A/N: Just a little clarification. I didn't mean for it to sound like Mac
was telling Harm what he could do. Just that because she loves him she
would rather he was somewhere safe and not just flying because someone
asked him to be cause of his tendency to have problems when he flies.
(ejecting in the ocean, ejecting the admiral, crashing etc) When Harm says
okay, he's basically saying he won't fly unless he has too because he
doesn't want her worrying over him
"Excuse me." Mac said to the fire marshal.
"Yes ma'am?" He asked.
"I'm Lieutenant Colonel Mackenzie and this is Gunny. The Admiral would like us to find out who started the fire so any information you can provide would be helpful."
"All we know at the moment is the fire started in the wastepaper bin. From the looks of it, it was started long before it was put out. The most of the damage was caused by the smoke. We've almost finished checking the rest of the building out, so you'll be allowed back in in approximately ten minutes."
"Do you think it was arson?" Gunny asked.
"It was probably just an accident. Someone forgot to stub out a cigarette but I can't confirm that until I have the contents analysed. I should have the result late Monday afternoon."
"Smoking isn't allowed in the building." Mac said. "If the fire wasn't started long before the alarm went off. We can cut out practically all of the JAG personnel because they were all present for the presentation. Security doesn't let anyone in the building without signing in. So we're going to have to find who else was near that room in the last hour. Thank you for your help. Do you have a number we can contact you on if we have any questions?"
"Just call the local station and ask for Mark Barrett."
"Thank you sir." Gunny said.
"We need to talk to Sgt Gladstein." Mac said.
"Yes ma'am."
"I'll be back in one minute." She walked over to Harm.
"Hey, did the fire marshal tell you anything?" Harm asked.
"It'll be another ten minutes before we're allowed back inside. I'm going to be here a while, the Admiral wants Gunny and I to find out what caused the fire so we need to talk to some people."
"But the rest of us are free to go?" Sturgis asked, Harriet looked concerned.
"According to the fire marshal the fire started and was put out within minutes and we were all together in the bullpen when the fire started so you can go. Gunny and I will figure what happened if not today on Monday."
"I've only got a few files left to go through I can stay and help." Harm offered.
"Harm, you're in court first thing Monday morning, go home and work on your case, I'll get take out when I'm done here. I've got to go, Gunny's waiting. I'll see you all later."
~
"Let's see the footage." Mac said as they sat in the security office. Sgt Gladstein had alerted her that there was a security camera in the area so they could see who was in the area at the time.
"Yes ma'am. If you bear with me a minute." Mac nodded and he brought up the screen. "This starts about fifteen minutes before the fire alarm sounded and the fire was found. I'll run it at double speed."
"Gunny, you know what we're looking for."
"Yes ma'am." Gunny watched the screen intently; Gunny had made a note of meeting everyone who worked at JAG headquarters so he was familiar with all the faces. Mac watched too.
When they were about a minute before the fire started there hadn't been anyone around except a passing Sgt, who had walked completely past the room. Mac's eyes were trained on the screen when there was a knock on security office door. The Sgt pushed the chair and opened the door.
"Commander, can I help you?"
"Is Colonel Mackenzie he.." Harm started.
"Be quiet Harm, I'm busy here a minute. Sgt can we run this back and slow it down, I think I spotted something. Gunny?"
"I think you're right ma'am." Gunny replied. "There's a shadow." Gunny pointed to the bottom of the screen.
"Of course ma'am." He rewound the tape.
"What did you see Mac?" Harm asked as he came in and looked over her shoulder.
"There's a shadow on the bottom of the screen that wasn't there before. See?" She pointed it out to him.
"I see it." They watched the video continue, a few second later it was obvious the fire had started and someone ran down the corridor with a fire extinguisher, and opened the door and put the fire out. The shadow had disappeared.
"Is there anyway to zoom in?" Mac asked.
"Not here ma'am. You could try NCIS?" The Sgt suggested.
"We could have tried Webb if he was in town. The CIA have great video surveillance equipment and enhancers. "
"But he's." Mac realised what she was about to say. "Out of the country."
"I know, you'll just have to try the NCIS first thing on Monday morning."
"No I have to talk to them tonight or first thing tomorrow morning. Sgt can you make me three copies of the tape?" She asked.
"Of course ma'am."
"Good, I want a copy, give one to Gunny, I want the Admiral to lock a copy in his safe and the other original sent to NCIS." She instructed.
"Yes ma'am."
"Mac, what are you thinking?" Harm asked.
"At this point you don't need to know. Gunny, I want you to take your copy and put it somewhere safe. The four us are the only ones who'll know you have a copy."
"Yes ma'am."
TBC
"Excuse me." Mac said to the fire marshal.
"Yes ma'am?" He asked.
"I'm Lieutenant Colonel Mackenzie and this is Gunny. The Admiral would like us to find out who started the fire so any information you can provide would be helpful."
"All we know at the moment is the fire started in the wastepaper bin. From the looks of it, it was started long before it was put out. The most of the damage was caused by the smoke. We've almost finished checking the rest of the building out, so you'll be allowed back in in approximately ten minutes."
"Do you think it was arson?" Gunny asked.
"It was probably just an accident. Someone forgot to stub out a cigarette but I can't confirm that until I have the contents analysed. I should have the result late Monday afternoon."
"Smoking isn't allowed in the building." Mac said. "If the fire wasn't started long before the alarm went off. We can cut out practically all of the JAG personnel because they were all present for the presentation. Security doesn't let anyone in the building without signing in. So we're going to have to find who else was near that room in the last hour. Thank you for your help. Do you have a number we can contact you on if we have any questions?"
"Just call the local station and ask for Mark Barrett."
"Thank you sir." Gunny said.
"We need to talk to Sgt Gladstein." Mac said.
"Yes ma'am."
"I'll be back in one minute." She walked over to Harm.
"Hey, did the fire marshal tell you anything?" Harm asked.
"It'll be another ten minutes before we're allowed back inside. I'm going to be here a while, the Admiral wants Gunny and I to find out what caused the fire so we need to talk to some people."
"But the rest of us are free to go?" Sturgis asked, Harriet looked concerned.
"According to the fire marshal the fire started and was put out within minutes and we were all together in the bullpen when the fire started so you can go. Gunny and I will figure what happened if not today on Monday."
"I've only got a few files left to go through I can stay and help." Harm offered.
"Harm, you're in court first thing Monday morning, go home and work on your case, I'll get take out when I'm done here. I've got to go, Gunny's waiting. I'll see you all later."
~
"Let's see the footage." Mac said as they sat in the security office. Sgt Gladstein had alerted her that there was a security camera in the area so they could see who was in the area at the time.
"Yes ma'am. If you bear with me a minute." Mac nodded and he brought up the screen. "This starts about fifteen minutes before the fire alarm sounded and the fire was found. I'll run it at double speed."
"Gunny, you know what we're looking for."
"Yes ma'am." Gunny watched the screen intently; Gunny had made a note of meeting everyone who worked at JAG headquarters so he was familiar with all the faces. Mac watched too.
When they were about a minute before the fire started there hadn't been anyone around except a passing Sgt, who had walked completely past the room. Mac's eyes were trained on the screen when there was a knock on security office door. The Sgt pushed the chair and opened the door.
"Commander, can I help you?"
"Is Colonel Mackenzie he.." Harm started.
"Be quiet Harm, I'm busy here a minute. Sgt can we run this back and slow it down, I think I spotted something. Gunny?"
"I think you're right ma'am." Gunny replied. "There's a shadow." Gunny pointed to the bottom of the screen.
"Of course ma'am." He rewound the tape.
"What did you see Mac?" Harm asked as he came in and looked over her shoulder.
"There's a shadow on the bottom of the screen that wasn't there before. See?" She pointed it out to him.
"I see it." They watched the video continue, a few second later it was obvious the fire had started and someone ran down the corridor with a fire extinguisher, and opened the door and put the fire out. The shadow had disappeared.
"Is there anyway to zoom in?" Mac asked.
"Not here ma'am. You could try NCIS?" The Sgt suggested.
"We could have tried Webb if he was in town. The CIA have great video surveillance equipment and enhancers. "
"But he's." Mac realised what she was about to say. "Out of the country."
"I know, you'll just have to try the NCIS first thing on Monday morning."
"No I have to talk to them tonight or first thing tomorrow morning. Sgt can you make me three copies of the tape?" She asked.
"Of course ma'am."
"Good, I want a copy, give one to Gunny, I want the Admiral to lock a copy in his safe and the other original sent to NCIS." She instructed.
"Yes ma'am."
"Mac, what are you thinking?" Harm asked.
"At this point you don't need to know. Gunny, I want you to take your copy and put it somewhere safe. The four us are the only ones who'll know you have a copy."
"Yes ma'am."
TBC