Harm, who had heard Mac's warning through his headset, tried to rush back
to her, but Webb grabbed his arm and pulled him on up the stairs in pursuit
of Lt. Penn. Harm's face contorted in fear. "Mac!" he yelled, but here
was no answer. "Sarah, answer me!" Still there was no answer.
"I'm going back for her," he shouted to Webb.
"No, we've got to stop that bastard!" Webb replied, shoving Harm up the stairs.
Harm looked furious, "Mac, please, say something!" When there was no answer, Harm let out a grieved cry and bounded up the stairs two at a time, Webb close at his heels. They reached the door to the roof quickly. They both glanced around, and Harm saw that Lt. Penn was only a few paces from the edge of the roof.
"Stop!" Harm yelled, his voice straining with almost uncontrollable anger, "Stop or I'll shoot!" He held his gun still, looking at Penn's back. Penn stopped, and raised both his arms.
"I'm unarmed," he called back to Harm.
"Get down on the ground," Webb ordered, "Now!"
Penn turned to face Harm, whose face was now contorted in fury, but he made no move to get down on the ground. "Commander," he said.
"I said 'get down'!" Webb repeated seethingly.
Penn made a face that sarcastically said 'sorry about this', and a shot rang out.
"Ah," Webb yelled out, before he fell forward, striking his head on the hard cement rooftop. Harm looked down, but couldn't tell where the bullet had struck.
Another shot, and Harm yelled as the bullet grazed his arm. He dropped his gun and looked up to see Corporal Carlson standing behind where Webb had been standing. Yet another gunshot pierced the air, this one pierced Harm's thigh. He grunted in pain and fell to the ground, clutching his leg.
Corporal Carlson strode forward and stood over Harm, who raised his furious blue eyes to meet his. Carlson raised his arm, and held the barrel of the gun at Harm's forehead.
"Jack," Penn called, "Let's go."
Carlson lowered the weapon, and grinned smugly. "How are your ribs, sir?"
Harm glared murderously at him, as he walked to join Penn at the edge of the roof. When they both had their backs turned, Harm lunged for his gun. Just as he reached it, the two men turned to face him. He aimed at Carlson, and fired. The shot hit him square in the chest and he staggered. Harm tried to fire at Penn, and then gun clicked, for Harm had already emptied the clip. Carlson reached out to Penn. Penn only looked cynically at the fear in his eyes.
"Good shot, Commander," he said, as Carlson fell onto his side, dead. Penn stepped up onto the ledge of the roof and jumped off it. Harm dragged himself to the edge, and looked over. Penn was gone.
At that moment, three agents burst through the roof door; they ran to where Harm lay.
"What happened?" a young man asked
"Carlson got me from behind," Harm said in pain, "I got him, but Penn just. jumped, he's gone."
"Jackson, subject may be on the ground under the south wall," the man said into his headset.
"Mac?" Harm asked. The agent didn't say anything.
Another agent was working over Webb. Suddenly, Webb groaned. Then, he rolled onto his back and sat up.
"Take it easy, sir. You'll have a splitting headache for a while, but I think you'll be alright."
The bullet had struck the Kevlar vest, and Webb was alright, aside from a goose egg on his forehead and a nasty bruise where the bullet would have killed him. He slowly rose to his feet and walked toward Harm.
Another agent was tying his belt around Harm's leg. "Ow, that hurt," Harm said through his clenched teeth.
"You've been shot," Webb told him unnecessarily, "It's supposed to hurt." Harm answered by giving him a look of annoyance.
"Looks like you didn't hit anything big, just a flesh wound," the agent treating his leg said. "How's the arm?"
"Just grazed me," Harm answered, he could hear Webb ordering someone to get an ambulance.
"Think you can hobble down the stairs?"
"Yeah, I can handle it," Harm said, giving him an urgent look. An agent and Webb both helped Harm to a standing position on his good leg. Harm grunted in pain. "I'm okay," he said.
With the two men helping him, he descended the stairs and limped toward the Admiral's Staff office on the third floor. When they reached the door to the office, Harm saw Mac lying on the floor inside, her eyes closed and blood smeared and dripping on her forehead.
"Mac," he said softly. Webb could hear the ache and tenderness in his voice as he strained to hold the taller man up. He helped Harm hobble over to where Mac lay and allowed him to slip down to the floor beside her.
"Sarah," Harm said softly.
She lay still for a moment, her breathing was steady, though.
"Come on, Marine," he said more loudly, "Snap out of it."
"Mmm," she moaned almost silently, "Harm."
"That's it, come on," Harm coaxed.
Her eyes fluttered open. "Harm," she whispered, "Head hurts."
Harm smiled broadly but tears stained his cheeks.
Mac smiled meekly and breathed, "Did we get.."
"We got one of 'em," Harm answered bitterly.
Mac blinked in acknowledgement.
"Almost lost you that time, Sarah."
Mac smiled and moved her hand to cover Harm's. From the distance the sound of sirens floated into the office. Mac nodded back out of consciousness, and Harm let her go.
"I'm going back for her," he shouted to Webb.
"No, we've got to stop that bastard!" Webb replied, shoving Harm up the stairs.
Harm looked furious, "Mac, please, say something!" When there was no answer, Harm let out a grieved cry and bounded up the stairs two at a time, Webb close at his heels. They reached the door to the roof quickly. They both glanced around, and Harm saw that Lt. Penn was only a few paces from the edge of the roof.
"Stop!" Harm yelled, his voice straining with almost uncontrollable anger, "Stop or I'll shoot!" He held his gun still, looking at Penn's back. Penn stopped, and raised both his arms.
"I'm unarmed," he called back to Harm.
"Get down on the ground," Webb ordered, "Now!"
Penn turned to face Harm, whose face was now contorted in fury, but he made no move to get down on the ground. "Commander," he said.
"I said 'get down'!" Webb repeated seethingly.
Penn made a face that sarcastically said 'sorry about this', and a shot rang out.
"Ah," Webb yelled out, before he fell forward, striking his head on the hard cement rooftop. Harm looked down, but couldn't tell where the bullet had struck.
Another shot, and Harm yelled as the bullet grazed his arm. He dropped his gun and looked up to see Corporal Carlson standing behind where Webb had been standing. Yet another gunshot pierced the air, this one pierced Harm's thigh. He grunted in pain and fell to the ground, clutching his leg.
Corporal Carlson strode forward and stood over Harm, who raised his furious blue eyes to meet his. Carlson raised his arm, and held the barrel of the gun at Harm's forehead.
"Jack," Penn called, "Let's go."
Carlson lowered the weapon, and grinned smugly. "How are your ribs, sir?"
Harm glared murderously at him, as he walked to join Penn at the edge of the roof. When they both had their backs turned, Harm lunged for his gun. Just as he reached it, the two men turned to face him. He aimed at Carlson, and fired. The shot hit him square in the chest and he staggered. Harm tried to fire at Penn, and then gun clicked, for Harm had already emptied the clip. Carlson reached out to Penn. Penn only looked cynically at the fear in his eyes.
"Good shot, Commander," he said, as Carlson fell onto his side, dead. Penn stepped up onto the ledge of the roof and jumped off it. Harm dragged himself to the edge, and looked over. Penn was gone.
At that moment, three agents burst through the roof door; they ran to where Harm lay.
"What happened?" a young man asked
"Carlson got me from behind," Harm said in pain, "I got him, but Penn just. jumped, he's gone."
"Jackson, subject may be on the ground under the south wall," the man said into his headset.
"Mac?" Harm asked. The agent didn't say anything.
Another agent was working over Webb. Suddenly, Webb groaned. Then, he rolled onto his back and sat up.
"Take it easy, sir. You'll have a splitting headache for a while, but I think you'll be alright."
The bullet had struck the Kevlar vest, and Webb was alright, aside from a goose egg on his forehead and a nasty bruise where the bullet would have killed him. He slowly rose to his feet and walked toward Harm.
Another agent was tying his belt around Harm's leg. "Ow, that hurt," Harm said through his clenched teeth.
"You've been shot," Webb told him unnecessarily, "It's supposed to hurt." Harm answered by giving him a look of annoyance.
"Looks like you didn't hit anything big, just a flesh wound," the agent treating his leg said. "How's the arm?"
"Just grazed me," Harm answered, he could hear Webb ordering someone to get an ambulance.
"Think you can hobble down the stairs?"
"Yeah, I can handle it," Harm said, giving him an urgent look. An agent and Webb both helped Harm to a standing position on his good leg. Harm grunted in pain. "I'm okay," he said.
With the two men helping him, he descended the stairs and limped toward the Admiral's Staff office on the third floor. When they reached the door to the office, Harm saw Mac lying on the floor inside, her eyes closed and blood smeared and dripping on her forehead.
"Mac," he said softly. Webb could hear the ache and tenderness in his voice as he strained to hold the taller man up. He helped Harm hobble over to where Mac lay and allowed him to slip down to the floor beside her.
"Sarah," Harm said softly.
She lay still for a moment, her breathing was steady, though.
"Come on, Marine," he said more loudly, "Snap out of it."
"Mmm," she moaned almost silently, "Harm."
"That's it, come on," Harm coaxed.
Her eyes fluttered open. "Harm," she whispered, "Head hurts."
Harm smiled broadly but tears stained his cheeks.
Mac smiled meekly and breathed, "Did we get.."
"We got one of 'em," Harm answered bitterly.
Mac blinked in acknowledgement.
"Almost lost you that time, Sarah."
Mac smiled and moved her hand to cover Harm's. From the distance the sound of sirens floated into the office. Mac nodded back out of consciousness, and Harm let her go.