0900 Local
Naval Ops
London, England
Harm and Mac stood at attention inside the Admiral's empty office. The office wasn't nearly as large as Admiral Chegwidden's, but it was smartly furnished. The Admiral entered the room and both Mac and Harm straightened a bit more. He was a sour looking man in his late fifties. His salt and pepper hair was meticulously groomed and his mouth was set in a thin frown.
"At ease," he said grouchily, "Where is O'Connor?"
"Here, sir," Lynn said from behind him. She was dressed much the same as she was yesterday. Her hair was again braided into an oval around the back of her head, and she as wearing another tailored black suit, however, she had very faint circles under her eyes.
The Admiral walked to his desk and sat in his chair, and even sitting he cut an intimidating figure.
"Yeoman," he yelled.
A few seconds later, a young Petty Officer nervously appeared in the door, "Aye, sir?"
"Get me Hampton from PR."
"Aye, aye, sir," said the petty officer, and he left.
"Colonel, Commander," said the Admiral, "Take a seat. You, too, O'Connor."
The Admiral huffily shuffled through some of the papers on his desk. Harm thought the desk looked a lot like his own: covered with papers that were only just organized. The door to the office opened again and a Lieutenant Commander entered.
"Sir, Lt. Commander Hampton reporting as ordered, sir."
"Hampton, this is Lt. Colonel Sarah Mackenzie and Commander Harmon Rabb. They're here representing Admiral Chegwidden," Admiral Grant said, "Please, explain how the press conference will go."
As if on cue, Hampton said, "The statement I had written for Admiral Chegwidden will still work. Which of you will be reading?"
Harm spoke up. "Colonel Mackenzie is Chief of Staff at HQ, so she should probably read."
Mac shot him a look that said 'Why did you do that?" but she nodded formally to the others in the room.
"Okay, ma'am. You'll be reading this statement," Hampton said handing her a sheet of paper. "It basically says that you fully support the actions taken by our JAG, Lt. Elliot."
Mac nodded at Hampton, and read the statement. When she'd finished reading, she nodded at Harm. They seemed to be agreeing they actually did support the actions that had been taken. Neither of them wanted to put their names on something that they didn't agree with.
Hampton took their nods as a sign to continue. "After you've read that statement to the press, you'll introduce Lt. Elliot who will relate more details to the case, and you'll be done."
"What do we say to the press if we see them again?" Harm asked.
"Repeat that statement," Hampton instructed, "Or just say that you fully support the actions taken by Lt. Elliot. That way there'll be no confusion."
There was a brief silence, during which Admiral Grant continued to shuffle the papers around on his desk. Harm now thought that the Admiral's desk looked more like Mac's. Then he looked up at them. "You all understand?" He asked irritably.
"Yes, sir," they all replied.
"Colonel Mackenzie, after you've read that statement, you and Commander Rabb will leave the conference and Miss O'Connor will assist you in establishing your wardrobe for tonight and tomorrow."
The officers replied 'yes, sir,' and Lynn nodded. Mac had almost forgotten that she was there.
"Alright, let's get this over with," the Admiral said as he rose from his desk. All the other officers rose from their seats as well and stood at attention. They all followed him out the door, down the hall and to a room that was full of reporters. Hampton walked in first. From outside the room the others listened.
"Welcome to the Naval Headquarters here in the UK," he began, "Thank you all for coming. As you know, a few days ago an altercation took place between two United States Naval Officers and one Her Majesty's Royal Naval Officer. Lt. Colonel Mackenzie will begin our conference."
As Mac entered the room and walked to the podium, the photographers in the room snapped pictures. Mac looked out at the reporters, and without looking at the statement in front of her, she said, "Again, thank you for coming. I am Lt. Colonel Sarah Mackenzie, and am here representing the United States Navy Judge Advocate General, Admiral AJ Chegwidden. On December 14, Lieutenants Peter Carlson and Russell Thorpe, both of the US Navy, were involved in an altercation with Lieutenant Edward Smythe, of Her Majesty's Royal Navy, in a pub called The Black Rose. Lieutenant Ian Elliot, US Navy JAG Corps, led the investigation and prosecution of this case. Lt. Elliot found that all parities involved were equally accountable and recommended non-punitive letters of reprimand as the only form of punishment inflicted upon lieutenants Carlson and Thorpe."
Mac paused to let those of the reporters who were writing to catch up. Then, she continued, "As a representative of Admiral Chegwidden, I fully support the actions taken by Lt. Elliot in this case. Thank you. Lt. Elliot will speak next."
As Mac turned to leave, questions erupted from the reporters, but she didn't turn to answer them. But before she reached the door a young lieutenant, who she assumed was Lt. Elliot, stopped her.
"Thank you, ma'am," he said, looking truly grateful.
"You did the right thing, lieutenant," Mac said, shaking his hand, and she continued past him and out of the conference.
"Good job, Marine," Harm said, looking at her with pride. Only then did Mac relax.
"You two are dismissed," the Admiral said in his sour tone.
They came to attention. "Aye, aye, sir," they said, and accompanied by Lynn, walked out down the hallway.
"You handled that very well, Colonel," Lynn said.
Still walking, Mac turned to look at Lynn and smiled. "Thanks," she said, "Where are we headed now?"
"Back to the hotel, first," Lynn said, "Then, to Oxford Street."
"Why the hotel first?" Harm asked.
"So you can change," Lynn explained, "I thought you might not want to draw a lot of attention to yourselves."
"Good point," he replied.
When they reached the doors out to the street, they saw that it was pouring again.
"Does the sun ever shine in England?" Mac asked.
Lynn smiled. "Once and a while." She pulled her cell phone out from where it had been clipped to her waist under her suit coat. "Hello, Gray, can you send a car round to the red for me. Thanks."
"We get out own car," Harm said impishily, even though he was impressed. "What did you mean by 'the red'?"
"Well, first of all, there's no way we'd get a taxi in this weather, Commander," Lynn replied, "And, secondly, we call this building 'The Red' because it's shorter than saying Navy Headquarters, and the building is red."
A few minutes later a black car pulled up and Mac, Harm and Lynn all rushed out into the rain. Harm held the door open for Lynn and Mac, and he slammed it shut when he had clambered in.
"Miss O'Connor," a heavily accented voice called from the driver's seat, "Where to?"
"Hello, Nick. The Commons Hotel, please."
When they arrived at the hotel, Lynn greeted the doorman, "Hello, Thomas."
"Top o' the morning to you, Miss O'Connor," he replied crisply, "Colonel, Commander."
"Hello," Mac greeted him, and Harm nodded politely, "Thank you for the breakfast this morning; it was wonderful.
Lynn stopped outside the elevators, and said, "I'll just wait down here for you."
Harm and Mac both disappeared into the elevator and returned a few minutes later wearing the same clothes the had worn the night before to the restaurant. Despite all her worries about packing, Mac had brought only her uniforms and this simple outfit in the end. Harm was rather amused by it. In almost no time at all, they were back in the car on their way to a boutique called Phillipe's, which Lynn claimed was one of the best in London.
Harm and Mac stood at attention inside the Admiral's empty office. The office wasn't nearly as large as Admiral Chegwidden's, but it was smartly furnished. The Admiral entered the room and both Mac and Harm straightened a bit more. He was a sour looking man in his late fifties. His salt and pepper hair was meticulously groomed and his mouth was set in a thin frown.
"At ease," he said grouchily, "Where is O'Connor?"
"Here, sir," Lynn said from behind him. She was dressed much the same as she was yesterday. Her hair was again braided into an oval around the back of her head, and she as wearing another tailored black suit, however, she had very faint circles under her eyes.
The Admiral walked to his desk and sat in his chair, and even sitting he cut an intimidating figure.
"Yeoman," he yelled.
A few seconds later, a young Petty Officer nervously appeared in the door, "Aye, sir?"
"Get me Hampton from PR."
"Aye, aye, sir," said the petty officer, and he left.
"Colonel, Commander," said the Admiral, "Take a seat. You, too, O'Connor."
The Admiral huffily shuffled through some of the papers on his desk. Harm thought the desk looked a lot like his own: covered with papers that were only just organized. The door to the office opened again and a Lieutenant Commander entered.
"Sir, Lt. Commander Hampton reporting as ordered, sir."
"Hampton, this is Lt. Colonel Sarah Mackenzie and Commander Harmon Rabb. They're here representing Admiral Chegwidden," Admiral Grant said, "Please, explain how the press conference will go."
As if on cue, Hampton said, "The statement I had written for Admiral Chegwidden will still work. Which of you will be reading?"
Harm spoke up. "Colonel Mackenzie is Chief of Staff at HQ, so she should probably read."
Mac shot him a look that said 'Why did you do that?" but she nodded formally to the others in the room.
"Okay, ma'am. You'll be reading this statement," Hampton said handing her a sheet of paper. "It basically says that you fully support the actions taken by our JAG, Lt. Elliot."
Mac nodded at Hampton, and read the statement. When she'd finished reading, she nodded at Harm. They seemed to be agreeing they actually did support the actions that had been taken. Neither of them wanted to put their names on something that they didn't agree with.
Hampton took their nods as a sign to continue. "After you've read that statement to the press, you'll introduce Lt. Elliot who will relate more details to the case, and you'll be done."
"What do we say to the press if we see them again?" Harm asked.
"Repeat that statement," Hampton instructed, "Or just say that you fully support the actions taken by Lt. Elliot. That way there'll be no confusion."
There was a brief silence, during which Admiral Grant continued to shuffle the papers around on his desk. Harm now thought that the Admiral's desk looked more like Mac's. Then he looked up at them. "You all understand?" He asked irritably.
"Yes, sir," they all replied.
"Colonel Mackenzie, after you've read that statement, you and Commander Rabb will leave the conference and Miss O'Connor will assist you in establishing your wardrobe for tonight and tomorrow."
The officers replied 'yes, sir,' and Lynn nodded. Mac had almost forgotten that she was there.
"Alright, let's get this over with," the Admiral said as he rose from his desk. All the other officers rose from their seats as well and stood at attention. They all followed him out the door, down the hall and to a room that was full of reporters. Hampton walked in first. From outside the room the others listened.
"Welcome to the Naval Headquarters here in the UK," he began, "Thank you all for coming. As you know, a few days ago an altercation took place between two United States Naval Officers and one Her Majesty's Royal Naval Officer. Lt. Colonel Mackenzie will begin our conference."
As Mac entered the room and walked to the podium, the photographers in the room snapped pictures. Mac looked out at the reporters, and without looking at the statement in front of her, she said, "Again, thank you for coming. I am Lt. Colonel Sarah Mackenzie, and am here representing the United States Navy Judge Advocate General, Admiral AJ Chegwidden. On December 14, Lieutenants Peter Carlson and Russell Thorpe, both of the US Navy, were involved in an altercation with Lieutenant Edward Smythe, of Her Majesty's Royal Navy, in a pub called The Black Rose. Lieutenant Ian Elliot, US Navy JAG Corps, led the investigation and prosecution of this case. Lt. Elliot found that all parities involved were equally accountable and recommended non-punitive letters of reprimand as the only form of punishment inflicted upon lieutenants Carlson and Thorpe."
Mac paused to let those of the reporters who were writing to catch up. Then, she continued, "As a representative of Admiral Chegwidden, I fully support the actions taken by Lt. Elliot in this case. Thank you. Lt. Elliot will speak next."
As Mac turned to leave, questions erupted from the reporters, but she didn't turn to answer them. But before she reached the door a young lieutenant, who she assumed was Lt. Elliot, stopped her.
"Thank you, ma'am," he said, looking truly grateful.
"You did the right thing, lieutenant," Mac said, shaking his hand, and she continued past him and out of the conference.
"Good job, Marine," Harm said, looking at her with pride. Only then did Mac relax.
"You two are dismissed," the Admiral said in his sour tone.
They came to attention. "Aye, aye, sir," they said, and accompanied by Lynn, walked out down the hallway.
"You handled that very well, Colonel," Lynn said.
Still walking, Mac turned to look at Lynn and smiled. "Thanks," she said, "Where are we headed now?"
"Back to the hotel, first," Lynn said, "Then, to Oxford Street."
"Why the hotel first?" Harm asked.
"So you can change," Lynn explained, "I thought you might not want to draw a lot of attention to yourselves."
"Good point," he replied.
When they reached the doors out to the street, they saw that it was pouring again.
"Does the sun ever shine in England?" Mac asked.
Lynn smiled. "Once and a while." She pulled her cell phone out from where it had been clipped to her waist under her suit coat. "Hello, Gray, can you send a car round to the red for me. Thanks."
"We get out own car," Harm said impishily, even though he was impressed. "What did you mean by 'the red'?"
"Well, first of all, there's no way we'd get a taxi in this weather, Commander," Lynn replied, "And, secondly, we call this building 'The Red' because it's shorter than saying Navy Headquarters, and the building is red."
A few minutes later a black car pulled up and Mac, Harm and Lynn all rushed out into the rain. Harm held the door open for Lynn and Mac, and he slammed it shut when he had clambered in.
"Miss O'Connor," a heavily accented voice called from the driver's seat, "Where to?"
"Hello, Nick. The Commons Hotel, please."
When they arrived at the hotel, Lynn greeted the doorman, "Hello, Thomas."
"Top o' the morning to you, Miss O'Connor," he replied crisply, "Colonel, Commander."
"Hello," Mac greeted him, and Harm nodded politely, "Thank you for the breakfast this morning; it was wonderful.
Lynn stopped outside the elevators, and said, "I'll just wait down here for you."
Harm and Mac both disappeared into the elevator and returned a few minutes later wearing the same clothes the had worn the night before to the restaurant. Despite all her worries about packing, Mac had brought only her uniforms and this simple outfit in the end. Harm was rather amused by it. In almost no time at all, they were back in the car on their way to a boutique called Phillipe's, which Lynn claimed was one of the best in London.