****************
The following Monday
JAG HQ
0915 local
Mac wearily made her way to the break room in search of a much-needed cup of coffee. What had started out as a simple dinner had ended in yet another round of arguing, fighting, and battling with Mic-- the worst to date. He wanted a wedding, and he wanted it now. Worse yet, she couldn't really give him any better reason to delay things other than she just didn't want to, not yet. He just didn't seem to understand...
Lost in thought as she entered the room, she made a beeline for the coffeemaker. She grabbed her mug and reached for the coffeepot.
"You might want to make another batch. I suspect someone's contaminated the pot with decaf," a voice commented from behind. Startled, Mac spun around, inadvertently stumbling into a stray chair someone had left behind.
"Might want to watch your step, too," the voice added wryly, although this time Mac was looking at its source. Leaning against the wall was an unusually tall blonde, dressed in a black trenchcoat and jeans and a white buttondown shirt, her hair up in a haphazard bun. She was regarding Mac somewhat curiously over the tops of gold rimmed reading glasses and the file folder in her hands.
"What the--? Who are you?" Mac demanded.
The woman pushed off the wall, stepping forward. "Sorry. I guess that wasn't the best way to go about things," she said. "Mercedes von Kleist. I'm a special investigator from VSIB-- I'm working with Commander Rabb on a series of murders." She gave Mac's uniform a quick once over. " You must be...Lt. Col. ....MacKenzie?" Immediately her eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't happen to go by 'Mac', would you?"
Before Mac could answer, in strode Harm. "Morning Mac, Morning CD," he said, greeting the pair before stopping short. "Um...am I interrupting something?" he asked warily.
"Only me having another memorable introduction to one of your
co-workers," CD answered.
Mac was surprised to see a mischievous smile on Harm's face. "Well, it has to be going better than the last one," he commented dryly, "Since you're not dripping coffee." CD's only response was to shoot a thoroughly dirty look in his direction. She was more interested in the lady Marine in front of her.
Mac's initial anger was now thoroughly replaced by confusion. "Dripping coffee?" she asked, glancing from Harm to the blonde, who winced slightly.
"My illustrious partner is referring to the fact that my first day here, in the space of about fifteen minutes, I ran down a petty officer with the grace and style of a runaway freight train and then promptly ended up meeting your CO with the contents of his coffee cup dripping down the front of my suit," CD explained. "You see, Colonel, I didn't mean to catch you off guard like that... I was just engrossed in what I was reading and apparently left my brain in the file folder." Mercedes's matter-of-fact tone left Harm snickering.
Mac could only shake her head. "This sort of thing happens to you
often?" she asked.
"What can I say. I'm gifted. Anyway," CD announced, "It was an accident. Besides, Commander, I wouldn't have been in here in the first place if you hadn't been late and spent the past half hour undoubtedly receiving some choice words from your boss." Moving as she spoke, she dumped out the remaining coffee and promptly put a new pot on to brew. Mac noted approvingly that she made the coffee even stronger than Mac herself did.
At CD's comment, it was Harm's turn to wince, and Mac couldn't help her grin. "I think she's got your number, Harm."
Mercedes returned Mac's grin. "Yeah, well, I'm familiar with the
type."
"Hey, when did it become 'abuse Harm" day?" he whined, looking for his coffee cup, only to realize Mercedes had it. "Of course, I could always start telling blonde jokes," he added.
Mercedes gave Mac a long-suffering look. "The things I have to put up with." The coffee was ready, so she filled her own paper cup and Mac's mug, which she held out. "I need to go check something in one of my files. Meet you in the conference room in five, Commander?" she asked, finally filling Harm's mug and handing it to him.
"Sure. Be there in a minute," he answered, taking the mug.
"A pleasure to meet you, Colonel," Mercedes said, picking up her own coffee and making for the door. Mac simply nodded, taking a long swallow of the hot liquid.
With Mercedes gone, an awkward silence fell. "She's interesting," Mac finally commented.
"Yeah."
"So how are things?"
Mac looked away. "Fine. You?"
"Well enough, I suppose."
They both fell silent again, wanting to talk, but uncertain where to begin, or even how.
"Mac-"
"Harm, I--"
They both stopped short, having begun at the same time. It was Harm who finally spoke. "Mac, you know....if you ever need to talk... if you ever need anything.... I'm here," he said quietly.
Mac was still trying to come up with a response when Tiner came in. "Ma'am, Sir.... the Admiral wants to see you."
****************
"Have a seat, you two," Chegwidden waved them down without looking up from the file in front of him. "Commander what is the status of the Nichols case?" he finally asked, looking up.
"We're working on it, sir. Ms. Von Kleist has several ideas, but nothing concrete yet."
"And why is that, Commander?" Chegwidden's tone held a distinct note of irritation.
"There's just nothing to go on, sir. There's plenty of evidence to indicate how the murders were committed, but not who committed them."
Leaning back, the Admiral sighed. "I was afraid that was the case."
Mac spoke up. "Sir, if I may, why am I here? This isn't my case."
"It is now, Colonel. It has been strongly suggested both publicly and privately that not enough time and manpower are being devoted to this case. After a particularly pleasant chat with the SecNav, I've been told to put more of my people on this, specifically, you, Mac."
***********************************
Same time
Harm's office
Mercedes was comparing coroner's reports on the victims when her cell phone rang. "Yes?....What? Scheisse..." The reports were flung aside as she dug for her field notebook, quickly flipping it open and scrawling notes. "Right....uh-hunh...okay. Let me round up my partner and we'll be there ASAP." She shoved the phone and notebook back in her coat, then took off like a shot for the Admiral's office.
"Hi Tiner," she tossed off, going straight past him to the inner office door without slowing.
"Hello ma'am...Ma'am? Ma'am!" Tiner was startled when she knocked twice then strode right in without waiting. "Ma'am, you can't go in there!" he added desperately.
AJ looked up with a weary expression. "Miss Von Kleist, I assume there's a good reason for your lack of manners?"
She paused only long enough to acknowledge his presence. "Hi. 'Scuse me," said quickly, then turned to Harm. "You. Wrap this up und macht schnell. We've gotta go," she ordered, the turned to leave. "I'll be downstairs in the car--the black Explorer."
"MISS VON KLEIST!" The Admiral's voice fairly echoed through the
building. "I don't know how things run at your office, but here you observe protocol," he stated in a low tone that left no room for debate.
Mercedes slowly walked back up to the desk, leaning forward until she was face to face with Chegwidden. "With all due respect, Admiral, I don't have *time* to observe protocol," she said in a low, lethal, voice. "I have two more murder victims to deal with. A housewife and a Navy Lieutenant. Just like the others. Disemboweled, their internal organs laying next to them, and their throats slit from behind. And every second I stand here wasting time on 'protocol', I lose more evidence that with help me catch the sick sonofabitch doing this."
They stood there, eyes locked, neither wavering, for seconds that felt like years. Finally AJ spoke. "Go. Take them with you," he said, motioning to Harm and Mac. "I'll let it go this time, Miss Von Kleist," he added.
CD simply nodded, then looked at the other officers. "Move it," she said, heading out the door and past an astonished Tiner.
TBC...
The following Monday
JAG HQ
0915 local
Mac wearily made her way to the break room in search of a much-needed cup of coffee. What had started out as a simple dinner had ended in yet another round of arguing, fighting, and battling with Mic-- the worst to date. He wanted a wedding, and he wanted it now. Worse yet, she couldn't really give him any better reason to delay things other than she just didn't want to, not yet. He just didn't seem to understand...
Lost in thought as she entered the room, she made a beeline for the coffeemaker. She grabbed her mug and reached for the coffeepot.
"You might want to make another batch. I suspect someone's contaminated the pot with decaf," a voice commented from behind. Startled, Mac spun around, inadvertently stumbling into a stray chair someone had left behind.
"Might want to watch your step, too," the voice added wryly, although this time Mac was looking at its source. Leaning against the wall was an unusually tall blonde, dressed in a black trenchcoat and jeans and a white buttondown shirt, her hair up in a haphazard bun. She was regarding Mac somewhat curiously over the tops of gold rimmed reading glasses and the file folder in her hands.
"What the--? Who are you?" Mac demanded.
The woman pushed off the wall, stepping forward. "Sorry. I guess that wasn't the best way to go about things," she said. "Mercedes von Kleist. I'm a special investigator from VSIB-- I'm working with Commander Rabb on a series of murders." She gave Mac's uniform a quick once over. " You must be...Lt. Col. ....MacKenzie?" Immediately her eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't happen to go by 'Mac', would you?"
Before Mac could answer, in strode Harm. "Morning Mac, Morning CD," he said, greeting the pair before stopping short. "Um...am I interrupting something?" he asked warily.
"Only me having another memorable introduction to one of your
co-workers," CD answered.
Mac was surprised to see a mischievous smile on Harm's face. "Well, it has to be going better than the last one," he commented dryly, "Since you're not dripping coffee." CD's only response was to shoot a thoroughly dirty look in his direction. She was more interested in the lady Marine in front of her.
Mac's initial anger was now thoroughly replaced by confusion. "Dripping coffee?" she asked, glancing from Harm to the blonde, who winced slightly.
"My illustrious partner is referring to the fact that my first day here, in the space of about fifteen minutes, I ran down a petty officer with the grace and style of a runaway freight train and then promptly ended up meeting your CO with the contents of his coffee cup dripping down the front of my suit," CD explained. "You see, Colonel, I didn't mean to catch you off guard like that... I was just engrossed in what I was reading and apparently left my brain in the file folder." Mercedes's matter-of-fact tone left Harm snickering.
Mac could only shake her head. "This sort of thing happens to you
often?" she asked.
"What can I say. I'm gifted. Anyway," CD announced, "It was an accident. Besides, Commander, I wouldn't have been in here in the first place if you hadn't been late and spent the past half hour undoubtedly receiving some choice words from your boss." Moving as she spoke, she dumped out the remaining coffee and promptly put a new pot on to brew. Mac noted approvingly that she made the coffee even stronger than Mac herself did.
At CD's comment, it was Harm's turn to wince, and Mac couldn't help her grin. "I think she's got your number, Harm."
Mercedes returned Mac's grin. "Yeah, well, I'm familiar with the
type."
"Hey, when did it become 'abuse Harm" day?" he whined, looking for his coffee cup, only to realize Mercedes had it. "Of course, I could always start telling blonde jokes," he added.
Mercedes gave Mac a long-suffering look. "The things I have to put up with." The coffee was ready, so she filled her own paper cup and Mac's mug, which she held out. "I need to go check something in one of my files. Meet you in the conference room in five, Commander?" she asked, finally filling Harm's mug and handing it to him.
"Sure. Be there in a minute," he answered, taking the mug.
"A pleasure to meet you, Colonel," Mercedes said, picking up her own coffee and making for the door. Mac simply nodded, taking a long swallow of the hot liquid.
With Mercedes gone, an awkward silence fell. "She's interesting," Mac finally commented.
"Yeah."
"So how are things?"
Mac looked away. "Fine. You?"
"Well enough, I suppose."
They both fell silent again, wanting to talk, but uncertain where to begin, or even how.
"Mac-"
"Harm, I--"
They both stopped short, having begun at the same time. It was Harm who finally spoke. "Mac, you know....if you ever need to talk... if you ever need anything.... I'm here," he said quietly.
Mac was still trying to come up with a response when Tiner came in. "Ma'am, Sir.... the Admiral wants to see you."
****************
"Have a seat, you two," Chegwidden waved them down without looking up from the file in front of him. "Commander what is the status of the Nichols case?" he finally asked, looking up.
"We're working on it, sir. Ms. Von Kleist has several ideas, but nothing concrete yet."
"And why is that, Commander?" Chegwidden's tone held a distinct note of irritation.
"There's just nothing to go on, sir. There's plenty of evidence to indicate how the murders were committed, but not who committed them."
Leaning back, the Admiral sighed. "I was afraid that was the case."
Mac spoke up. "Sir, if I may, why am I here? This isn't my case."
"It is now, Colonel. It has been strongly suggested both publicly and privately that not enough time and manpower are being devoted to this case. After a particularly pleasant chat with the SecNav, I've been told to put more of my people on this, specifically, you, Mac."
***********************************
Same time
Harm's office
Mercedes was comparing coroner's reports on the victims when her cell phone rang. "Yes?....What? Scheisse..." The reports were flung aside as she dug for her field notebook, quickly flipping it open and scrawling notes. "Right....uh-hunh...okay. Let me round up my partner and we'll be there ASAP." She shoved the phone and notebook back in her coat, then took off like a shot for the Admiral's office.
"Hi Tiner," she tossed off, going straight past him to the inner office door without slowing.
"Hello ma'am...Ma'am? Ma'am!" Tiner was startled when she knocked twice then strode right in without waiting. "Ma'am, you can't go in there!" he added desperately.
AJ looked up with a weary expression. "Miss Von Kleist, I assume there's a good reason for your lack of manners?"
She paused only long enough to acknowledge his presence. "Hi. 'Scuse me," said quickly, then turned to Harm. "You. Wrap this up und macht schnell. We've gotta go," she ordered, the turned to leave. "I'll be downstairs in the car--the black Explorer."
"MISS VON KLEIST!" The Admiral's voice fairly echoed through the
building. "I don't know how things run at your office, but here you observe protocol," he stated in a low tone that left no room for debate.
Mercedes slowly walked back up to the desk, leaning forward until she was face to face with Chegwidden. "With all due respect, Admiral, I don't have *time* to observe protocol," she said in a low, lethal, voice. "I have two more murder victims to deal with. A housewife and a Navy Lieutenant. Just like the others. Disemboweled, their internal organs laying next to them, and their throats slit from behind. And every second I stand here wasting time on 'protocol', I lose more evidence that with help me catch the sick sonofabitch doing this."
They stood there, eyes locked, neither wavering, for seconds that felt like years. Finally AJ spoke. "Go. Take them with you," he said, motioning to Harm and Mac. "I'll let it go this time, Miss Von Kleist," he added.
CD simply nodded, then looked at the other officers. "Move it," she said, heading out the door and past an astonished Tiner.
TBC...