Part Four

Memphis NAS
Airfield
1412 Local

Harm walked out of the Air Ops building, adjusted his cover and looked around. There hadn't been any Tomcats available but he'd been lucky and caught a ride with an air transport out of Pax. All things considered, he'd decided he would rather talk with Mac first before he tangled with Admiral Crowley or Lt. Singer. He broke off from his musing to see a young ensign saluting him. He returned the courtesy and waited.

"Are you from the Headquarters JAG, Commander?" the young man asked. At Harm's nod, he continued, "I'm Ensign Tyler with the JAG office here. Can I give you a lift somewhere?" He reached for Harm's overnight bag as he spoke.

"Commander Rabb. Thank you, Ensign." Harm replied. "Actually, I'd like to find Colonel MacKenzie first. Do you know where she is?" He was surprised when the Ensign looked uncomfortable.

"No sir," Tyler said, "I was supposed to pick up the Colonel and Lt. Singer in front of the O Club at 1300. The Lieutenant was there, but not the Colonel. She said she had no idea where Colonel MacKenzie was at the moment and not to worry about it. I finally dropped the Lieutenant off at the JAG office about twenty-five minutes ago. Then I got word to come pick you up. Where shall I take you sir?"

"Post headquarters, Ensign. I assume the Admiral is back from his lunch?" Harm said with a sigh, he wasn't looking forward to this.

Fifteen minutes later, Harm stood braced at attention in Admiral Crowley's office as the Admiral marched angrily back and forth across his office.

"Goddamn arrogance!! As much as told me to mind my own damn business on my own damn base! What the hell kind of outfit is Chegwidden running anyway? First, my own JAG gets himself arrested and then I get this... this... " the Admiral sputtered for a second, "this female! I've seen her record, I don't know why the hell she's still in the Corps." He paused and remarked with a leer, "Well, I suppose we both know how it might have happened." Crowley turned and glared at Harm, "And don't think for one minute she can run roughshod over my command and not answer for it! What I want to hear from you, Commander, is an apology and your promise to keep Colonel MacKenzie in line and away from me. I will not have her disrupting my base. Are we clear?"

Harm swallowed and then said, "Yes sir." Years of experience as a litigator kept his face impassive. If he had his way, Admiral Crowley would be missing a number of teeth right about now. Mentally bracing for the next explosion, he continued, "Sir, I'm afraid you've misunderstood my role here. Colonel MacKenzie is still in charge of the investigation. Lt. Singer is inexperienced and I'm here only to assist in any way in order to expedite this matter."

Crowley stood frozen and red-faced, "I see. You too, Commander? Obviously, the Colonel gets around. ... Who knows? Maybe I'll get lucky, too," he added sarcastically.

Harm's eyes narrowed dangerously. In a soft voice, he said, "If you have specific charges to file against Colonel MacKenzie, I would suggest you do so, sir."

The two men glared at each other, Harm's implied threat hanging in the air. Abruptly, the Admiral turned away, "Get out of my office, Rabb. Just remember, all of you had better watch your step while you're here."

"Yes sir." With that, Harm pivoted and marched out of the office. He was seething. That pompous son of a bitch! He strode angrily out of the building, barely acknowledging Tyler's salute as he got into the car, "Take me to the JAG office, Ensign."

Memphis NAS
JAG office
1450 Local

Tyler pulled into a parking space in front of the JAG offices. Harm got out and looking towards the entrance, saw a familiar figure. "Mac? MAC!" he called, hurrying up the walkway. "Where have you been?"

Harm? Mac turned around in surprise and saw the tall commander walking quickly towards her. "Harm? What are you doing here? Is there a problem at JAG?"

"No, no problems in DC. Singer called the Admiral about your set-to with Admiral Crowley... " Harm hesitated a moment. He'd been so anxious to get up here, he hadn't considered how Mac might look at the situation.

"What?!"

Harm flinched, that one word delivered in a low, flat tone, told him just how dangerous the waters were that he was about to enter. "Admiral Chegwidden's not questioning your competence, Mac. It's just that he knows Admiral Crowley... "

"He knows Crowley?" Mac interrupted. Dammit, he did know about Crowley's friendship with Jacobs! Why didn't he warn her? Unless he wanted to see if she could handle it - and here was Harm to pick up the pieces. Obviously, she hadn't met his expectations... .

"Mac?" Harm asked a little nervously, she'd been staring at him. "Look, we weren't sure where you were and the Admiral just thought... "

"For godsakes Harm!" Mac interrupted again, "I've only been here four hours and seven minutes. How many places could I be? Did it occur to either of you that I might be working?"

"But Lt. Singer said she couldn't find you after you got into it with Admiral Crowley," Harm defended himself.

Mac stared at him in exasperation, "Singer said... ? Singer wouldn't admit she knew where I was if I was standing on her shoulders at the time."

"Mac, I'm just here to help you." This wasn't going well at all.

"You're here to help me?! Let me tell you how this 'helps' me. This case is a milk run. It barely merits a senior attorney and if Lt. Singer didn't have a penchant for making mountains out of molehills, she'd have this all to herself. So the JAG people here are probably already wondering what the hell it is about this case that it takes two attorneys. I've got a post commander who's questioning why I'm still in the military, much less whether I have any lawyering skills and now, apparently, even my own CO is wondering about my fitness because he's sent you, another senior attorney, to hold my hand. So now, everyone involved in this will be wondering if I'm stupid, incompetent or both. I could do without the 'help', thank you very much." Mac crossed her arms and waited.

Harm flushed, "C'mon Mac, no one believes that. The Admiral just worried. He didn't think you needed any more stress right now."

Mac was silent with surprise, then said softly, "I see." Chegwidden thought she was about to go over the edge? 'Well what the hell did you expect, MacKenzie? You practically told him you were cracking up when you told him about the nightmares and the therapy.' She felt a little sick. "Fine Harm, do whatever you need to do." She turned away and entered the building.

Harm stood there in disbelief. What had just happened? He'd been prepared to deal with her anger, God knows he'd faced it before and survived. But this? What the hell was going on?

Memphis NAS
JAG office
1500 Local

Lt. Barker looked up to see a Marine Lt. Colonel standing in the bullpen. Swallowing a little nervously, he hurried out of his office. "Col. MacKenzie? I'm Lt. Barker, Cmdr. Brighton's exec, we've been expecting you. Lt. Singer is set up in the conference room, I'll take you to her." He stopped when the Colonel held up a hand.

"Actually Lieutenant, I'm sure Lt. Singer is handling everything. I've been talking Cmdr. Brighton and he's asked me to look into another case of his. If you would show me to his office and help me find his notes on the Jarvis case, I'd appreciate it." She stood looking at him expectantly.

Lt. Barker looked at her warily, "You interviewed Cmdr. Brighton?" His eyes widened as he glanced over her shoulder, the latest JAG was a full commander? Now what was going on?

Mac turned to see Harm walking towards them. She turned back to Barker, "This is Commander Rabb, he'll be overseeing Lt. Singer's work." She raised her eyebrows at the Lieutenant, "Cmdr. Brighton's office? The Jarvis file?"

"Uhhh, yes ma'am." He gestured to a seaman, "Commander? Seaman Franks will take you to the conference room." He turned back to Mac, "This way, ma'am." What the hell was going on??

Harm stood silently and watched her retreating figure, until the seaman nervously cleared his throat. "Sir? If you'll follow me?"

Sighing to himself, he trailed after Seaman Franks.

Lauren glanced up from her files as she heard the door start to open. Taking a breath, she started to say that she didn't want to be disturbed, when she saw Rabb standing in the doorway. "Commander, " she said faintly - damn, she should have known the Admiral would have sent another one of his pets out to rescue the other. Still, she wasn't about to concede defeat. She widened her eyes, "Have you found the Colonel, sir? I've been worried."

Harm regarded her stonily, "I'm sure you have been, Lieutenant." He stared at her silently. Singer stared back. Harm had to admit - she had nerves of steel. "I've already talked to the Colonel," he stated and then decided to take a chance. He scowled and said, "She filled in some of the details you neglected to mention to Admiral Chegwidden."

Singer's mind raced, "I wasn't lying, sir. I didn't know where the Colonel was when I called. She told me she was going to the MPs, but I had no way of knowing whether she actually went there or not. And after that scene with Admiral Crowley, I couldn't be sure where she'd wind up. She was pretty upset when he told her he was an old friend of Admiral Jacobs."

"What?" Harm looked at her in surprise. Some pieces fell into place. The Admiral apparently hadn't known about the friendship with Jacobs; except, goddammit, he'd blithely told Mac that Chegwidden knew Crowley. She probably thought the Admiral had tossed her into the lion's den without any kind of warning. It certainly explained Crowley's animosity, it was an open secret in the higher echelons of the Naval community that Mac had been at the eye of the 'Archangel' storm. He turned around and left.

Singer looked after him. Son of a bitch, she'd fallen for his ploy and said more than she had intended. Well, maybe he'd spend all his time chasing after the Colonel and she'd still get this case all to herself. She'd keep her eyes and ears open and bide her time.