ABOUT US 2: Surprise, Surprise 3/14
Author: LeE
e-mail: lee_81881@yahoo.com
Classification: Adventure- Romance H/M
Disclaimers: JAG doesn't belong to me. It belongs to DPB and CBS. I'm just having some fun while procrastinating on homework...
*From Part 2*
"Confirmation acknowledged. Proceed to phase two"
Phase two. What the hell was phase two? He must have said this out loud because Webb turned around at once and gave him a menacing look. This was a side of Clayton Webb that Harm had never thought existed. He had worked with Webb before. He knew how Webb handled himself in these types of cases. Harm still didn't know much about what was happening. He decided to use his trained investigative mind to try to get a handle on this situation. Silently listing the pieces of information he had collected, he looked up once again to meet his captor's gaze.
*Part 3*
JAG HQ
FRIDAY MARCH 15, 2002
1135 EST
FALLS CHURCH, VA
"...in more news, there has been a new development on the tragedy that took the lives of two American pilots earlier this week over Afghanistan soil. According to investigators, the remains of the two F-14 planes found indicate the possibility of explosives present on one of the aircrafts. How the explosives were in the ship is still unknown...."
The Admiral turned off the television abruptly and ran a frustrated hand over his face, resting his fingers on the bridge of his nose to apply some pressure. How could this get any worse? The intercom buzzer brought him back from his thoughts.
"Yes, Tiner"
"Admiral, Deputy Director Callahan is here to see you, Sir"
"Send him in, Tiner"
"Aye, Sir"
It was Friday, and normally the Judge Advocate General of the US Navy would be looking forward to a relaxing weekend at home. However, he knew the odyssey had just begun. There was still no sign of Webb or Harm. The last piece of information he had received had been the phone call Webb had made to the ship the day before, stating his intentions and informing them that he was indeed holding Harm hostage. So many things weren't making sense, and he hoped that this visit from the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence would shed some light on the situation at hand. The Navy and the CIA often worked together on different missions and situations. Damn it, the CIA had almost gotten Harm and Mac killed on more than one occasion, and even though Webb had always been behind it, he had never failed to come through for them when it mattered.
You didn't get to be the JAG by being oblivious to the world around you. The Admiral usually had pretty good instincts, and he took pride on his ability to read people, especially the people under his command. Granted, Webb had never been directly under AJ's command, but he still felt like he knew the spook. They had worked on some sensitive cases together, and as much as AJ hated to admit it, somewhere deep inside, he considered Clay a friend. And now this.
"Please, have a seat Mr. Callahan" AJ replied as he shook his visitor's hand warmly.
"Thank you, Admiral" Callahan said as he took a seat across for the Admiral's desk. He had to admit, AJ Chegwidden was indeed an imposing figure. Most of his contact with the Navy was done through the SecNav, who was definitely nothing like this Admiral character. One more reason he was glad he chose the CIA instead of the armed forces. If they kept people like the Admiral behind their desks, what exactly did the military hold in store for the poor boot camp kids?
"I assume this visit is in regards to the kidnapping of Commander Rabb?"
"Yes, Admiral. That's why I'm here. This is not something I usually do. However, I feel this case merits it. Clayton Webb has done a wonderful job for us throughout the years, much like his father, and I feel like I owe it to Neville to try and solve this myself. Clay's father and I were really good friends. We worked together in Vietnam"
AJ wasn't biting. Why was the Deputy Director himself coming to his office and talking freely about something as personal as this? An uneasy feeling surged within him as he studied the man's profile carefully. He seemed like he was hiding something, but then again, didn't they all? Choosing to put away his doubts, AJ decided the best course of action would be to try and get the most information possible from his visitor. In case this whole situation got out of hand- which was common in the CIA-he would definitely go after Rabb himself. The more intel he could collect early in the game assured him a better chance at finding Harm and breaking more than Webb's nose this time.
"So, what do you think of Webb? Is he really capable of going through with his threat?"
"Unfortunately, we believe he is. However, this situation runs deeper than blowing up the USS Theodore Roosevelt. We have reason to believe Webb is not the only mole in the Agency"
"With all due respect, Mr. Callahan, how is it that JAG gets this type of privileged information? I would think the Agency would want to keep this under wraps and not spread the information around so freely"
"You're right, Admiral. This is something we definitely want to keep to ourselves. However, the cat is out of the bag, so to speak. We just got word that Webb had his people contact ZNN, which is why I'm here to tell you the whole story before you hear it on the news."
The Admiral's eyes widened as the many scenarios flashed before his eyes. If Webb was so hell bent on going through with his threat, then it would be nearly impossible to stop him without a scandal. Now, to top it off, he had gone ahead and involved the media? Why would he want to do that? Is he suicidal? He knew the military could take him out, and it almost felt like he was daring the US to do just that.
"Well, let's hear it then" AJ said and sighed, as he reclined on his chair and crossed his arms cross his chest.
Callahan plunged ahead with his story. "The mission that Webb recruited Commander Rabb for was fairly simple. However, the problem was that the Agency approved to destroy the location in Afghanistan, not the intentional murder of the two pilots that flew with Commander Rabb. We had no idea what Webb was planning, because we didn't know he was working with Trent..."
"Excuse me? Trent? As in Director of Intelligence, Mr. Donald Trent?"
"That's correct Admiral. We have learned Webb and Trent lead a terrorist organization composed of Americans who have grudges against the government. They call themselves the 420. It stands for April, 20. Webb's birth date."
"Jesus" was all AJ could say as he contemplated the possibilities.
"The two pilots that died, Lts. Jacobs and Smith, were working with the CIA aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt. We had them there to find out who was establishing communications between the ship and 420 in Afghanistan, and we needed it stopped."
"Wait a minute. So you knew there was an American aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt working with the terrorists, and you sent Lts. Jacobs and Smith aboard the ship to stop him."
"That's correct. It was a good cover story. Two cocky pilots wouldn't be suspected of spying. However, when Webb found out that the Agency had discovered the 420 operative aboard the ship, he pushed for the mission to be approved, and had his man install the remote controlled explosives on the plane that flew with Commander Rabb's"
"Why would he want Rabb alive, though? He had nothing to do with it. And Harm's RIO hasn't been found either" the Admiral responded, confused as he tried to make sense of the mess that had become of this situation.
"Well, we don't know exactly why yet. Webb made it clear the last time he communicated with us that his threat was directed against the military forces over in the Middle East. That's why he's threatening to blow up the USS Theodore Roosevelt, and we have strong evidence that indicates 420 has already infiltrated military bases across the Middle East as well as the Watertown and the USS Patrick Henry"
"I don't understand it, though. Why is Webb so insistent on attacking our own military forces?"
"Admiral. I don't know exactly how to say this. We believe 420 was involved in the September 11 attacks"
"What? What do you mean involved? What about Trent? He's the goddamn Director of Central Intelligence!" AJ was finding this all really hard to digest, and frankly, it was extremely disturbing. There was something fishy about this situation.
"Admiral, we found phone call records, letters, e-mails, and other evidence that incriminate Webb and Trent. We traced calls made from Trent's office to the location in Afghanistan that was destroyed on the last mission."
"Well, why would Webb come up with a plan to destroy that location if he were actually working with Trent?"
"The location was a decoy, Admiral. The mission was an excuse to get Lts. Jacobs and Smith in the air in order to kill them, effectively eliminating the CIA's contact with the ship"
"Even if this is true, how did he managed to convince Commander Rabb to help him? And where the hell is Trent then?"
"Convincing Rabb? Easy. Webb probably told Rabb the two pilots were working with 420 and fed him a story to explain why they needed to bomb the building. I'm sure he didn't tell Rabb he was about to kill the pilots. As for Mr. Trent, well, we don't know where he is. He hasn't been at the office since yesterday. We believe he's hiding out and we're looking for him."
"And of course, Commander Rabb was under SecNav's orders to go along with Webb so he didn't ask many questions and just did what he was told" the Admiral said thoughtfully as he began to think of a way to break the latest news to his staff before they heard it on TV.
"Admiral, I know this must be hard for you. For us at the Agency, well this is nothing new. We don't have as much faith in our operatives as the military has on its people"
"I know, Mr. Callahan. I know"
Hundreds of things were going through AJ's mind as Mr. Callahan exited his office. Why would Webb want Rabb with him? It just didn't make sense. The news would be devastating to his staff. Especially Mac. Something told him that Harm and Mac had finally admitted their feelings before he left. Well, anybody could've assumed that after seeing the idiotic grin on Harm's face when he came out of Mac's office the day before he left. Chuckling softly at the memory of their argument in the bullpen, AJ rose from his chair and paced the room several times. Realizing time was of the essence; he took the phone and asked Tiner to have Mackenzie, Roberts, Sims, and Turner report immediately.
MAC'S OFFICE
Same Time
A myriad of emotions were coursing through Mac as she tried to make sense of the tragic turn her life had taken the past week. The only good thing to come out of all this was that night she spent in Harm's arms before he left. Only thinking about him made her smile, and she could almost believe the elevator doors would open any time and Harm would come out towering proudly, whispering good mornings, flyboy grin in place.
Almost.
So many things didn't make sense. "It's not fair" she whispered as tears welled up once again, and she tried to chase away the images of a life without Harm. They had been through so much. So many close calls. He had to make it out of there. He just had to.
"Ma'am" Tiner spoke as he knocked on her door.
"Yes, Tiner" Mac answered, dabbing away some tears that had escaped her eyes.
"The Admiral wishes to see you ASAP, Ma'am" he said.
"Thank you, Tiner. I'll be right there"
"Aye, aye Ma'am"
TBC
Author: LeE
e-mail: lee_81881@yahoo.com
Classification: Adventure- Romance H/M
Disclaimers: JAG doesn't belong to me. It belongs to DPB and CBS. I'm just having some fun while procrastinating on homework...
*From Part 2*
"Confirmation acknowledged. Proceed to phase two"
Phase two. What the hell was phase two? He must have said this out loud because Webb turned around at once and gave him a menacing look. This was a side of Clayton Webb that Harm had never thought existed. He had worked with Webb before. He knew how Webb handled himself in these types of cases. Harm still didn't know much about what was happening. He decided to use his trained investigative mind to try to get a handle on this situation. Silently listing the pieces of information he had collected, he looked up once again to meet his captor's gaze.
*Part 3*
JAG HQ
FRIDAY MARCH 15, 2002
1135 EST
FALLS CHURCH, VA
"...in more news, there has been a new development on the tragedy that took the lives of two American pilots earlier this week over Afghanistan soil. According to investigators, the remains of the two F-14 planes found indicate the possibility of explosives present on one of the aircrafts. How the explosives were in the ship is still unknown...."
The Admiral turned off the television abruptly and ran a frustrated hand over his face, resting his fingers on the bridge of his nose to apply some pressure. How could this get any worse? The intercom buzzer brought him back from his thoughts.
"Yes, Tiner"
"Admiral, Deputy Director Callahan is here to see you, Sir"
"Send him in, Tiner"
"Aye, Sir"
It was Friday, and normally the Judge Advocate General of the US Navy would be looking forward to a relaxing weekend at home. However, he knew the odyssey had just begun. There was still no sign of Webb or Harm. The last piece of information he had received had been the phone call Webb had made to the ship the day before, stating his intentions and informing them that he was indeed holding Harm hostage. So many things weren't making sense, and he hoped that this visit from the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence would shed some light on the situation at hand. The Navy and the CIA often worked together on different missions and situations. Damn it, the CIA had almost gotten Harm and Mac killed on more than one occasion, and even though Webb had always been behind it, he had never failed to come through for them when it mattered.
You didn't get to be the JAG by being oblivious to the world around you. The Admiral usually had pretty good instincts, and he took pride on his ability to read people, especially the people under his command. Granted, Webb had never been directly under AJ's command, but he still felt like he knew the spook. They had worked on some sensitive cases together, and as much as AJ hated to admit it, somewhere deep inside, he considered Clay a friend. And now this.
"Please, have a seat Mr. Callahan" AJ replied as he shook his visitor's hand warmly.
"Thank you, Admiral" Callahan said as he took a seat across for the Admiral's desk. He had to admit, AJ Chegwidden was indeed an imposing figure. Most of his contact with the Navy was done through the SecNav, who was definitely nothing like this Admiral character. One more reason he was glad he chose the CIA instead of the armed forces. If they kept people like the Admiral behind their desks, what exactly did the military hold in store for the poor boot camp kids?
"I assume this visit is in regards to the kidnapping of Commander Rabb?"
"Yes, Admiral. That's why I'm here. This is not something I usually do. However, I feel this case merits it. Clayton Webb has done a wonderful job for us throughout the years, much like his father, and I feel like I owe it to Neville to try and solve this myself. Clay's father and I were really good friends. We worked together in Vietnam"
AJ wasn't biting. Why was the Deputy Director himself coming to his office and talking freely about something as personal as this? An uneasy feeling surged within him as he studied the man's profile carefully. He seemed like he was hiding something, but then again, didn't they all? Choosing to put away his doubts, AJ decided the best course of action would be to try and get the most information possible from his visitor. In case this whole situation got out of hand- which was common in the CIA-he would definitely go after Rabb himself. The more intel he could collect early in the game assured him a better chance at finding Harm and breaking more than Webb's nose this time.
"So, what do you think of Webb? Is he really capable of going through with his threat?"
"Unfortunately, we believe he is. However, this situation runs deeper than blowing up the USS Theodore Roosevelt. We have reason to believe Webb is not the only mole in the Agency"
"With all due respect, Mr. Callahan, how is it that JAG gets this type of privileged information? I would think the Agency would want to keep this under wraps and not spread the information around so freely"
"You're right, Admiral. This is something we definitely want to keep to ourselves. However, the cat is out of the bag, so to speak. We just got word that Webb had his people contact ZNN, which is why I'm here to tell you the whole story before you hear it on the news."
The Admiral's eyes widened as the many scenarios flashed before his eyes. If Webb was so hell bent on going through with his threat, then it would be nearly impossible to stop him without a scandal. Now, to top it off, he had gone ahead and involved the media? Why would he want to do that? Is he suicidal? He knew the military could take him out, and it almost felt like he was daring the US to do just that.
"Well, let's hear it then" AJ said and sighed, as he reclined on his chair and crossed his arms cross his chest.
Callahan plunged ahead with his story. "The mission that Webb recruited Commander Rabb for was fairly simple. However, the problem was that the Agency approved to destroy the location in Afghanistan, not the intentional murder of the two pilots that flew with Commander Rabb. We had no idea what Webb was planning, because we didn't know he was working with Trent..."
"Excuse me? Trent? As in Director of Intelligence, Mr. Donald Trent?"
"That's correct Admiral. We have learned Webb and Trent lead a terrorist organization composed of Americans who have grudges against the government. They call themselves the 420. It stands for April, 20. Webb's birth date."
"Jesus" was all AJ could say as he contemplated the possibilities.
"The two pilots that died, Lts. Jacobs and Smith, were working with the CIA aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt. We had them there to find out who was establishing communications between the ship and 420 in Afghanistan, and we needed it stopped."
"Wait a minute. So you knew there was an American aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt working with the terrorists, and you sent Lts. Jacobs and Smith aboard the ship to stop him."
"That's correct. It was a good cover story. Two cocky pilots wouldn't be suspected of spying. However, when Webb found out that the Agency had discovered the 420 operative aboard the ship, he pushed for the mission to be approved, and had his man install the remote controlled explosives on the plane that flew with Commander Rabb's"
"Why would he want Rabb alive, though? He had nothing to do with it. And Harm's RIO hasn't been found either" the Admiral responded, confused as he tried to make sense of the mess that had become of this situation.
"Well, we don't know exactly why yet. Webb made it clear the last time he communicated with us that his threat was directed against the military forces over in the Middle East. That's why he's threatening to blow up the USS Theodore Roosevelt, and we have strong evidence that indicates 420 has already infiltrated military bases across the Middle East as well as the Watertown and the USS Patrick Henry"
"I don't understand it, though. Why is Webb so insistent on attacking our own military forces?"
"Admiral. I don't know exactly how to say this. We believe 420 was involved in the September 11 attacks"
"What? What do you mean involved? What about Trent? He's the goddamn Director of Central Intelligence!" AJ was finding this all really hard to digest, and frankly, it was extremely disturbing. There was something fishy about this situation.
"Admiral, we found phone call records, letters, e-mails, and other evidence that incriminate Webb and Trent. We traced calls made from Trent's office to the location in Afghanistan that was destroyed on the last mission."
"Well, why would Webb come up with a plan to destroy that location if he were actually working with Trent?"
"The location was a decoy, Admiral. The mission was an excuse to get Lts. Jacobs and Smith in the air in order to kill them, effectively eliminating the CIA's contact with the ship"
"Even if this is true, how did he managed to convince Commander Rabb to help him? And where the hell is Trent then?"
"Convincing Rabb? Easy. Webb probably told Rabb the two pilots were working with 420 and fed him a story to explain why they needed to bomb the building. I'm sure he didn't tell Rabb he was about to kill the pilots. As for Mr. Trent, well, we don't know where he is. He hasn't been at the office since yesterday. We believe he's hiding out and we're looking for him."
"And of course, Commander Rabb was under SecNav's orders to go along with Webb so he didn't ask many questions and just did what he was told" the Admiral said thoughtfully as he began to think of a way to break the latest news to his staff before they heard it on TV.
"Admiral, I know this must be hard for you. For us at the Agency, well this is nothing new. We don't have as much faith in our operatives as the military has on its people"
"I know, Mr. Callahan. I know"
Hundreds of things were going through AJ's mind as Mr. Callahan exited his office. Why would Webb want Rabb with him? It just didn't make sense. The news would be devastating to his staff. Especially Mac. Something told him that Harm and Mac had finally admitted their feelings before he left. Well, anybody could've assumed that after seeing the idiotic grin on Harm's face when he came out of Mac's office the day before he left. Chuckling softly at the memory of their argument in the bullpen, AJ rose from his chair and paced the room several times. Realizing time was of the essence; he took the phone and asked Tiner to have Mackenzie, Roberts, Sims, and Turner report immediately.
MAC'S OFFICE
Same Time
A myriad of emotions were coursing through Mac as she tried to make sense of the tragic turn her life had taken the past week. The only good thing to come out of all this was that night she spent in Harm's arms before he left. Only thinking about him made her smile, and she could almost believe the elevator doors would open any time and Harm would come out towering proudly, whispering good mornings, flyboy grin in place.
Almost.
So many things didn't make sense. "It's not fair" she whispered as tears welled up once again, and she tried to chase away the images of a life without Harm. They had been through so much. So many close calls. He had to make it out of there. He just had to.
"Ma'am" Tiner spoke as he knocked on her door.
"Yes, Tiner" Mac answered, dabbing away some tears that had escaped her eyes.
"The Admiral wishes to see you ASAP, Ma'am" he said.
"Thank you, Tiner. I'll be right there"
"Aye, aye Ma'am"
TBC