~ Mac~
The reality of things really began to hit me on the plane. I sat there staring out the window miles above the ground, absently sipping a small plastic cup of flat ginger ale. There was a nervous fluttering in my stomach as I contemplated over and over in my mind all of the technicalities, all of the possible mishaps that could take place on the all too soon upcoming mission. Harm sat beside me, trying his hardest to make light of the situation. Grateful for the distraction from my paranoia, I joined him in a friendly and casual conversation for almost the entire flight.
Things grew silent as we neared the end of the flight. The anxiety I had been trying to suppress crept back up to the surface as the pilot announced that we would soon be landing in Mashhad. Harm must have sensed my growing agitation.
" Don't worry Mac, you're going to do just fine. I know it." He said, offering me a reassuring smile.
" Thanks." I said, smiling and trying to sound genuinely confident. " but I'm not so sure I can say the same for you." I teased.
He laughed. " I don't know, I probably shouldn't have asked for this position. I really don't know a lot about surveillance equipment."
" oh, I'm sure you'll figure it out. Besides there will be tons of nice young soldiers around who actually know what they're doing and can help you out. You just get to tell them what to do."
" One of the few benefits of old age I suppose." he said, sighing wistfully.
" oh, your not too old. you're old, and you are older than me, but not too old." I grinned at him playfully.
He gave me a look of mock-injury. " That hurts." he said.
Webb sat alone in a seat one up and across from us. He had been completely silent throughout the entire flight, and I was concerned for his emotional well being. We hadn't had the opportunity to talk since the night before last, I wondered if he was truly prepared for this mission. But he seemed entirely composed and focused, so I chose not to question him about it.
The airport at Mashhad was incredibly small, run down and dusty. Apart from myself, Harm, Webb, and a few mechanics, the airport appeared to be completely empty. The three of us were transported from the airport, directly to a small military camp about twenty miles south of the city. It was early in the morning when we arrived, but everyone in the camp was already up and busy.
Upon our arrival, we were greeted by a smaller man who appeared to be in his early fifties. He wore a dark-gray suit with a long black over coat, which I thought was strange considering the extremely warm desert weather of Mashhad.
" Hello Webb." He said, in an unanimated tone. " so these must be your people." he glanced Harm and I up and down quickly and with little concern. His gray-blue eyes were cold but intelligent, and I could tell right away that this was a man with an interesting past.
Clay introduced us, " Harm, Mac, this is agent Jonathan Wold. Jonathan, this is Colonel Sarah Mackenzie and Commander Harmon Rabb."
Jonathan nodded at us quickly. " follow me." he said. " we have a lot to do."
Jonathan led us to one of the several wide, tan-colored tents at the camp. I felt awkward and out of place walking through a military camp in civilian clothing, but since my cover was a civilian weapons analyst, I had to do without the uniform.
We spent the following four hours going over the last important details of the mission. It was so heated in the tent, that I became agitated and inpatient. Harm was restless, and he paced back and forth as Jonathan spoke endlessly about Amir Hamid, and the dozens of spiteful and dangerous men that mindlessly followed him. Clay seemed entirely composed throughout the entire briefing. He was still and attentive, with no signs of uneasiness or anxiety. I wished I had his control.
Towards the end of the briefing, I struggled to remember all of the scraps of information that Jonathan had been persistently cramming into my head for the past four hours.
" That is about all we can give you for now." Jonathan concluded in his slight British accent.
" thank you Jonathan." Webb said. Harm and I simply nodded at him blankly.
" oh and I almost forgot. These are for you." Jonathan handed Webb and I each a tiny black listening device. They were the smallest I'd ever seen, and very light. I studied mine for a moment, and watched as Webb placed his in his ear. I did the same with mine.
" They are virtually undetectable, and very easy to use. This way, Commander Rabb will always be able to contact you from the surveillance truck. He will also be able to hear all of your conversations and the conversations around you. " Jonathan said. " If you tap the device twice it will turn off, and if you tap it once it will turn back on."
I nodded.
Clay turned to me, " You'll have to prepare for departure. We'll be leaving in 20 minutes." he announced. He then exited the tent along with Jonathan.
I supposed that they had left to give Harm and I some time alone to talk, but when I turned towards Harm, I found my mind was utterly devoid of any words to say. I simply stood there facing him very closely, and looking at him. I gazed into his piercing blue eyes, memorizing his every feature slowly and intently. I hoped that I would always remember how he looked at that exact moment, for I was horribly afraid that I would never see him again.
There was a moment of silence, in which there was a certain intensity in the air, and I was troubled by the realization that so much was left unsaid between us.
" Harm I ..." I began to speak but was silenced as Harm stepped forward abruptly and engulfed me in a powerful embrace.
" I don't want you to go." he whispered.
I was momentarily taken off guard by the sudden change in events, but then I returned his embrace and rested my head on his shoulder. I was comforted by the familiar and delicate scent of his soap and aftershave, mingled with something else that was unique and strong and purely Harm.
Reluctantly, I stepped back from him, gripping his hand tightly as if it were my only lifeline. " You know I have to." I said.
He nodded at me, his eyes glowered with distress and an anguished tone haunted his voice, " I know it's just... just be careful okay?" he said.
" You know I will." I assured him. " we've faced worse than this."
He shook his head. " I just have a bad feeling about this one Mac." he said. And to that I had no reply of encouragement, because I myself felt the same.
I smiled despite the tears that threatened to spill from my eyes, " Hey, don't worry about it. As soon as you know it we'll both be back at JAG, I'll be getting on your nerves all over again, and you'll be dying to ship me back off to some random terrorists in Iran."
" You know that's not true." he said.
Over the years, we had said so many good-byes, I wondered what it was that made this one so much harder than the rest. " We'll be fine Harm." I assured him one last time.
He leaned forward and kissed me lightly on the forehead, " I know."
" I have to go now." I said, but made no attempt to move. I shook my head, pulled my eyes away from Harm, and squared my shoulders, I began to make my way towards the opening of the tent, but then I realized that I still clutched Harm's hand in a death-tight grip. " You'll probably be needing this." I said, releasing it gently.
" thanks." he smiled, shaking his hand cautiously as the color slowly returned to it.
" I'm so sorry." I said. " You need some ice or something?"
" No, it's ok." he laughed.
We walked silently, side by side towards the jet-black humvee that would be my, as well as Webb's, departing vehicle. I noticed that it was smaller and very different in form from the ones used by the American military, and I wondered briefly where it had originated from.
Webb sat waiting in the drivers seat, adorned in a black pair of sunglasses.
" Do you know how to drive this thing ,Mr. black?" I asked him mockingly, addressing him by his cover name.
" Not a clue Janie," he smiled playfully, " I was hoping you would teach me."
I took a deep breath, and turned toward Harm. I squinted up at him through the glare of the high noon sun. I would liked to have hugged him goodbye, but there were several officers standing around to see us off safely, and I didn't want to break protocol in their presence.
I saluted him sharply, " Goodbye commander." I said.
He saluted me in return, and shook his head. " Not goodbye." he said determinedly.
As I stepped toward that humvee, all of the fear and apprehension that had been tormenting me for the past two days was drained from my mind, and replaced by a mind-clearing determination to succeed.
As I buckled myself into the passenger seat, Webb glanced at me.
" It's nice to see that you've finally reached mission mode." He said, before starting the vehicle. I nodded at him and struggled not to look back as we traveled across the desert, straight toward an uncertain future.
The reality of things really began to hit me on the plane. I sat there staring out the window miles above the ground, absently sipping a small plastic cup of flat ginger ale. There was a nervous fluttering in my stomach as I contemplated over and over in my mind all of the technicalities, all of the possible mishaps that could take place on the all too soon upcoming mission. Harm sat beside me, trying his hardest to make light of the situation. Grateful for the distraction from my paranoia, I joined him in a friendly and casual conversation for almost the entire flight.
Things grew silent as we neared the end of the flight. The anxiety I had been trying to suppress crept back up to the surface as the pilot announced that we would soon be landing in Mashhad. Harm must have sensed my growing agitation.
" Don't worry Mac, you're going to do just fine. I know it." He said, offering me a reassuring smile.
" Thanks." I said, smiling and trying to sound genuinely confident. " but I'm not so sure I can say the same for you." I teased.
He laughed. " I don't know, I probably shouldn't have asked for this position. I really don't know a lot about surveillance equipment."
" oh, I'm sure you'll figure it out. Besides there will be tons of nice young soldiers around who actually know what they're doing and can help you out. You just get to tell them what to do."
" One of the few benefits of old age I suppose." he said, sighing wistfully.
" oh, your not too old. you're old, and you are older than me, but not too old." I grinned at him playfully.
He gave me a look of mock-injury. " That hurts." he said.
Webb sat alone in a seat one up and across from us. He had been completely silent throughout the entire flight, and I was concerned for his emotional well being. We hadn't had the opportunity to talk since the night before last, I wondered if he was truly prepared for this mission. But he seemed entirely composed and focused, so I chose not to question him about it.
The airport at Mashhad was incredibly small, run down and dusty. Apart from myself, Harm, Webb, and a few mechanics, the airport appeared to be completely empty. The three of us were transported from the airport, directly to a small military camp about twenty miles south of the city. It was early in the morning when we arrived, but everyone in the camp was already up and busy.
Upon our arrival, we were greeted by a smaller man who appeared to be in his early fifties. He wore a dark-gray suit with a long black over coat, which I thought was strange considering the extremely warm desert weather of Mashhad.
" Hello Webb." He said, in an unanimated tone. " so these must be your people." he glanced Harm and I up and down quickly and with little concern. His gray-blue eyes were cold but intelligent, and I could tell right away that this was a man with an interesting past.
Clay introduced us, " Harm, Mac, this is agent Jonathan Wold. Jonathan, this is Colonel Sarah Mackenzie and Commander Harmon Rabb."
Jonathan nodded at us quickly. " follow me." he said. " we have a lot to do."
Jonathan led us to one of the several wide, tan-colored tents at the camp. I felt awkward and out of place walking through a military camp in civilian clothing, but since my cover was a civilian weapons analyst, I had to do without the uniform.
We spent the following four hours going over the last important details of the mission. It was so heated in the tent, that I became agitated and inpatient. Harm was restless, and he paced back and forth as Jonathan spoke endlessly about Amir Hamid, and the dozens of spiteful and dangerous men that mindlessly followed him. Clay seemed entirely composed throughout the entire briefing. He was still and attentive, with no signs of uneasiness or anxiety. I wished I had his control.
Towards the end of the briefing, I struggled to remember all of the scraps of information that Jonathan had been persistently cramming into my head for the past four hours.
" That is about all we can give you for now." Jonathan concluded in his slight British accent.
" thank you Jonathan." Webb said. Harm and I simply nodded at him blankly.
" oh and I almost forgot. These are for you." Jonathan handed Webb and I each a tiny black listening device. They were the smallest I'd ever seen, and very light. I studied mine for a moment, and watched as Webb placed his in his ear. I did the same with mine.
" They are virtually undetectable, and very easy to use. This way, Commander Rabb will always be able to contact you from the surveillance truck. He will also be able to hear all of your conversations and the conversations around you. " Jonathan said. " If you tap the device twice it will turn off, and if you tap it once it will turn back on."
I nodded.
Clay turned to me, " You'll have to prepare for departure. We'll be leaving in 20 minutes." he announced. He then exited the tent along with Jonathan.
I supposed that they had left to give Harm and I some time alone to talk, but when I turned towards Harm, I found my mind was utterly devoid of any words to say. I simply stood there facing him very closely, and looking at him. I gazed into his piercing blue eyes, memorizing his every feature slowly and intently. I hoped that I would always remember how he looked at that exact moment, for I was horribly afraid that I would never see him again.
There was a moment of silence, in which there was a certain intensity in the air, and I was troubled by the realization that so much was left unsaid between us.
" Harm I ..." I began to speak but was silenced as Harm stepped forward abruptly and engulfed me in a powerful embrace.
" I don't want you to go." he whispered.
I was momentarily taken off guard by the sudden change in events, but then I returned his embrace and rested my head on his shoulder. I was comforted by the familiar and delicate scent of his soap and aftershave, mingled with something else that was unique and strong and purely Harm.
Reluctantly, I stepped back from him, gripping his hand tightly as if it were my only lifeline. " You know I have to." I said.
He nodded at me, his eyes glowered with distress and an anguished tone haunted his voice, " I know it's just... just be careful okay?" he said.
" You know I will." I assured him. " we've faced worse than this."
He shook his head. " I just have a bad feeling about this one Mac." he said. And to that I had no reply of encouragement, because I myself felt the same.
I smiled despite the tears that threatened to spill from my eyes, " Hey, don't worry about it. As soon as you know it we'll both be back at JAG, I'll be getting on your nerves all over again, and you'll be dying to ship me back off to some random terrorists in Iran."
" You know that's not true." he said.
Over the years, we had said so many good-byes, I wondered what it was that made this one so much harder than the rest. " We'll be fine Harm." I assured him one last time.
He leaned forward and kissed me lightly on the forehead, " I know."
" I have to go now." I said, but made no attempt to move. I shook my head, pulled my eyes away from Harm, and squared my shoulders, I began to make my way towards the opening of the tent, but then I realized that I still clutched Harm's hand in a death-tight grip. " You'll probably be needing this." I said, releasing it gently.
" thanks." he smiled, shaking his hand cautiously as the color slowly returned to it.
" I'm so sorry." I said. " You need some ice or something?"
" No, it's ok." he laughed.
We walked silently, side by side towards the jet-black humvee that would be my, as well as Webb's, departing vehicle. I noticed that it was smaller and very different in form from the ones used by the American military, and I wondered briefly where it had originated from.
Webb sat waiting in the drivers seat, adorned in a black pair of sunglasses.
" Do you know how to drive this thing ,Mr. black?" I asked him mockingly, addressing him by his cover name.
" Not a clue Janie," he smiled playfully, " I was hoping you would teach me."
I took a deep breath, and turned toward Harm. I squinted up at him through the glare of the high noon sun. I would liked to have hugged him goodbye, but there were several officers standing around to see us off safely, and I didn't want to break protocol in their presence.
I saluted him sharply, " Goodbye commander." I said.
He saluted me in return, and shook his head. " Not goodbye." he said determinedly.
As I stepped toward that humvee, all of the fear and apprehension that had been tormenting me for the past two days was drained from my mind, and replaced by a mind-clearing determination to succeed.
As I buckled myself into the passenger seat, Webb glanced at me.
" It's nice to see that you've finally reached mission mode." He said, before starting the vehicle. I nodded at him and struggled not to look back as we traveled across the desert, straight toward an uncertain future.