Part Twenty-Five
Vicinity of Militia Camp
Holly Springs Nat'l. Forest, MS
1755 Local
Wheezing, Tyler sat down with a thump, one hand massaging his neck. He stared wide-eyed at Perez who shrugged sympathetically and turned back to finish tying up the militia man. For good measure, the captain gagged and blindfolded him, too. Wrapped up in the melee, the man had never seen Tyler approach. He didn't know what hit him and Perez intended to keep it that way. Finishing, he grabbed the man by the back of the jacket and began dragging him down the hill. Tyler watched for a moment, then scrambled to his feet to give the captain a hand. They rolled him under a thick growth of briars at the bottom of the slope and kicked some leaves over him. He would be difficult but not impossible to spot.
Dusting off his hands, Perez looked over at Tyler and grinned, "You're a sight for sore eyes, Ensign. Where's Cpl. Bell?"
"He's okay, sir, but it's a long story," Tyler glanced around a little nervously. "Umm, sir? We need to move, this isn't a safe area to hang around."
"You don't say... " Perez said dryly. He glanced at Tyler as they hurried back up the hill, "Is there a safe place?"
"Pretty safe, sir," Tyler replied. "It's probably going to take over an hour to get there," he added apologetically.
Perez waved a hand dismissively, "So long as it's safe, Tyler." He noticed that the ensign kept up a continuous scan of their surroundings. When they reached Mac, Tyler stopped abruptly and looked at Perez. The captain stifled a smile; after his last reception, Tyler was understandably nervous. Perez had been a little surprised himself, the Colonel's survival instincts were obviously well developed. He knelt down near her, it looked like she was coming around. The captain looked up when he heard Tyler clear his throat.
"Sir? Begging your pardon, but what in the sam hill happened to you two?"
Perez looked at Tyler for a moment and opened his mouth. Another voice beat him to it, "What didn't?"
The captain looked down to see Mac gazing tiredly at them both. "Good to have you back, ma'am."
She shifted a bit and groaned softly, "Says you... " She squinted at Tyler, "That was you, wasn't it?" He nodded wordlessly. "I'm sorry, Pick. That wasn't much of a thank you."
Tyler gave her a quick smile, he was looking increasingly nervous. "Ma'am, sir, we have to get moving. Now."
Perez looked at Mac, "Can you walk?" Despite the normal tone she was trying for, he could see the strain on her face.
"I'm barely managing to lie here," she closed her eyes and sighed. "Help me up, please."
He carefully hauled her to her feet. She wavered for a couple of seconds and then eyed Perez, "I'll make you a deal, Captain. You keep me upright and I'll keep my feet moving... just don't expect any sparkling conversations."
Perez gave her a half smile, "Deal, Colonel." He looked at Tyler, "Let's go, Ensign." The three headed off through the woods.
When they finally reached Tyler's camp, Perez decided it had been the longest hour and whatever minutes of his life. He was past tired and well into numb. He'd kept the Colonel upright - barely, and she'd kept moving - barely. Only Tyler seemed unaffected even though he had probably covered twice the distance from scouting ahead and checking behind. That much energy was patently unfair, Perez thought. He tried to focus when Tyler appeared in front of him.
"Just a little farther, sir, ma'am," Tyler said encouragingly. "Then you can rest while I see about dinner."
Perez managed a nod, moments later they arrived at the overhang. Tyler had gathered together what materials he could for bedding. The men lowered the Colonel carefully down and then Perez dropped down beside her. The two were almost instantly asleep. Tyler watched them for a moment and then left to check his snares. Hopefully, there'd be something for dinner and then he needed to call Chegwidden.
Militia Camp
Holly Springs Nat'l. Forest, MS
1800 Local
Harm turned and looked when he heard the door open. He'd gotten tired of sitting and had taken to pacing back and forth. The latest gorilla didn't seem to mind so long as he stayed away from the door. The guard got to his feet when Rev. Trask walked in. Trask looked at Harm for a long minute and then said, "Would you care to join me for dinner, Commander?"
Harm inclined his head, for all the world like an honored guest and not a condemned prisoner. "It would be my pleasure, Reverend."
Trask gestured towards the door and the Commander walked out. Two more guards were waiting in the hallway. Harm turned and waited as the Reverend and the first guard came out to join them. Trask smiled and waved a hand down the hallway, "After you, Mr. Rabb."
They came to a small dining area, the table had been set for two. Harm turned and raised an eyebrow, "Your men don't get to eat?"
Trask arched an eyebrow in return, "I prefer that they not be distracted. They'll eat when they go off-duty. Please have a seat, Commander."
As soon as they sat down, a pair of orderlies appeared and started filling the table with food. After they finished and withdrew, the Reverend bent his head in prayer. Harm followed suit. After he was done, Trask raised his head and smiled politely, "Would you care for some wine?"
"Thank you," Harm extended his glass and watched while the Reverend filled it. This whole scenario seemed absurd. Koslov was going to kill him and Trask was playing the part of gracious Southern host. He refused to consider this his last meal. Sipping the wine, he said, "Is there something I can do for you, Reverend?"
Trask chuckled, the Commander was a cool one. Anyone listening to the conversation would have a hard time deciding which of them was the prisoner. "Yes there is, Commander, but it will keep until after we're done. Mixing business with eating always troubles my digestion. I hope you won't find it too inconvenient to wait?"
Harm waved a hand dismissively, "Not at all. It would be a shame to ruin the meal."
They smiled at each other and began to eat. Thirty minutes later, Trask picked up his wineglass and leaned back from the table. Harm leaned back as well. He did his best to appear relaxed and nonchalant, inside, he didn't think he could be wound tighter. The impending conversation would mean life or death, not just for him but for Singer also. He would be treading a very fine line trying to play up the conspiracy angles without treating the Reverend like he was some sort of lunatic. Paranoia didn't mean stupid.
Trask absently tapped a finger on his glass. How to begin... He figured the Commander would be hoping for some sort of quid pro quo - no doubt he wished to keep from dying. Not that Trask objected to that, it was certainly within his powers and it would enrage Koslov. It just wouldn't be the smartest thing to do. Having the two JAG officers here was like reaching into a beehive, was the reward worth the risk? How would he know if Commander Rabb was telling the truth with whatever story he told about Koslov? And would he really care? Trask hated that boorish, arrogant Yankee to the point where it was difficult to keep a civil tongue in his head. It was affecting his judgment and that was something he couldn't abide. Perhaps he could find some way to remove Koslov and still keep the pipeline open.
Trask stared silently at Rabb, he seemed like a clever fellow. Dangerous too, of course, but perhaps he could be maneuvered into assisting the militia. Possibly in exchange for the Lieutenant's well-being? He couldn't be sure, the Commander and the Lieutenant had certainly been at odds with one another... if only Colonel MacKenzie hadn't died. Now that had been damned inconvenient. He sighed, doubtless, Koslov's men were just as heavy-handed as their boss. Trask took another sip of wine and gazed at Harm, "Tell me about Koslov."
Near Bethel
Holly Springs Nat'l. Forest
1925 Local
Liston nudged Thomason and pointed up the road at the approaching SUV. After Liston's less than respectful remark, they'd found themselves on guard duty at the post that was the furthest and most inconvenient to get to. The two of them turned and looked at Tinker in the backseat, he stared back impassively. "Well don't just sit there, boy, get out and stop them," Thomason snapped.
"With what?" Tink rumbled, they had yet to trust him with any type of firearm.
Liston rolled his eyes and glanced at Thomason, "Oh for chrissakes, just stand there. If they hit you, it'll wreck their car. Either way, they'll stop."
Tink glared at the two and climbed out of the jeep. Standing in the road, he held up his hand. The SUV glided to a halt and sat there. For about a minute, no one moved. At last, the driver opened his door and got out. As he walked towards Tink, the passenger side opened and another man got out and followed him. Tink watched the two men approach wordlessly. The driver was tall and balding. Although he was older, it was apparent he kept himself in shape. The other man was larger and barrel-chested. He wore his hair tightly cropped and looked like he knew how to handle trouble. Maybe he was a bodyguard.
AJ slowly walked up to the huge man blocking the road. He was aware that Gunny Walters was just behind and to the side, for which he was profoundly grateful. If trouble started, it would take both of them to handle this guy... and probably some sort of air strike to boot. He stopped in front of Gargantua and said mildly, "You're in my way."
The mountain gazed down at him, "This is private land, no trespassing."
AJ adopted a confused tone, "I thought this was the Holly Springs National Forest. I have a campsite reserved for fishing." He glanced back at Walters, "Isn't that right, Dubby?" Walters nodded silently, his eyes on the two men now approaching. Both had rifles casually cradled in their arms.
"Is there a problem?" The taller of the two men asked.
"No."
"Yes." AJ gazed upward and tried not to flinch. The mountain was looking ominous. Walters had gone dangerously still. At that moment, AJ's cellphone chose to ring. Everyone jumped, Chegwidden briefly closed his eyes - timing was everything. Pointedly ignoring the rifles that were now aimed at him, he dug into his pocket. He glared at the Gunny as he pulled out the phone, "Goddammit, didn't you tell them I was on vacation? This better not be that jackass in marketing." He turned slightly away as he answered the phone, "Hello?"
Tyler looked at the phone for a moment and then put it back to his ear, "Admiral Chegwidden?"
"Yeah, this is AJ. That you Tyler?"
"Yes sir," Tyler said hesitantly, what the hell was going on?
"Well you better have a helluva good reason for calling me on the first day of my vacation." AJ gazed skyward for a moment, 'C'mon Tyler - figure it out, make your report and get off the phone.'
"Uhhh... yes sir... Sir, I ran into Colonel MacKenzie and Captain Perez while I was making a last circuit of the militia camp. I brought them back to my campsite." The admiral was on vacation? Tyler's eyes widened suddenly, did that mean... ?"
"You What?!?" AJ looked around quickly. The pair of militia men were unabashedly listening, the big man had an expression he couldn't read and Walters was looking worried. "All right, Tyler. Do you want me to talk to them?" Damn! What were Mac and Perez doing back at the militia base? Where the hell was Rabb and Singer? Unless ... Oh damn...
Tyler glanced back up the ravine, "They're both asleep right now, sir. The trip here was kinda rough, especially after that fight with the militia guy."
With difficulty, AJ kept his voice level, "I see." Inwardly he cringed, that young man was going to be the death of him. "Are you going to need help to deal with the situation?"
Tyler hesitated, "Probably, sir. Somewhere along the line, the Colonel was injured." He absently rubbed at his neck.
Son of a bitch. With a calm he was far from feeling AJ said, "How bad is it?"
"I really don't know for sure, sir. She's hurt her shoulder, she's not using the arm on that side at all. And she needed help walking, but that's all I've seen. Capt. Perez would be able to tell you more, except he's asleep right now."
"Okay Tyler, let me get to my campsite and then we'll see if we can straighten all this out." He looked at his watch, "I'll call you in an hour." AJ ended the call and looked at Walters, "Next time, Dubby, I'm leaving the cellphone home." He looked at the militia men and smiled, "Sorry, gentlemen. My junior executives sometimes get over-excited. Where were we?"
Vicinity of Militia Camp
Holly Springs Nat'l. Forest, MS
1755 Local
Wheezing, Tyler sat down with a thump, one hand massaging his neck. He stared wide-eyed at Perez who shrugged sympathetically and turned back to finish tying up the militia man. For good measure, the captain gagged and blindfolded him, too. Wrapped up in the melee, the man had never seen Tyler approach. He didn't know what hit him and Perez intended to keep it that way. Finishing, he grabbed the man by the back of the jacket and began dragging him down the hill. Tyler watched for a moment, then scrambled to his feet to give the captain a hand. They rolled him under a thick growth of briars at the bottom of the slope and kicked some leaves over him. He would be difficult but not impossible to spot.
Dusting off his hands, Perez looked over at Tyler and grinned, "You're a sight for sore eyes, Ensign. Where's Cpl. Bell?"
"He's okay, sir, but it's a long story," Tyler glanced around a little nervously. "Umm, sir? We need to move, this isn't a safe area to hang around."
"You don't say... " Perez said dryly. He glanced at Tyler as they hurried back up the hill, "Is there a safe place?"
"Pretty safe, sir," Tyler replied. "It's probably going to take over an hour to get there," he added apologetically.
Perez waved a hand dismissively, "So long as it's safe, Tyler." He noticed that the ensign kept up a continuous scan of their surroundings. When they reached Mac, Tyler stopped abruptly and looked at Perez. The captain stifled a smile; after his last reception, Tyler was understandably nervous. Perez had been a little surprised himself, the Colonel's survival instincts were obviously well developed. He knelt down near her, it looked like she was coming around. The captain looked up when he heard Tyler clear his throat.
"Sir? Begging your pardon, but what in the sam hill happened to you two?"
Perez looked at Tyler for a moment and opened his mouth. Another voice beat him to it, "What didn't?"
The captain looked down to see Mac gazing tiredly at them both. "Good to have you back, ma'am."
She shifted a bit and groaned softly, "Says you... " She squinted at Tyler, "That was you, wasn't it?" He nodded wordlessly. "I'm sorry, Pick. That wasn't much of a thank you."
Tyler gave her a quick smile, he was looking increasingly nervous. "Ma'am, sir, we have to get moving. Now."
Perez looked at Mac, "Can you walk?" Despite the normal tone she was trying for, he could see the strain on her face.
"I'm barely managing to lie here," she closed her eyes and sighed. "Help me up, please."
He carefully hauled her to her feet. She wavered for a couple of seconds and then eyed Perez, "I'll make you a deal, Captain. You keep me upright and I'll keep my feet moving... just don't expect any sparkling conversations."
Perez gave her a half smile, "Deal, Colonel." He looked at Tyler, "Let's go, Ensign." The three headed off through the woods.
When they finally reached Tyler's camp, Perez decided it had been the longest hour and whatever minutes of his life. He was past tired and well into numb. He'd kept the Colonel upright - barely, and she'd kept moving - barely. Only Tyler seemed unaffected even though he had probably covered twice the distance from scouting ahead and checking behind. That much energy was patently unfair, Perez thought. He tried to focus when Tyler appeared in front of him.
"Just a little farther, sir, ma'am," Tyler said encouragingly. "Then you can rest while I see about dinner."
Perez managed a nod, moments later they arrived at the overhang. Tyler had gathered together what materials he could for bedding. The men lowered the Colonel carefully down and then Perez dropped down beside her. The two were almost instantly asleep. Tyler watched them for a moment and then left to check his snares. Hopefully, there'd be something for dinner and then he needed to call Chegwidden.
Militia Camp
Holly Springs Nat'l. Forest, MS
1800 Local
Harm turned and looked when he heard the door open. He'd gotten tired of sitting and had taken to pacing back and forth. The latest gorilla didn't seem to mind so long as he stayed away from the door. The guard got to his feet when Rev. Trask walked in. Trask looked at Harm for a long minute and then said, "Would you care to join me for dinner, Commander?"
Harm inclined his head, for all the world like an honored guest and not a condemned prisoner. "It would be my pleasure, Reverend."
Trask gestured towards the door and the Commander walked out. Two more guards were waiting in the hallway. Harm turned and waited as the Reverend and the first guard came out to join them. Trask smiled and waved a hand down the hallway, "After you, Mr. Rabb."
They came to a small dining area, the table had been set for two. Harm turned and raised an eyebrow, "Your men don't get to eat?"
Trask arched an eyebrow in return, "I prefer that they not be distracted. They'll eat when they go off-duty. Please have a seat, Commander."
As soon as they sat down, a pair of orderlies appeared and started filling the table with food. After they finished and withdrew, the Reverend bent his head in prayer. Harm followed suit. After he was done, Trask raised his head and smiled politely, "Would you care for some wine?"
"Thank you," Harm extended his glass and watched while the Reverend filled it. This whole scenario seemed absurd. Koslov was going to kill him and Trask was playing the part of gracious Southern host. He refused to consider this his last meal. Sipping the wine, he said, "Is there something I can do for you, Reverend?"
Trask chuckled, the Commander was a cool one. Anyone listening to the conversation would have a hard time deciding which of them was the prisoner. "Yes there is, Commander, but it will keep until after we're done. Mixing business with eating always troubles my digestion. I hope you won't find it too inconvenient to wait?"
Harm waved a hand dismissively, "Not at all. It would be a shame to ruin the meal."
They smiled at each other and began to eat. Thirty minutes later, Trask picked up his wineglass and leaned back from the table. Harm leaned back as well. He did his best to appear relaxed and nonchalant, inside, he didn't think he could be wound tighter. The impending conversation would mean life or death, not just for him but for Singer also. He would be treading a very fine line trying to play up the conspiracy angles without treating the Reverend like he was some sort of lunatic. Paranoia didn't mean stupid.
Trask absently tapped a finger on his glass. How to begin... He figured the Commander would be hoping for some sort of quid pro quo - no doubt he wished to keep from dying. Not that Trask objected to that, it was certainly within his powers and it would enrage Koslov. It just wouldn't be the smartest thing to do. Having the two JAG officers here was like reaching into a beehive, was the reward worth the risk? How would he know if Commander Rabb was telling the truth with whatever story he told about Koslov? And would he really care? Trask hated that boorish, arrogant Yankee to the point where it was difficult to keep a civil tongue in his head. It was affecting his judgment and that was something he couldn't abide. Perhaps he could find some way to remove Koslov and still keep the pipeline open.
Trask stared silently at Rabb, he seemed like a clever fellow. Dangerous too, of course, but perhaps he could be maneuvered into assisting the militia. Possibly in exchange for the Lieutenant's well-being? He couldn't be sure, the Commander and the Lieutenant had certainly been at odds with one another... if only Colonel MacKenzie hadn't died. Now that had been damned inconvenient. He sighed, doubtless, Koslov's men were just as heavy-handed as their boss. Trask took another sip of wine and gazed at Harm, "Tell me about Koslov."
Near Bethel
Holly Springs Nat'l. Forest
1925 Local
Liston nudged Thomason and pointed up the road at the approaching SUV. After Liston's less than respectful remark, they'd found themselves on guard duty at the post that was the furthest and most inconvenient to get to. The two of them turned and looked at Tinker in the backseat, he stared back impassively. "Well don't just sit there, boy, get out and stop them," Thomason snapped.
"With what?" Tink rumbled, they had yet to trust him with any type of firearm.
Liston rolled his eyes and glanced at Thomason, "Oh for chrissakes, just stand there. If they hit you, it'll wreck their car. Either way, they'll stop."
Tink glared at the two and climbed out of the jeep. Standing in the road, he held up his hand. The SUV glided to a halt and sat there. For about a minute, no one moved. At last, the driver opened his door and got out. As he walked towards Tink, the passenger side opened and another man got out and followed him. Tink watched the two men approach wordlessly. The driver was tall and balding. Although he was older, it was apparent he kept himself in shape. The other man was larger and barrel-chested. He wore his hair tightly cropped and looked like he knew how to handle trouble. Maybe he was a bodyguard.
AJ slowly walked up to the huge man blocking the road. He was aware that Gunny Walters was just behind and to the side, for which he was profoundly grateful. If trouble started, it would take both of them to handle this guy... and probably some sort of air strike to boot. He stopped in front of Gargantua and said mildly, "You're in my way."
The mountain gazed down at him, "This is private land, no trespassing."
AJ adopted a confused tone, "I thought this was the Holly Springs National Forest. I have a campsite reserved for fishing." He glanced back at Walters, "Isn't that right, Dubby?" Walters nodded silently, his eyes on the two men now approaching. Both had rifles casually cradled in their arms.
"Is there a problem?" The taller of the two men asked.
"No."
"Yes." AJ gazed upward and tried not to flinch. The mountain was looking ominous. Walters had gone dangerously still. At that moment, AJ's cellphone chose to ring. Everyone jumped, Chegwidden briefly closed his eyes - timing was everything. Pointedly ignoring the rifles that were now aimed at him, he dug into his pocket. He glared at the Gunny as he pulled out the phone, "Goddammit, didn't you tell them I was on vacation? This better not be that jackass in marketing." He turned slightly away as he answered the phone, "Hello?"
Tyler looked at the phone for a moment and then put it back to his ear, "Admiral Chegwidden?"
"Yeah, this is AJ. That you Tyler?"
"Yes sir," Tyler said hesitantly, what the hell was going on?
"Well you better have a helluva good reason for calling me on the first day of my vacation." AJ gazed skyward for a moment, 'C'mon Tyler - figure it out, make your report and get off the phone.'
"Uhhh... yes sir... Sir, I ran into Colonel MacKenzie and Captain Perez while I was making a last circuit of the militia camp. I brought them back to my campsite." The admiral was on vacation? Tyler's eyes widened suddenly, did that mean... ?"
"You What?!?" AJ looked around quickly. The pair of militia men were unabashedly listening, the big man had an expression he couldn't read and Walters was looking worried. "All right, Tyler. Do you want me to talk to them?" Damn! What were Mac and Perez doing back at the militia base? Where the hell was Rabb and Singer? Unless ... Oh damn...
Tyler glanced back up the ravine, "They're both asleep right now, sir. The trip here was kinda rough, especially after that fight with the militia guy."
With difficulty, AJ kept his voice level, "I see." Inwardly he cringed, that young man was going to be the death of him. "Are you going to need help to deal with the situation?"
Tyler hesitated, "Probably, sir. Somewhere along the line, the Colonel was injured." He absently rubbed at his neck.
Son of a bitch. With a calm he was far from feeling AJ said, "How bad is it?"
"I really don't know for sure, sir. She's hurt her shoulder, she's not using the arm on that side at all. And she needed help walking, but that's all I've seen. Capt. Perez would be able to tell you more, except he's asleep right now."
"Okay Tyler, let me get to my campsite and then we'll see if we can straighten all this out." He looked at his watch, "I'll call you in an hour." AJ ended the call and looked at Walters, "Next time, Dubby, I'm leaving the cellphone home." He looked at the militia men and smiled, "Sorry, gentlemen. My junior executives sometimes get over-excited. Where were we?"
