Chapter 29

Thirty years ago...

"Commander."

Sam looked up from the map he'd been studying.

"Report, Politz."

"Sir, I think you need to see this."

Sam furrowed his brow.

"What is it?"

"I think I've found the base."

Sam was instantly on his feet.

"Standford, take over. Report to base on what we're doing. Larson, with us."

Standford hurried over to take position by the radio while Larson was instantly on his feet to join Sam and Politz as they headed out of the camp. They'd been searching and, so far, had only found a village. Just farming families, it appeared. There had been no sign of any kind of military base. He had just been getting ready to send them out farther, making sure that they would be able to get a complete view of the region before he reported that their mission was unnecessary.

They hurried through the jungle, almost silently until Politz raised his hand and drew them to a stop. Sam was surprised when he realized that Politz had led them right back to the village. Still, he trusted his men and so, while he wasn't sure what the purpose of coming here was, he didn't question Politz as he led them around and down to the river. The village was on a small ridge above the flood plain. Other than some cleared out fields, they were surrounded by jungle, but what Sam saw by the river was something altogether different.

It was an army. A small one, yes, but it was clearly using the village as a cover. In fact, it looked as though the base had been built into the ridge with the village sitting right on top. It was very likely that the people from the village knew it was there. How could they not? But the fact remained that, whether they agreed with this group or not, they were unarmed and would have no choice in the matter one way or the other.

This changed everything as far as Sam was concerned.

Without speaking, they pulled back from their observation and headed back toward their base. Once they were far enough away to speak without being heard, Politz stopped running.

"Sir," he said.

"How did you find that?" Sam asked.

"I assumed that the intelligence that sent us here would be more accurate than it seemed to be, so I started to examine the village for any sign of it being a fake. I didn't see that, but I saw a uniform and I tracked him around to that entrance. So far as I can see, it's right under the village. Sir, there's no way we can just destroy that base without killing a lot of civilians. It'd be like trying to keep a piece of glass from shattering when you hit the table it's sitting on with a sledgehammer! And there's not enough of us to take them on directly. This is impossible."

Sam nodded.

"Back to base. I'll report it."

"Yes, sir."

They started their run and got back to base in record time.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Present...

Once the Sun came up, Tim tentatively got out of the car and looked at the mess all around him. The area around the shack was a mud pit. Half the roof of the shack had fallen in, and large branches littered the area. He looked at it all for a few minutes without moving. Then, he walked around to the trunk of the car and opened it. He sighed with relief. The laptop was safe. ...and fully charged. He disconnected it from the battery and then left it where it was while he ascertained the viability of the shack.

The mud sucked at his shoes, and he slipped and slid his way to the shack. Once he got there, he stepped inside.

He saw the place where he'd nearly been killed. A large branch of a tree had fallen and the roof was so old that it couldn't support it.

"I guess I'll have more ventilation," Tim said aloud. "And who would expect a person to be living in here with the shack in this condition?"

That was a definite point in favor of sticking it out here as opposed to finding somewhere else. Sure, it was now worse than it had been, but sleeping in the car really hadn't been that bad. A bit cramped, but not too uncomfortable. Perhaps, he could just make that his habit and when he was ready to stop working for the day, he could move into the car when he recharged his laptop.

It was funny that he was so determined to stay when he hated it so much. There was something to be said for continuity, though. He had a rhythm for being here, and if he found another place, he'd have to find a new rhythm, never mind the time lost in finding somewhere new.

"Okay. Clean up the space and get back to work," he said to himself. It would take a little bit of time to clean up the debris and to get his work space back in order, but that was okay. He could handle it.

A little bit of physical activity to get him ready for the real work.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

There was a knock on the door. Faith looked up from her papers. She was reviewing her notes from interviewing Sam the day before, trying to formulate where she'd go first.

"Enter."

The door opened, revealing an intern who was spending a semester working with General Cresswell's aide.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Captain Coleman, but Major General Cresswell requested a meeting with you, if you have the time."

Faith raised an eyebrow. She hadn't yet made her representation of Sam McGee official, although she would have to, even if charges hadn't yet been filed. There was nothing else she was doing right now that would warrant a visit with the head of JAG. Still, a summons was a summons.

"I do. Thank you. Please tell General Cresswell that I will be there in two minutes."

"Yes, ma'am."

The intern left, giving Faith a few seconds to collect her thoughts. If Cresswell was going to be asking her about Sam, he would be up front about it. He was not the prevaricating kind. While she believed him to be honest, he could have his hands tied by the higher ups and requesting his support in that situation would be wrong...which was why she'd gone to Chegwidden instead.

Faith took a breath and then stood up. She was about to leave her notes on her desk, but caution dictated that she take them with her. So she gathered up her notes, placed them carefully in her briefcase and left her office, locking the door behind her.

She forced herself to walk at her usual brisk pace and that brought her to Cresswell's office much more quickly than she really wanted.

"You can go right in, Captain," the intern said, helpfully. "Major General Cresswell said he was waiting for you."

"Thank you," Faith said, rarely ever meaning those words less.

She knocked and then stepped into Cresswell's office.

"General," she said, respectfully.

"Captain Coleman," Cresswell said, his expression unreadable. "Have a seat."

"Yes, sir."

She sat down.

"I had a very interesting visit this morning."

That didn't require a response. It might encourage one, but it didn't require one. Faith said nothing.

"Would you mind telling me why you are taking a client for a case that has yet to be officially begun and why you never bothered telling me about it?"

"I was asked to, and I wasn't sure that you'd want to know in advance, sir," Faith said.

"So it's true, then?"

"Yes, sir."

"How do you know about this case?"

"As I said, I was asked to consider taking it on, and I chose to do so."

"By whom?"

Faith hesitated. Given the fact that Cresswell was still learning about this, Gibbs' involvement might not yet be common knowledge. How far would this knowledge go?

"I'm waiting, Captain."

"NCIS Special Agent Gibbs."

"Gibbs?" Cresswell repeated. "How in the world does he know?"

"Sir, before I answer that, may I ask how you know?"

Cresswell raised an eyebrow at her. "SECNAV was my visitor. He wasn't particularly happy about being kept in the dark regarding JAG's actions in this case. Actually, I'm not particularly happy about it, either."

Faith sat straight on the chair, not relaxing at all, but at the same time, she was secure in the rightness of her choice. She may be worried about the repercussions, but she wasn't worried that she'd chosen correctly.

"Sir, the son of Sam McGee, the man who will be accused, is on Agent Gibbs' team, and Agent McGee learned of the coming charges from his family."

"Why you?"

"Because Agent Gibbs has dealt with me before."

"And you're still on speaking terms?" Cresswell asked with just a hint of amusement.

"Barely," Faith said, remaining as serious as she could.

"Since what I've been told is true, then, I have one more question, Captain."

"Yes, sir?"

"Why didn't you tell me about it?"

"Honestly, sir, I wasn't sure if it would be a good idea. I don't know how far it goes, but I'm already under someone's watch. I've had one person warn me off of taking the case and I've suspected being followed more than once in the last week."

"And this prevented you from telling me, how?"

"Because what I am doing could lead to the end of my career and I feel that it would be wrong to involve my superior in something like this. You can't be blamed for it, if you don't know about it. Sir."

Cresswell's brow furrowed.

"I appreciate your concern for my position, Captain, but your job is not to protect me. It's to defend your clients, and my job is make sure that you have the tools and the support to do it. I said it when they gave me this job: it's not about politics. It's about what's right and wrong. You tell me that you've been threatened? By whom?"

"Someone not in any of the Navy files, sir, although he did claim to be Navy. I've checked already and made a report with NCIS. His description generally matches that of a man who threatened the McGees as well. Close enough that it could be the same person, but not for certain. I told NCIS this."

"You told Agent Gibbs."

"Yes, sir. No matches so far."

Cresswell was quiet for a few seconds. Faith waited, patiently. However, when he didn't speak, she ventured a question since he didn't seem too upset at her.

"Sir, may I ask if you know the details of the charges? I know it's to be a general court martial and that it has to do with international relations, but Dr. McGee does not feel at liberty to disclose Top Secret details, even now. I will have to be read in before he can, and I'm afraid that will come too late for me to prepare adequately. Particularly since the charges haven't been filed yet."

"Doctor McGee?"

"He's been an English professor in Ohio for the last twenty-five years. He's been paralyzed for the last twenty years."

While paralysis certainly didn't excuse past actions, it did complicate punishments, and they both knew it. Cresswell took a deep breath. There was no question that he shouldn't tell her anything until she'd been officially read in, but she could tell that he wasn't happy with the way this was shaping up.

"Mass murder is the charge, due to disobeying orders. They're saying he went rogue and got his entire unit killed, in addition to a number of civilians. This happened in Nicaragua during the eighties."

"I was told that there was international pressure."

"I have not been told that, but I wouldn't be surprised if that was the impetus for this, given the circumstances."

"Sir, if murder is the charge, he could be executed."

"Yes."

"Or extradited to Nicaragua to stand trial there, if the federal government wants this to go away quickly."

"Yes."

"And given the Top Secret nature of the operation, they could conceivably make the argument that all the proceedings should be closed, and Dr. McGee is not the kind of man who will break secrecy by going to the media."

Cresswell nodded in acceptance of her analysis.

"Sir, I don't believe that he's guilty. He has claimed his innocence, and based on these charges, I can't see his guilt as a possibility."

"Meaning that you have no intention of backing out?"

"Sir, Admiral Chegwidden said that I have to ask if I could live with myself if I walked away. I couldn't."

"Chegwidden? You went to him? Why?"

Faith smiled a little. "Because anyone who knew me at all would assume that I'd go to you."

Cresswell smiled a little as well.

"You don't need to massage my ego, Captain."

"I'm not, sir. It's the truth. I went to him because I figured no one would guess that I would, and I know that I can trust him, even if he is not someone I'm as comfortable with. I haven't spoken to him beyond that one time."

"Are you ever comfortable, Captain?"

"Yes. Quite often, sir."

"Not now?"

"No, sir."

"Good. Neither am I. However, I trust your judgment and you will have my support, until and unless you cross a line."

"Thank you, sir. I will try not to do that."

"I know that, Captain. Dismissed."

Faith stood up instantly and came to attention.

"Yes, sir."

She turned to leave.

"And, Captain?"

She turned back.

"Yes, General?"

"Be sure to tell A. J."

Faith allowed herself to show her confusion. Then, she caught the barest hint of a wink, and she realized he was giving her tacit permission to use Chegwidden as a resource.

"I will, sir...if I happen to see him."

Then, she turned and left Cresswell's office and headed back to her own, briefcase in hand.

When she got inside, she stopped in her tracks and looked around. Things were out of place. Not obviously. No one would notice.

Except someone like Faith herself. A piece of paper not quite lined up to the edge of the desk. The chair just slightly unaligned. Even the lamp turned from its usual spot, just a smidgen. She stepped forward to readjust the lamp and then stopped. As much as it troubled her to have anything out of place, this was now a crime scene. Someone had come into her office, even though her office door had been locked.

She walked back out of the office and into the hall. Then, she walked down to Bud's office and knocked.

"Come in!"

She opened the door.

"Hello, Captain Roberts. I just need to use your table for a moment," Faith said.

Quickly, she set her briefcase down, perfectly lined up as usual, opened it and pulled out her phone. She called Gibbs, ignoring Bud's confused expression. This was more important.

"Gibbs."

"Agent Gibbs, I would like someone to come to my office and see if you can get fingerprints to determine who broke in and looked through my desk. Quietly, if possible."

"Did they get anything?"

"If they did, it was nothing of value. I had all my notes with me. The meeting I was in was only a few minutes. They moved very quickly, in and out."

"DiNozzo will be there as soon as he can."

"Thank you. I'll be in Captain Roberts' office until then."

Faith hung up and turned to Bud.

"I hope it's all right if I stay here until Agent DiNozzo arrives?"

"What's going on, Faith?" Bud asked.

Faith forced herself to smile.

"They must know that I took the case."

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Tim finally got everything set up again. He sat down and started working. He knew he was close. So very close. He threw caution to the winds and let himself get fully absorbed in his hacking.

Before he knew it, he was in.

Now, it was just a matter of tracking down the information he needed.

He really felt like he was on the right track.