Chap 10
Tuesday 1945
USS Seahawk
Somewhere in the Persian Gulf
The flight out to the Seahawk had been much less eventful than Mac had expected. Although she knew that Kate was a very good agent, she was almost positive that her military ID's wouldn't pass inspection. Thankfully, they had. At every checkpoint, Kate presented her ID, and the guard waved her on.
Once they'd boarded the plane that would take them out to the carrier, Mac was sure everything was going to go as planned. Harm, however, was extremely tense. He had the eerie feeling that someone was watching him. Not to mention the fact that he was knowingly walking into danger just when his life had started to calm down. And he wasn't going alone, either. He was dragging Mac into the breach as well. Every other thought that raced through his mind was a "what if," and each of them centered on Sarah.
Kate was the only one who seemed at ease with the mission. Through the entire trip she'd been reading papers, or just sitting still and thinking. She actually looked like a JAG lawyer. Not even the three-wire trap on the carrier ruffled her cool composure. As she followed Harm and Mac off of the plane, she felt the cold ocean breeze whipping around her face and cursed her short hair as its ends slapped her cheeks with razor sharpness.
Harm walked out in front of Mac and Kate, his stride quick and businesslike. He headed straight for an officer he knew had to be waiting for them. He was an extremely skinny young man, whose glasses rested at an irksome angle on his face, barely concealing his beady black eyes. Despite his nerd-like appearance he managed a smart salute, which Harm and Mac returned.
"Colonel Mackenzie, Commander Rabb," he addressed them as he led them off the deck and below, "I'm Lieutenant Carlisle, Seahawk JAG. Allow me to welcome you on board."
"Thank you, Lieutenant," Mac called over the noise of an F-14 taking off. "It's a return visit. This is Lieutenant Walden." Kate nodded as she was introduced, but Lt. Carlisle was too distracted to do the same. Rather then be offended, Kate turned to follow his gaze.
Harm had stopped walking and was staring at an F-14 that was powered and ready for launch. It's silver wings gleaming in the unobstructed sunshine, the glare from the canopy nearly blinding him. Through the glare he caught a fleeting glimpse of the pilot and RIO. He grinned widely and broke into a heartfelt laugh.
"HARM!" He registered this voice; it was Mac yelling at him. He turned to her, but just enough so that he could still see the Tomcat launch.
"It's Skates!" He yelled back to her. At that moment there was a loud whoosh and Skates plane catapulted off of the deck and into the sky where it rose in a steep arch away from the carrier. He turned fully to see an irritated Lt. Carlisle, a slightly baffled Lt. Walden, and an amused Mac.
"Come on, flyboy," she said lightheartedly when he'd rejoined them, "No flying this trip."
Harm half-grinned and shrugged grudgingly. He knew he wouldn't be able to fly this time, but, hey, a man could dream.
The flight out to the Seahawk had been much less eventful than Mac had expected. Although she knew that Kate was a very good agent, she was almost positive that her military ID's wouldn't pass inspection. Thankfully, they had. At every checkpoint, Kate presented her ID, and the guard waved her on.
Once they'd boarded the plane that would take them out to the carrier, Mac was sure everything was going to go as planned. Harm, however, was extremely tense. He had the eerie feeling that someone was watching him. Not to mention the fact that he was knowingly walking into danger just when his life had started to calm down. And he wasn't going alone, either. He was dragging Mac into the breach as well. Every other thought that raced through his mind was a "what if," and each of them centered on Sarah.
Kate was the only one who seemed at ease with the mission. Through the entire trip she'd been reading papers, or just sitting still and thinking. She actually looked like a JAG lawyer. Not even the three-wire trap on the carrier ruffled her cool composure. As she followed Harm and Mac off of the plane, she felt the cold ocean breeze whipping around her face and cursed her short hair as its ends slapped her cheeks with razor sharpness.
Harm walked out in front of Mac and Kate, his stride quick and businesslike. He headed straight for an officer he knew had to be waiting for them. He was an extremely skinny young man, whose glasses rested at an irksome angle on his face, barely concealing his beady black eyes. Despite his nerd-like appearance he managed a smart salute, which Harm and Mac returned.
"Colonel Mackenzie, Commander Rabb," he addressed them as he led them off the deck and below, "I'm Lieutenant Carlisle, Seahawk JAG. Allow me to welcome you on board."
"Thank you, Lieutenant," Mac called over the noise of an F-14 taking off. "It's a return visit. This is Lieutenant Walden." Kate nodded as she was introduced, but Lt. Carlisle was too distracted to do the same. Rather then be offended, Kate turned to follow his gaze.
Harm had stopped walking and was staring at an F-14 that was powered and ready for launch. It's silver wings gleaming in the unobstructed sunshine, the glare from the canopy nearly blinding him. Through the glare he caught a fleeting glimpse of the pilot and RIO. He grinned widely and broke into a heartfelt laugh.
"HARM!" He registered this voice; it was Mac yelling at him. He turned to her, but just enough so that he could still see the Tomcat launch.
"It's Skates!" He yelled back to her. At that moment there was a loud whoosh and Skates plane catapulted off of the deck and into the sky where it rose in a steep arch away from the carrier. He turned fully to see an irritated Lt. Carlisle, a slightly baffled Lt. Walden, and an amused Mac.
"Come on, flyboy," she said lightheartedly when he'd rejoined them, "No flying this trip."
Harm half-grinned and shrugged grudgingly. He knew he wouldn't be able to fly this time, but, hey, a man could dream.
