing miserably, not to appear anxious, "What do you think?"
Harm gave her a wry smile. "You mean our analysis and evaluation? I found a couple of typos but nothing serious. Otherwise it looks pretty good."
She leaned closer to him so she could see his copy of the papers. "Where?"
Harm moved closer to her. "Here and here. And a couple of more on the following pages, I circled them."
Mac made a face. "I can't believe I did that," she grumbled.
"Mac, it's okay, everyone makes typos," he assured her.
Mac shook her head. "No, I should have seen them when I was looking at my copy of the draft."
She had as much as admitted that something had disturbed her concentration. So Harm decided to broach with her what had happened earlier. "Okay, I saw you wincing while you were working just now."
"It's nothing," she said in an off-hand manner.
"Mac, the blood was drained out of your face when you came into my office. C'mon Marine, talk to me."
Mac sighed heavily. Commander Nosey had once again reared his ugly head. "You're not going to let this go until I spill my guts, are you?"
Harm tried for compassion. "Maac, I'm worried about you."
That got her. "Okay, promise me you won't go all mother hen on me."
"I can do father rooster, but not mother hen," he said glibly. "Physically impossible."
She gave him a sardonic smirk. "You know what I mean, smart guy."
Harm knew he had to be careful. He didn't want her feeling pressured about this. "All right, I promise I won't go all father rooster on you. Now what's going on, Marine?"
"It's a twinge I get in my back every once in a while," she explained, sounding somewhat embarrassed talking about it. "Some are worse than others. Stress seems to make it worse. Like right now."
"La Porte has you running that scared, Ninja Girl?" Though it came out sounding like a taunt, it really wasn't.
Mac though had apparently not been listening to the unintended jibe. She was exorcizing her own demons. "Harm, I nearly got his daughter sent to Miramar for treason, and he called me incompetent! I want to show him I'm not the doofus he thinks I am!"
"Mac, you're not a doofus. That's Bud's area of expertise according to Harriet," he said, trying humor to reassure her.
Mac gave him a half-hearted smile. "Thanks, Navy, that makes me feel a lot better."
But the aviator/lawyer wasn't done with his argument. "Mac you did right by Petty Officer La Porte and got her the best sentence possible. Her father understood that. And Admiral La Porte saw what you did for her and she didn't blame you for what happened, did she?"
He could tell she was still blaming herself. "No, but Harm, that's not the point. I still messed up."
"Mac we all mess up. You are human, you know. Now getting back to these spasms, how long have you had these?"
Mac fought not to bite his head off. After all, he was showing concern for her. "They're twinges and I've had them off and on since our little adventure in Paraguay. It's no big deal."
But the aviator/lawyer was not buying what she was selling. "Mac, when you look white as ghost after one of these twinges as you call them, something is off. How did you handle these while you were with your Force Recon team?"
At this point, she thought, honesty wouldn't hurt. "Grunt candy mostly. It didn't seem to affect me as much then. Look, if I have another like that one, I promise to go on sick call and get it looked at, okay?"
But Harm still wasn't convinced. "All right, Mac, but I'll be watching."
"I have no doubt, Navy." Despite being a bit annoyed at his concern, she had to admit it was nice having someone care about her.
xxviixx
Bud walked into the Corpus Christi Naval Legal Service Office [NLSO] and was met by a severe looking woman with horn rimmed glasses and her blonde hair done in bun so tight, he wondered whether or not that was responsible for her grim look. The former Seahawk PAO also idly wondered if he got too loud, would she put her index finger to her lips and say 'shhhhh'.
"Lieutenant Bud J. Roberts, JAG Corps Headquarters. I'm here to see Commander Pelzer." Bud noticed the other legalmen and yeomen in the office worked hard not to look up at this new arrival. A few shot him furtive glances.
Bud watched the Chief Legalman's face morph into frightening looking smile. "Lieutenant Roberts, I'm Chief Legalman Gilland. Just give me a moment."
Gilland punched a line on her phone while giving Bud a smarmy smile. "Commander? Lieutenant Roberts just arrived. Yes, I'll send him in."
She put the receiver back on its cradle. "The Commander will see you now."
Bud noticed that Chief Legalman Gilland made no attempt to get up and walk him to the door. She obviously had a lot of paperwork to do since they were down one Legalman. The rest of the office staff tried to resume looking busy.
Bud Roberts walked over to the door and knocked.
"Come," came the stern voice from within.
Bud steeled himself. He opened the door and walked in.
"Lieutenant Bud J. Roberts, JAG Corps Headquarters," Bud said as he presented himself to Jason's commanding officer.
"Close the hatch, Roberts. The Admiral told me to expect you this afternoon."
Bud closed the door and when he turned back to Commander James Pelzer, the man motioned for him to sit down. "Take a seat Roberts and tell me what brings you down here."
Bud sat down carefully. Commander Pelzer didn't seem like the warm and friendly type. The seat was offered as matter of courtesy for a visiting officer. It was obvious to Bud that he was not welcome here.
"I'm here sir, at the Admiral's request," he said without any pretense.
James Pelzer looked at him for a moment. "Are you here to take over Legalman 2 LaGrew's defense?" he said bluntly. "If so, you'll need to meet the prosecuting attorney, Lieutenant Strom. He's on my staff."
Bud decided it was time to show this Commander he wasn't just some flunky. He was a representative of Admiral Chegwidden's command and was here on official business.
"I'm not here to prosecute that case, sir. Lieutenant Tiner is capable of providing the Legalman with a solid defense. I'm here investigating Hassan Merhod's connection with one of our Headquarters' attorneys, Loren Singer."
Obviously the Corpus NLSO CO wasn't prepared for that answer. "Loren Singer? Wasn't she the one that drowned and they thought Commander Harmon Rabb, Junior had a hand in her death?"
Bud decided right then and there that he really didn't like this Commander. "Yes sir, the very same. But as we all know, he wasn't involved at all."
Pelzer immediately backpedaled. "No, no, glad to hear it too. Rabb's got a sterling reputation otherwise."
Bud decided to stir the pot a little. "Commander, thanks to Lieutenant Tiner bringing it to our office's attention, we need to investigate how Mr. Merhod knew Lieutenant Singer. What can you tell me about Legalman 2 LaGrew?"
Pelzer immediately went on the offensive. "I run a tight ship here, Mister. I don't know about Legalman LaGrew's personal life, but she should have had better intel on her boyfriend. There's a war going on, you know."
Despite his surprise at the Commander's intense response, Bud tried to appear unfazed. "Yes, sir, I am aware of that."
Pelzer snorted. "That's why she's being charged with conduct unbecoming. If it turns out to be more serious than that, we'll look into charges of treason."
xxviixx
Harm was back at his desk with the folder he had shoved into his desk drawer when Mac had come in earlier. He opened it again and leafed through the pages till he got back to the list of names. Scanning the list, he saw below Abu Fahrad Hamadi's name several others listed that he was not familiar with:
Amal Abinjinad
Kassim Tabatabainejad
Hassan Merhod
Sean Macklin
Josef al Khamid
Haroun Yare
Izz al din Ga'al
Lutfi 'Muhannad' Treshchenko
Umar bin Ayyubi
Harm got a sticky note and quickly made a list of the names below Hamadi's. He studied the names for a few moments wondering just what kind of connections they had with al Jihad and why were they in this file with Singer's name on it. Harm picked up his phone and punched a button which brought up Coates' direct line.
"Coates, could you come in here for a few moments?"
Coates looked up from her monitor. She had been working on report for the Admiral, but it wasn't due yet so she welcomed the distraction.
"Aye sir, I'll be right there."
He watched as she got up from her desk, notepad in hand and made her way through the bullpen to his doorway. She rapped on his open doorframe announcing her arrival.
"You wanted to see me, sir?"
Harm gave Jen a gentle smile to put her at ease. "Yes, Coates, come on in."
Jennifer walked up to his desk.
"Sorry to pull you in on something like this. I need you to find out what you can about these names," he said, giving her the sticky note.
Jennifer looked at the names and then down at the open folder on his desk. The aviator/lawyer made no attempt to hide the folder from her. "Sir, is that Lieutenant Singer's file?
Harm looked up at her and motioned to the door. "Close the hatch, Coates."
Jennifer nodded and then walked over and shut the door. Then she turned back to face the Commander. She had no idea why he had asked her to close the door, but she trusted him.
Harm sighed. "You asked me if this is Lieutenant Singer's file. To be truthful with you, I'm not sure what it is, but it does have her name on it."
Now her curiosity was piqued. "And the names you've given me to investigate, they came from this file?"
Harm nodded.
As he had trained her, she began asking questions like any good investigator. "Are you assigned to an investigation about this file sir?"
"No," Harm replied giving her a level look. He could have stopped her inquiries with a 'that's an order, Legalman. But he really didn't feel like he could do that in this particular situation.
She kept asking her questions. "Where did it come from, sir?"
The JAGC Commander looked directly at her. "I was going to ask you about that, Coates. It was put on my desk just before secure a couple of days ago. Have you seen it before?"
Jennifer picked up the folder and looked at it. "I've never seen anything like this before, sir. And just for the record, I didn't put it on your desk, sir."
Harm gave her a wry smile. "I figured you hadn't, Legalman. But someone did and they wanted me to see what was in it."
Jennifer moved closer to examine the folder. "Did it come from the Admiral or Captain Landham, sir?"
Harm sighed again. "Not that I can tell," he said flatly.
Jennifer scanned the list of names again he had given her. "Do you have any idea who these people are?"
Harm sighed again as he shook his head. "Not a clue."
Jennifer digested that bit of information. "But they were in the file?" she asked.
Harm nodded . "They were on the last page. You might have missed that – I almost did the first time I looked at it."
Jennifer pursed her lips. She hated asking this question, but she had to. "Did you ask the Colonel about the file? Maybe she knows something about it."
Harm shifted in his chair. "I don't think she does, Coates, otherwise she would have already asked me about it and frankly I'd like to keep her out of this for now since it does involve Lieutenant Singer."
Jennifer nodded. "Understood, sir. And I guess the same is true of the Admiral and the Captain?"
Harm gave her a sardonic smile as he closed the folder. "For now, let's just keep this between us. Look Coates, if you don't want to do this, you don't have to-"
LN 2 Coates looked torn when he offered a way to opt out. "—No, sir, I want to help, it's just...I just...I just don't want you getting in trouble, sir. Not after what happened earlier this year."
The aviator/lawyer understood her concern. "I promise, Coates, if this ties back in any way with Singer's death or paternity questions, I'll notify the Admiral and NCIS, okay?
That seemed to satisfy the Admiral's assistant. "Okay sir. Let me see what I can find out."
Harm breathed a sigh of relief. Right now he needed someone he could count on to help him figure this out as quickly and quietly as possible. "Thanks, Coates, I owe you one."
Jennifer gave her smirk. "Actually sir, you owe me at least two. I dropped in and visited your charge while you and the Colonel visited your grandmother. By the way, Mattie seems like a very nice girl, sir."
Harm's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Wait a minute, Coates, back up a few steps. Who asked you to go out and visit Mattie?"
Jennifer gave her a knowing grin. "The Admiral, sir. Oh and don't worry sir, I really didn't mind doing it."
Harm immediately felt guilty at having left Mattie while he went off to visit his grandmother. He should have taken her with him and Mac. "How was she?"
Jennifer considered the question. "She's doing well. A little lonely, so I think she appreciated the company."
That stoked Harm's guilt even more. He looked up apologetically at the Legalman. "Coates, I don't know what to say."
She gave her mentor a genuine smile this time. It was nice to know that the Commander wasn't like some officers she had known in the past. "I'll think of some way you can repay me sir. For now, I'd better see what I can find out about these names."
1635 Local_2135 Zulu
St. Marks Hospital
La Grange, Texas
Bud made his way down the hospital's hallway toward Legalman 2 LaGrew's room. Down at the end of the hall a Navy Lieutenant in dress whites began smiling when he saw him approaching.
"Lieutenant!" Tiner looked relieved to see him.
Bud smiled as well as they shook hands. "Hey Tiner! Good to see you again. Call me Bud, please."
Jason Tiner's face momentarily clouded as he stepped back. "I'm not sure I can do that, sir."
Bud thought about his relationship with Harm and how he always referred to Harm as 'sir' and the Colonel as 'ma'am' despite knowing both of them for more than five years. "All right, Tiner, I can understand that. Is it all right if I call you Jason?"
Tiner's smile was back. "Yes sir, I'd like that, sir."
Bud nodded. He decided to skip the rest of the pleasantries and get right to why he was here. "So bring me up to speed on what we've got here so far, Jason."
"Yes sir." Tiner pulled out his PDA and tapped it a few times with his stylus. Bud started to look concerned as Tiner continued tapping.
After a few more minutes of tapping, Bud reached out grabbed the stylus. "Tiner."
Jason looked startled. "Yes, sir?"
Bud took a breath. Was this what it was like when Harm would tell him to focus? "Just tell me what you've learned," he said in a low, patient voice.
They began walking down the hall toward the police officer standing outside what he guessed was the Legalman's room.
"Oh, yes sir, right. Legalman 2nd Class Rachel A. LaGrew, staff assistant at Corpus Christi NLSO was found at approximate 0420 hours on 1 September on the bank of the Colorado River just below the US Highway 77 bridge just a couple of blocks from here. She was found with a student from the University of Texas at Austin, Hassan Merhod, who had apparently been killed. They. uh, had both fallen from the highway bridge after Petty Officer LaGrew said he tried to kill her by throwing her over the bridge railing."
Bud looked over at Tiner. This was an incredible story. "Did she say why he did this?"
Jason shook his head as they continued walking. "No, sir, she doesn't seem to know why he did it. She claimed they were driving to Corpus when he asked her to stop at mailbox in town where he dropped a package in the mailbox. When they got out on the highway bridge, he claimed there was something wrong with the car. They got out and that's when she said he forced her toward the railing intending to throw her over."
"So what happened? How was Mr. Merhod killed?"
"She claimed that during the struggle, she grabbed him and they both fell over the side. She said she doesn't remember what happened after that. All she knew was that when she woke up in the hospital they told her that Mr. Merhod had been killed."
It sounded incredible, but plausible. Then again, he hadn't questioned the Legalman yet. There were all sorts of ways this story could go at this point. "You mentioned that the student had mailed a package shortly before he was killed. What was it?"
"With the help of local law enforcement and the postal service, we found the package in the mailbox just he Legalman LaGrew stated. It was a package addressed to Amal Abinjinad. The bomb squad said it didn't have any explosives in it but we haven't opened it yet."
They stopped in the hall. Bud threw the new JAG attorney a puzzled look. "Jason who's 'we'?"
Jason had the good sense to look embarrassed. "Oh right sir, sorry, you didn't know. I'm working with NCIS Special Agent in Charge Chad Tolbert from the Corpus NCIS office and a Marine CID officer, Kim Porter."
Bud thought about this. "Jason, I can understand how Special Agent Tolbert became involved, but why is a Marine CID officer involved in this as well?"
He quickly brought the JAGC Headquarters troubleshooter up to speed on this new angle. "She and her partner were called by Dallas Police. It seems Mr. Abinjinad and another man who later turned out to be working with him got into fight after being pulled over on suspicion of drunken driving. He panicked and requested protection after admitting he was a member of al Jihad."
Of all the lucky breaks. Add to that LN 2 LaGrew had been able to grab at her attacker just as he was trying to throw her over the bridge railing. If Merhod had succeeded in killing LaGrew they would have had no idea how all this was connected together.
-TBC...
