"Grave of the Witch": Chapter 07 – "When the bough breaks"
A/N: AU. This is a fictional story, in a fictional Alternative Universe, about fictional characters who entertained us in a fictional TV series between 1995 and 2005. Mike. Characters borrowed with love and appreciation for the great team who brought us "JAG"; may your following careers blossom.
A/N: AU: "they aren't mine, I'm just playing with them - apart from any fictional character created by myself". See Phase One of this story for the whole disclaimer A/N. Feel free to PM me if you spot any typos - my goal is 100% error-free. Feedback and comments are also welcome; I see plenty of followers and visitors to this story. Your opinions, critiques (and requests as PMs) are always welcomed.
A/N: link to Canon Episodes: See list at the end of this chapter.
A/N: Publication date: 24-OCT-2022: Continuing my AU approach to the life and times of "Loren Singer" and the run-up to "Ice Queen". Mike 24-10-2022
Characters from FFNET – Loren Singer, Clayton Webb, Mattie, Jennifer, AJ, Galindez and (obviously!) others…
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*Flashback*:
Tuesday 20th June 2002: 23:52hrs EST
Suite 302, Adams Hotel, Washington DC, USA
Two things caught her eye; a summary of a USN proposal for changes in Hawaii and the western Pacific – which Teddy should not have had in his possession – and a small, old, black-and-white photograph.
The face looked familiar, but she could not place it for a while. She pondered the puzzle as she drank her second glass of water (the original reason for her waking) and then, reading and translating the Cyrillic lettering on the back of the photograph, she suddenly made the connection as she lifted her micro-camera from her handbag to capture the image for Clayton.
Her jaw – along with her towel – hit the floor. Holy crap! Koloshenko didn't have a twin brother. The Agency analysts had mis-read the snippets of disparate intel.
He had a cousin!
As she looked at the sleeping man in the hotel bed – arms spread, snoring gently and still with a big shit-eating grin on his face from their encounter earlier – she realised what she had to do.
She had to let Clayton know!
*End flashback*
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Wednesday 21st June 2002: 07:53hrs EST
Main floor, JAG HQ, Falls Church, VA
"Hello little brother; can you talk?"
Loren had bidden an affectionate farewell to Teddy around 06:20hrs, pulling fresh items of uniform from her overnight bag and then heading out to Falls Church. Before most of the office was onsite, she had made herself a fresh brew (smiling at the Gunnery Sergeant and offering him a cup of her - admittedly "squid brew" - coffee) and had settled in her office with the door closed as she extracted her CIA-suppled cell-phone.
Clayton had acknowledged the call, so she expertly summarised to Clayton what she had discovered the previous night. Clayton congratulated her; the surveillance of Teddy Lindsey would now move up two levels. He also invited Loren to Manderley for the weekend and she gratefully accepted. Although Teddy Lindsey had her body, she kept her mind and soul for Clayton, Manderley and the "family businesses" as the Sorlingbergs and the Webb dynasties ran in harmony.
Somehow, the older CIA agent made her feel special, whereas Teddy Lindsey was "just a job".
She was happy for "Loren Singer" to be portrayed as a self-centred career-obsessed loner. At weekends, Rene Sorling was able to be herself. There was something about Clayton – despite the 14-year age gap – which attracted her. She couldn't explain the attraction, but had decided to dig deeper over the coming weekend when she would spend a weekend in close proximity to Clayton.
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Saturday 24th June 2002: 08:56hrs EST
Breakfast room, Webb family home, Manderley (location redacted)
Loren had high-tailed it across to Manderley on the Friday night, aiming to spend the weekend away from her JAG persona and to relax once again in the bosom of the Webb family. Part of that relaxation would include a late-morning ride and she hoped that Clayton would feel inclined to join her.
Opening the refrigerator, she chuckled on realising that the last time she had visited, Clayton had taken her into the kitchen and applied raw steak to her bruised cheek - where an irate Harriet Roberts had punched "Loren" out for the gleeful way in which she had responded to Harm and Mac being posted missing!
The punch had been *so* unexpected that she had forgotten her CIA unarmed-combat training and just stood in the office, frozen in surprise. She had ruefully acknowledged that, for a pen-pusher, Harriet had a good right arm punch! With hindsight, maybe "Loren" had behaved a little too gleefully at the news. Deep down, she *did* care for her JAG colleagues – but the "Loren Singer" persona was there for a different mission, which took priority over everything else.
The following week, Harmon Rabb's next DFC was announced. Loren had been instrumental in deciphering the plans for the diesel submarine attack on the fleet – and was not at all surprised when Harmon Rabb emerged as the hero for leading a missile away from the fleet!
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She was having a slightly schizoid relationship with some of the personnel at JAG, not helped by the fact that she was showing some (limited) affection to Harmon Rabb's younger (and Russian) brother Sergei Zhukov.
Back in the January, she had scornfully dismissed a CIA Analyst's threat assessment of the young Russian as a potentially-planted "sleeper". She had then implemented the "Loren Singer pout" and, to spite the analyst, she had then decided to disprove his theory,
Some of the old KGB files around "Harmon Rabb senior" had been summarised – in complete confidence – via back-channels when the KGB had needed a favour. She – and the CIA families – had followed the back-channels doctrine which had been established, very late in 1962, following the Cuban Missile Crisis. The world had nearly descended into a nuclear exchange, precisely because each of the "two sides" did not have clear ideas of what "the other side" was thinking. The back-channels remained open between the Intelligence communities, regardless of what their "political masters" might direct. This was too important to be entrusted solely to politicians.
After manufacturing a meeting with the younger Rabb brother in early January, she had "taken a shine" to young Sergei over the spring and summer. In fact, she felt that "Loren Singer" had spent more time with – and shown more affection to – young Sergei than his elder brother even had!
Nevertheless, by September of 2000, Sergei would be heading back to Russia. In the event, Loren would end up running him to the airport after "big brother" fumbled that simple task. At least the CIA would be certain that he posed no threat, thanks to "Auntie Loren's" careful babysitting over the spring and summer!"
She was proud of her ability to compartmentalise.
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Saturday 24th June 2002: 09:26hrs EST
Library, Webb family home, Manderley (location redacted)
Clayton found her in the library as she finished her second cup of coffee. She smiled warmly and enquired as to his interest in riding across the estate. Clayton immediately accepted the offer. Two years had passed since they had ended up in bed together and he still harboured warm memories of the open affection which was on display. They both realised that this was not "playing a role": rather it was just two consenting adults taking comfort from each other.
The rest of the morning was taken up with a long ride sweeping around the western perimeter of the estate to the "Hidden Pool" – a natural hollow which provided cover for discrete skinny-dipping with warm sunlit areas and a wooden pier, on which the swimmers could dry out – and make love. With a small picnic hamper provided from the kitchens, Clayton and Rene spent over an hour re-acquainting themselves with each other's bodies, with a follow-on session agreed for later that night.
Wrestling back into her clothes, jodhpurs and riding boots, Rene realised that she was quite "saddle-sore" by the time they had ridden back to the main house. Clayton - it turned out - had a great technique for "kissing away the pain" - and she was lost!
Later that night, Clayton was granted his reward: it was only fair, she reasoned. Once again, the magic of Manderley enabled Rene Sorling to stay sane, despite the pressures of her long-term cover as "Loren Singer" in the JAG office.
On the Sunday morning, they ran a "council of war" with other members of the CIA teams allocated to running with "Project Koloshenko".
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Monday 26th June 2002: 07:55hrs EST
Main floor, JAG HQ, Falls Church, VA
By Monday morning, Loren Singer was once again making her first coffee brew of the day. Over the intervening month since the "walking into the door" incident, Loren and Harriet's working relationship had, somewhat bizarrely, improved.
Loren settled back into her routine for the next two weeks, before enjoying another weekend in Manderley.
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Saturday 6th July 2002: 11:53hrs EST
Private lake, Webb family home, Manderley (location redacted)
Their only witnesses were the two horses, hobbled and grazing the grass a few yards away.
At that time, lazing in the hot summer sunshine alongside the "Hidden Pool", Clayton surprised her by proposing marriage. After a moment of consideration, she accepted his proposal. They then "sealed the deal" with a small bottle of champagne, served in chilled silver goblets from the picnic hamper.
Obviously Porter Webb had endorsed the proposal; she joined Rene and Clayton for Sunday lunch before "Loren Singer" set off on her return journey to Falls Church to resume her role.
She spent the next two weeks pondering the idea, but even her "second thoughts" came around to a "yes". After all, he *was* older, yet had been supportive throughout her involvement with the CIA since the 1980s when he had first introduced her to Director Kershaw. More important, his mother could see the advantages for the two dynasties.
Obviously, she couldn't wear the antique Webb engagement ring in her undercover role. She knew that she would enjoy displaying the ring during her weekends in Manderley as 2002 headed through summer towards the autumn. The ring would stay in Mandereley in her family jewellery box. She surreptitiously swapped her ROTC ring (which had been procured as part of the "Loren Singer" legend) across to her left hand.
They had rapidly set the wedding date set for July 27th so the Sorlingbergs and the Webbs worked together to set up the marquees on the main front lawn of Manderley. The Steed family were also invited across from the UK – as a "nod" to Vanessa's loss - and several of them flew across the Atlantic for the ceremony.
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Saturday 27th July 2002: 15:25hrs EST
Library, Webb family home, Manderley (location redacted)
The new Mrs Rene Maria Webb surveyed the happy picture before her as she leaned against her new husband Clayton's shoulder after the speeches. The day had been enjoyable, but they knew that there would be no honeymoon until 2003; the need to "nail" Teddy Lindsey was paramount.
She looked down at her left hand; she had managed to conceal the thin gold wedding band beneath the "ROTC" ring. There was little chance of anyone noticing her changed status when she returned to JAG HQ.
Unfortunately, a split condom during their second "honeymoon weekend" at Manderley in mid-August would have far-reaching consequences for the CIA project – and Rene/Loren as the year drew to a close.
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Tuesday 24th September 2002: 07:55hrs EST
Main floor, JAG HQ, Falls Church, VA
The tragic news of Bud Roberts' mis-step in a minefield – many time-zones and half a world away – broke early in the morning as most staff were arriving for work.
Eventually the news of his safe recovery from the surgery filtered back to Falls Church – along with a garbled message about Jen Coates bullying some helo pilot to take Bud directly to the Tarawa for the life-saving surgery.
With Harm and Mac out in theatre (and defying the Admiral's orders for "one of you to come back now", the JAG HQ lawyering team were spread pretty thinly. By the following Monday, resourcing and scheduling pressures in Falls Church were mounting.
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Wednesday 2nd October 2002: 10:39hrs EDT
Main floor outside Courtroom One, JAG HQ, Falls Church, VA
The strained working relationship with Sturgis Turner (who was turning more into a martinet with every day that passed) almost caused Loren to blurt out part of her legend. In declaring herself Jewish, she actually acknowledged the family religious history of the old Sorlingbergs in their European days – but that wasn't meant to happen.
Sturgis became even more insufferable, but Loren's stress was eventually mitigated when the Admiral posted her out to the Seahawk as the ship-board JAG. "Loren" had overdone the complaining when Bud had been assigned sea duty, so she began to pack up her JAG HQ office. Whilst this might delay the CIA investigation into Teddy, it also enabled a pair of eyes to be "in theatre" on the aircraft carrier.
Clayton was not exactly upset that his wife had merited a posting into a war theatre; her intelligence-gathering skills were top rate.
She also found time to hook up with Sergei again in early October, giving him a lift to the airport as he abandoned the USA. She managed a very-"Singerish" pout to Harmon Rabb as he ran – "too little, too late" - to offer Sergei a lift to Dulles.
With a sparsely-attended leaving event in the bull-pen, Loren was all ready for her sea duty...
…just as her morning sickness hit!
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Tuesday 5th November 2002: 16:45hrs ZULU (ship-board time)
JAG on-board office, USS "Seahawk" on station
Jennifer Coates had remained on board, as the JAG Legalman, throughout all the turmoil with Bud Roberts' injury. She was truly proving her worth and her value following Harm's investment of time with her.
Loren warmed to the younger woman (she had already absorbed the CIA briefing papers regarding Jennifer's initial less-than-stellar performance which had brought the supportive presence of Harmon Rabb jr into the petty officer's life). The two women built a good working relationship in the cubby-hole that passed for the JAG office aboard.
Jennifer noticed that Loren was snacking a lot; her uniform skirts needed to be let out and her "peanut butter" trousers were looking "rather snug".
Jennifer kept herself to herself, but it was only a matter of time before the sky fell in.
Typically, this happened during Loren's investigation of a flight-deck mishap. Captain Johnson's XO had been out "on the prowl" through the decks when he stuck his head into the JAG office.
"Coates, could Singer be pregnant?"
At the same time, Clayton Webb "did the right thing" for the families of the crew of the lost submarine "USS Angelshark". This triggered a number of "family" memorial events, led by the SecNav. Harmon Rabb jr came out of the event very comfortably (and he also very nearly managed to persuade the pregnant CIA lawyer Catherine Gale to set up house with him), but Clayton incurred the wrath of CIA Director Norman Watts.
Without further ado, Clayton was dispatched to South America as Head of Station for Surinam.
As it would transpire, Rene/Loren would never live to see her husband again.
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Tuesday 19th November 2002: 15:57hrs ZULU (ship-board time)
Aboard the COD, starboard catapult, USS "Seahawk" on station
Typically, she found that "Saint Harmon" was seated alongside her for the launch.
Loren was sore, seasick, hormonal, nauseous – and definitely pregnant.
The Medical Officer had confirmed that ten days earlier when Captain Johnson had ordered her below.
Rabb wouldn't give in with his questioning – he had this insane obsession that Loren's baby might be Sergei's.
His probing would seriously derail "Operation Koloshenko" – and would lead, inadvertently, to the death of Rene/Loren some six weeks later.
Jennifer had simply watched the shenanigans with bemused wonderment – then settled down again when Mac was posted formally to serve out the rest of the tour until the Seahawk made dockside in Norfolk several weeks later at the end of the deployment.
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Tuesday 26th November 2002: 18:25hrs EDT
Suite 305, Adams Hotel, Washington DC, USA
Two things had royally pissed off Rene Sorling during November (apart from realising that she was pregnant): the behaviour of "Saint Rabb" and the re-appearance of Teddy Lindsey.
Whilst Harmon Rabb's obsessively-inquisitive behaviour was beyond irritating, Teddy Lindsey walked into the CIA's trap so easily it was comical!
Hearing that "Loren" was back ashore through his Pentagon reporting, he had dropped by her apartment one evening a few days after she had returned to dry land. His goal was clearly to re-instate his "Tuesday night jollies" when his wife was out of town on her family mission..
Loren happened to be wearing a particularly-clingy knitted wool dress that evening – which did nothing to hide her condition! Teddy leapt to the conclusion that the child was his – Loren did nothing to disabuse him of the theory, because she realised that this could give her (and "team Koloshenko") another angle of evidence gathering.
That evening, the team developed a "sting"; Loren would ask Teddy for money "to help with the baby". Teddy's response was "getting money from his rich wife's inheritance." The researchers knew that this was a load of hog-wash – Teddy had clearly stashed away the proceeds of a decade-long career in selling USN information to the highest bidder. They just needed to catch him at it – however, they had to admit that the "Koloshenko Kid" (as a contemptuous CIA analyst had once dubbed Teddy) was uber-careful at covering his tracks beneath the outer mantle of a bumbling USN Pentagon staffer.
Maybe having a pregnant mistress "on the side" might cause him to slip up: Loren was ready to play her role to perfection. Teddy checked out "Easy Al's check-cashing" as he planned the financial gift for his pregnant mistress.
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Sunday 5th January 2003, 17:03hrs EDT
Main floor, JAG HQ, Falls Church, VA
After a quiet Christmas, spent in her apartment running up a huge phone bill calling her husband in South America, Loren had returned to work in order to finalise the arrangements for her mat leave.
Her cover story to the Admiral was that she would be heading to San Diego to see out her mat leave. The CIA cover team had rented an apartment and requisitioned a land-line in Coronado in readiness for her cover story.
In fact, she would be resting at Manderley where the "Webb family medical mafia" were all set to greet her, pamper her and deliver the new addition to the Webb dynasty sometime around mid-May of 2003. She just had to make a transatlantic hop on January 6th to catch up with a consultancy group on the west coast of Ireland who were examining changes in the patrol patterns of Russian submarines around the British Isles.
Despite the partition of Ireland in 1921, the British and Irish authorities had retained good and close military working connections, especially in maritime affairs. The British part of the partnership routinely tasked their long-range Nimrod maritime patrol aircraft out over the Western Approaches (which had been so important to the convoy system of Allied shipping during the WW2 "Battle of the Atlantic").
No-one was sure what the Russkis were up to, but their boats were not following the previous patterns. Jokes regarding the loss of the "Kursk" in the Barents Sea (which apparently blew its own nose off with a malfunctioning torpedo) didn't solve the mystery. As a result, the CIA were loaning Rene Sorling to the Irish, now that her cover story as "Loren Singer" was at an end for a while. Her "cattle class" paper ticket was already marked up on the American Airlines system for a complimentary upgrade to Business Class. A flat bed across the Atlantic would do just fine, she rationalised.
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She was actually looking forward to her transatlantic flight. She had fully accepted her pregnancy (despite threatening Harmon Rabb that she was thinking of an abortion as they sat on the COD when they left the Seahawk). A heart-to-heart conversation with Harriet Roberts had been helpful – both in maintaining the hard-nosed "Loren Singer" legend (by adding a hint of vulnerability) but also in helping her decide to keep the Webb child which was growing within her. She had managed not to react when she heard Harriet's son enquiring whether "this is Lieutenant Witch?"
She looked forward to a gentle start to 2003 and the arrival of her child in the May of that year. Porter Webb had already warned her (from her own experience giving life to young Clayton back in 1955) that "Webb babies tend to take a while before they decide to be born". Rene Sorling had thanked her for the information and they had both lamented the circumstances which had led Porter's son (and Rene's husband) to be "banished" to South America. Porter had smiled grimly as they concluded that discussion.
The "wrath of Porter Webb" had a long reach! Her revenge had been slow in coming, but CIA Director Norman Watts was now heading for a slightly-premature retirement. You did not piss off the CIA family dynasties without consequences!
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Sunday 5th January 2003, 17:03hrs EDT
Loren Singer's office: Main floor, JAG HQ, Falls Church, VA
She shut down her office and was ready to head out, leaving JAG HQ for a few months during her maternity leave.
Loren would later be setting off for her fateful meeting with Teddy Lindsey, on an ice-covered bridge over the Potomac near Great Falls…
It was cold outside. She lamented having to leave her winter boots behind - USN regulations mandated pumps or courts for female officers. Her CIA locator beacon was hidden in the heels of her courts, so she stepped up into those, packed her office pumps and winter boots into a shoe bag and closed up her office. She did not expect to be back for a while - and would probably be allocated to a different office anyway as space in JAG HQ was at a premium.
Then Harmon Rabb messed up her schedule (and the planning of the CIA surveillance team who were sitting on Teddy Lindsey) with *yet* another request for a chat about the baby in Benzingers. She stamped her heel in frustration. Didn't this guy have anything else in his life to obsess about? What about his Marine Green object of desire?
Loren Singer could not know that, taken together, these circumstances meant that her remaining lifespan was only measured in hours.
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End of "Grave of the Witch": Chapter 07 – "When the bough breaks"
Mike: England, 24-OCT-2022
A/N: just the Epilogue to go now, bringing us back full-circle to the cemetery in 2015, at the beginning of Chapter 01. Mike
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Canon Episodes in Ch07 ( for any "JAG-erati" who might be interested!)
"In Country (S07Ep23) 14-MAY-2002: Harm and Mac missing – provoked Harriet too far
"Enemy below" (S07Ep24) airdate 21MAY2002 – enemy diesel submarine.
"Critical Condition (S08Ep01) aired 24-SEP-2002 - Bud wounded.
"The Promised Land" (S08Ep02) airdate 02-OCT-2002 – Loren orders; Loren makes a false statement that she too is Jewish, and she receives her orders to USS Seahawk to fill Bud's billet there. Jennifer Coates had remained on board as the JAG Legalman.
"Family Business" (S08Ep03) airdate 08-OCT-2002 – Loren's farewell. Loren prepares for her transfer to her next duty station in the Arabian Sea. Sergei returns to Russia, and Loren gives him a ride to an airport.
"Need to Know" (S08Ep07) airdate 05NOV2002 Clayton; Harm and Catherine Gale (Angelshark). Result is that Clayton is sent to Suriname as Head of Station – his boss wasn't happy with the Angelshark disclosure to Harm (name of CIA Director – Norman Watts).
"When the bough breaks" (S08Ep09) – airdate 19NOV2002.