A/N: Thanks for reading this! This is the last chapter in a series that I
hope you'll read. Let me know if you like the idea, k? Also, sorry it's
been kind of choppy and what not. Internet's been down and well, I started
school, so it's been busy. ENJOY.
Red Chute Bayou Early Morning
Palmer turned and kept his gun aimed at Liz while he smiled at the new voice. "Lt. Colonel Sarah Mackenzie, USMC JAG extraordinaire. Don't you like my new game? Or do you want to take a turn at my version of duck hunt?" He baited, firing a shot off well away from Liz. "Palmer!" Mac yelled, wanting to fire a shot, but knowing if she did, he might still have the time to fire at Liz and possibly kill her.
When Mac had entered the clearing, well ahead of the rest of her team, she had seen Palmer firing into the trees. Her vision had just started to become a reality she didn't want. She quickly scouted the quickest route to put her directly by Palmer. She'd only made it across the clearing from him when he'd fired his last shot, the one that had struck Liz.
"Oh come on Colonel, you of all people, I would think, would want to have a little target practice. I mean, come on, she's the bastard child of a father that you hated. What would Uncle Matt say about this?" Palmer goaded. Mac knew that he was trying to push her buttons, but she wasn't falling for it. "Nice try, but bringing my Uncle into this won't make me go any easier on you. Give it up. There's a recon Marine team right behind me that will have you surrounded. Give it up." Mac added again, knowing full well that there was only Webb, Harm and the equally menacing AFB MP squad were the only back up she was going to get. He had tried to push her buttons, so she'd just push his back, or at least try.
"I believe that you should be the one giving up Colonel." He told her. "See, I have your sister dead to rights, no matter if you shot me now, or they do. The way that I look at it, you have two choices. Drop your weapon and toss it to me, or watch your sister die. What do you say?" Palmer asked, keeping his eye on Mac the whole time. He knew that Liz was trapped in the branches and couldn't move. "Come on Col. Anytime now, or I could just make the decision for you." He goaded, calking the gun and re- aiming the gun at Liz.
"No!" Mac yelled as she weighed his options. She knew that Harm and the others were right behind her but knowing Harm and Webb, they'd shoot first ask questions later. Especially Harm. She knew she couldn't wait for them, despite every desire to do just that. "What's it gonna be Col.? Save your sister or kill me for good?" He jeered.
Mac put the safety back on her weapon and took the clip out and tossed both to the either side of her. "Ok Palmer, it's your rules for now." She told him while silently hoping that the others would hurry. Palmer just smiled.
"This is what I love about you All-American hero type people. You always want to do what's best and for the greater good, never realizing that you'll end up as dead as everyone else. Doesn't it just piss you off when things don't go as well as you want them?" He asked, taking a step closer to her. Mac just stood her ground, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing just how afraid she was, despite all the earlier bravado to Harm. "Don't have anything more to say?" He asked. "Well I guess that's it then. Goodbye Colonel, tell your father I said hello." Palmer sneered as he aimed his gun at Mac ready to fire.
"NO!" Liz screamed as she jumped out of the tree towards Palmer. As Mac and Palmer had been "negotiating", Liz had negotiated her way out of the branches and had managed to climb down a bit. She had perched herself on a branch to let her shoulder rest when Palmer had aimed at Mac.
The ear splitting scream from Liz had made Mac dive for cover and her weapon while Palmer re-aimed his gun at her. He managed to get a shot off as 150 pounds of angry and frightened form of Elizabeth Thompson sailed into him, knocking him to the ground and his weapon to Mac's feet. Several seconds later Harm and Webb arrived with the MP's behind them. "Get a medic now!" Mac screamed, grabbing Palmer's gun and running to the struggling bodies, Harm right behind her.
"Freeze right there!" Palmer yelled as he jumped up dragging a pale and almost limp Liz with him. "Let her go Palmer. There's no where to go." Harm told him, taking aim. But he couldn't get a clear shot. "You've got room to talk Rabb. I've got what you all want right here. I'd say the ball is in my court right now." He told them as he tightened his grip around Liz's neck.
Mac didn't know what to do. She knew that Harm couldn't get a shot off without hitting Liz, nor could the MP's. But at the same time, if they didn't get Palmer off Liz, she could easily die from the gun shot wounds. Mulling all of this over in her head, she almost missed the silent communication from Liz. Liz had flashed what had looked like a can of mace before hiding it in her hands again. Mac quickly nodded and stepped towards Harm.
"Palmer, you're surrounded, give it up." Harm told him again, keeping his gun aimed as Mac walked towards him. "On three." She mouthed and nodded towards Liz. "I swear you get more pathetic every time we meet Rabb. Have I taught you-AH!!!!!!" Palmer screamed as Liz shot off the inhaler in his eyes. He shoved her away to clean out his eyes and realized too late what had happened. Harm fired and his aim was true, once in the shoulder, once in the knee. Palmer went down and Mac rushed to Liz.
Harm and Webb, who'd been waiting with the Medical team headed to Palmer as Mac checked over the young woman lying on the ground, gasping for air. "Easy, it's ok. Take a deep breath." Mac soothed as she ripped open her shirt to look for injuries. Mac noticed the scars on her stomach and filed it away for another time. "What hurts?" She asked, grasping Liz' hand. "S-shoulder hurts like hell." Liz gasped as she tried to regain her breathing. "Anything else?" Mac asked as a medic joined her. "Stomach feels like it's on fire."
The medic started tending to the immediate injuries while Mac grasped her sister's hand and stroked her hair. "This isn't how I planned on meeting you." She told her. "Well, it'll be OWW a memorable story. You're definitely nothing like Demi Moore in GI Jane." Liz gasped as the medic pressed a field bandage to her stomach. Mac stifled a laugh. "I certainly hope not. She was in the Navy and the last time I checked, I was a Marine." Liz tried to reply but medic interrupted. "Ma'am, she's got a pretty bad stomach wound, nothing life threatening, but we need to get her out of here." The medic told her as he radioed for the EVAC helicopter. "Call AJ, please." Liz told Mac as they waited for the HELO. "The Admiral? Why?" Mac asked, then remembering that Liz had called HQ. "I was supposed to check in after I called yesterday. He's gonna worry. He's a nice man." Liz said as her eyes fluttered half way shut. Mac just squeezed her hand.
Liz was slowly starting to lose consciousness as the pain finally registered and the enormity of the act she had just committed hit her. "Oh God." She breathed, squeezing Mac's hand harder. "What, what is it?" Mac asked, willing the HELO along, even though the medic had assured her that the injuries weren't life threatening. "I-I-I jumped out of a tree." Mac stifled a laugh. "That you did, and you're going to be just fine, so rest ok?" Mac told her, recognizing the losing battle with unconsciousness. "You'll still be here, right?" Liz asked as she closed her eyes. "I'm not going anywhere. Not for a long time." Mac vowed as Liz finally passed out.
The medic and a crewmember from the HELO came up to secure Liz. "Ma'am, I'm sorry but we need to get her to the hospital. Are you riding?" He asked as his colleague secured Liz with a neck brace and backboard. Harm came up next to her and put a reassuring hand on her back as they stood up. "I'll follow in the next HELO, just tell me where you're going." Harm told her as they looked to the HELO corpsman. "Back to Barksdale ma'am. After we stabilize her I'm sure we can transport her back to DC." Mac nodded as they continued on to load Liz.
She turned and quickly embraced Harm in a hug. "Is it really over?" She whispered as she felt his arms wrap tightly around her, soothing the fear and anxiety out of her. "For now. Webb's got Palmer secured with a special CIA detail. He isn't going anywhere. You however, should be on that HELO." He told her, slowly pulling her out of his embrace.
"Just promise me you'll be on the next chopper to Barksdale?" She asked, looking down. "I'll be on the next one, I promise. I'll even call the Admiral on the way." He told her as they headed towards her flight. "Tell him Liz is ok and she's sorry she didn't call back." Squeezing his hand, she ducked and ran towards her seat, leaving Harm confused. Oh well, he was sure the Admiral would let him know what that was all about. He smiled as the chopper finally took off. "Liz going to be ok?" Webb asked, coming up behind him. "Yeah. They are both going to be ok."
THE END
Thanks so much for enduring this little bit of story telling. Sorry if it ends abruptly, but I needed to end it. There is probably going to be more stories to come, just be patient. Intro to philosophy and World Religions are going to be taking up quite a bit of my time for the next five weeks, but I'll try to have something out there. Thanks again for reading.
DEE
Red Chute Bayou Early Morning
Palmer turned and kept his gun aimed at Liz while he smiled at the new voice. "Lt. Colonel Sarah Mackenzie, USMC JAG extraordinaire. Don't you like my new game? Or do you want to take a turn at my version of duck hunt?" He baited, firing a shot off well away from Liz. "Palmer!" Mac yelled, wanting to fire a shot, but knowing if she did, he might still have the time to fire at Liz and possibly kill her.
When Mac had entered the clearing, well ahead of the rest of her team, she had seen Palmer firing into the trees. Her vision had just started to become a reality she didn't want. She quickly scouted the quickest route to put her directly by Palmer. She'd only made it across the clearing from him when he'd fired his last shot, the one that had struck Liz.
"Oh come on Colonel, you of all people, I would think, would want to have a little target practice. I mean, come on, she's the bastard child of a father that you hated. What would Uncle Matt say about this?" Palmer goaded. Mac knew that he was trying to push her buttons, but she wasn't falling for it. "Nice try, but bringing my Uncle into this won't make me go any easier on you. Give it up. There's a recon Marine team right behind me that will have you surrounded. Give it up." Mac added again, knowing full well that there was only Webb, Harm and the equally menacing AFB MP squad were the only back up she was going to get. He had tried to push her buttons, so she'd just push his back, or at least try.
"I believe that you should be the one giving up Colonel." He told her. "See, I have your sister dead to rights, no matter if you shot me now, or they do. The way that I look at it, you have two choices. Drop your weapon and toss it to me, or watch your sister die. What do you say?" Palmer asked, keeping his eye on Mac the whole time. He knew that Liz was trapped in the branches and couldn't move. "Come on Col. Anytime now, or I could just make the decision for you." He goaded, calking the gun and re- aiming the gun at Liz.
"No!" Mac yelled as she weighed his options. She knew that Harm and the others were right behind her but knowing Harm and Webb, they'd shoot first ask questions later. Especially Harm. She knew she couldn't wait for them, despite every desire to do just that. "What's it gonna be Col.? Save your sister or kill me for good?" He jeered.
Mac put the safety back on her weapon and took the clip out and tossed both to the either side of her. "Ok Palmer, it's your rules for now." She told him while silently hoping that the others would hurry. Palmer just smiled.
"This is what I love about you All-American hero type people. You always want to do what's best and for the greater good, never realizing that you'll end up as dead as everyone else. Doesn't it just piss you off when things don't go as well as you want them?" He asked, taking a step closer to her. Mac just stood her ground, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing just how afraid she was, despite all the earlier bravado to Harm. "Don't have anything more to say?" He asked. "Well I guess that's it then. Goodbye Colonel, tell your father I said hello." Palmer sneered as he aimed his gun at Mac ready to fire.
"NO!" Liz screamed as she jumped out of the tree towards Palmer. As Mac and Palmer had been "negotiating", Liz had negotiated her way out of the branches and had managed to climb down a bit. She had perched herself on a branch to let her shoulder rest when Palmer had aimed at Mac.
The ear splitting scream from Liz had made Mac dive for cover and her weapon while Palmer re-aimed his gun at her. He managed to get a shot off as 150 pounds of angry and frightened form of Elizabeth Thompson sailed into him, knocking him to the ground and his weapon to Mac's feet. Several seconds later Harm and Webb arrived with the MP's behind them. "Get a medic now!" Mac screamed, grabbing Palmer's gun and running to the struggling bodies, Harm right behind her.
"Freeze right there!" Palmer yelled as he jumped up dragging a pale and almost limp Liz with him. "Let her go Palmer. There's no where to go." Harm told him, taking aim. But he couldn't get a clear shot. "You've got room to talk Rabb. I've got what you all want right here. I'd say the ball is in my court right now." He told them as he tightened his grip around Liz's neck.
Mac didn't know what to do. She knew that Harm couldn't get a shot off without hitting Liz, nor could the MP's. But at the same time, if they didn't get Palmer off Liz, she could easily die from the gun shot wounds. Mulling all of this over in her head, she almost missed the silent communication from Liz. Liz had flashed what had looked like a can of mace before hiding it in her hands again. Mac quickly nodded and stepped towards Harm.
"Palmer, you're surrounded, give it up." Harm told him again, keeping his gun aimed as Mac walked towards him. "On three." She mouthed and nodded towards Liz. "I swear you get more pathetic every time we meet Rabb. Have I taught you-AH!!!!!!" Palmer screamed as Liz shot off the inhaler in his eyes. He shoved her away to clean out his eyes and realized too late what had happened. Harm fired and his aim was true, once in the shoulder, once in the knee. Palmer went down and Mac rushed to Liz.
Harm and Webb, who'd been waiting with the Medical team headed to Palmer as Mac checked over the young woman lying on the ground, gasping for air. "Easy, it's ok. Take a deep breath." Mac soothed as she ripped open her shirt to look for injuries. Mac noticed the scars on her stomach and filed it away for another time. "What hurts?" She asked, grasping Liz' hand. "S-shoulder hurts like hell." Liz gasped as she tried to regain her breathing. "Anything else?" Mac asked as a medic joined her. "Stomach feels like it's on fire."
The medic started tending to the immediate injuries while Mac grasped her sister's hand and stroked her hair. "This isn't how I planned on meeting you." She told her. "Well, it'll be OWW a memorable story. You're definitely nothing like Demi Moore in GI Jane." Liz gasped as the medic pressed a field bandage to her stomach. Mac stifled a laugh. "I certainly hope not. She was in the Navy and the last time I checked, I was a Marine." Liz tried to reply but medic interrupted. "Ma'am, she's got a pretty bad stomach wound, nothing life threatening, but we need to get her out of here." The medic told her as he radioed for the EVAC helicopter. "Call AJ, please." Liz told Mac as they waited for the HELO. "The Admiral? Why?" Mac asked, then remembering that Liz had called HQ. "I was supposed to check in after I called yesterday. He's gonna worry. He's a nice man." Liz said as her eyes fluttered half way shut. Mac just squeezed her hand.
Liz was slowly starting to lose consciousness as the pain finally registered and the enormity of the act she had just committed hit her. "Oh God." She breathed, squeezing Mac's hand harder. "What, what is it?" Mac asked, willing the HELO along, even though the medic had assured her that the injuries weren't life threatening. "I-I-I jumped out of a tree." Mac stifled a laugh. "That you did, and you're going to be just fine, so rest ok?" Mac told her, recognizing the losing battle with unconsciousness. "You'll still be here, right?" Liz asked as she closed her eyes. "I'm not going anywhere. Not for a long time." Mac vowed as Liz finally passed out.
The medic and a crewmember from the HELO came up to secure Liz. "Ma'am, I'm sorry but we need to get her to the hospital. Are you riding?" He asked as his colleague secured Liz with a neck brace and backboard. Harm came up next to her and put a reassuring hand on her back as they stood up. "I'll follow in the next HELO, just tell me where you're going." Harm told her as they looked to the HELO corpsman. "Back to Barksdale ma'am. After we stabilize her I'm sure we can transport her back to DC." Mac nodded as they continued on to load Liz.
She turned and quickly embraced Harm in a hug. "Is it really over?" She whispered as she felt his arms wrap tightly around her, soothing the fear and anxiety out of her. "For now. Webb's got Palmer secured with a special CIA detail. He isn't going anywhere. You however, should be on that HELO." He told her, slowly pulling her out of his embrace.
"Just promise me you'll be on the next chopper to Barksdale?" She asked, looking down. "I'll be on the next one, I promise. I'll even call the Admiral on the way." He told her as they headed towards her flight. "Tell him Liz is ok and she's sorry she didn't call back." Squeezing his hand, she ducked and ran towards her seat, leaving Harm confused. Oh well, he was sure the Admiral would let him know what that was all about. He smiled as the chopper finally took off. "Liz going to be ok?" Webb asked, coming up behind him. "Yeah. They are both going to be ok."
THE END
Thanks so much for enduring this little bit of story telling. Sorry if it ends abruptly, but I needed to end it. There is probably going to be more stories to come, just be patient. Intro to philosophy and World Religions are going to be taking up quite a bit of my time for the next five weeks, but I'll try to have something out there. Thanks again for reading.
DEE
