Mac came back into the room. "He managed to bring family photos."
She said, flipping through them, although she'd seen many of them before.
"I have some questions I wanna ask."
Gunny sat down on the bed beside Mac. He was curious about the photos, but at the same time, dreaded seeing pictures of the woman he loved when he had no idea where she was or whether she was dead or alive. "You don't mind if I look at them too, do you?"
She smiled at him. "Of course not." She handed him the pictures she'd looked at; the one on the top was one of her and Liz and another Marine at one of John's famous barbecues that he had for his men on holidays, when they had time off, but not enough to visit family. "You know, I knew her when she was a teenager?" She smiled. "She was always getting into trouble and then sliding out with a wink and a smile. Most of the time, I thought John was going to skin her alive." But there had always been the 'Daddy's girl' in Liz that had gotten her out of trouble. As she looked at the picture, she couldn't help but think about the others in the group back then. Most had died in one battle or another, another had been killed in a car wreck, and another had died of cancer. The only ones left any more were her, John, and Lizzie.
Gunny swallowed hard, fighting the lump in his throat as he looked at the smiling teen in the picture, so full of life. In a way, he was glad he hadn't known her then. He was quite a rebel rouser himself at that age and he probably would have been killed by the Colonel. "She still has a knack of getting herself out of trouble. I just hope she gets out with a wink and smile this time." He said quietly, his voice rough.
"She'll be fine. She has to be." She passed another picture over. "I have a confession to make." She paused again. "I'm not here as a Marine. John...well, it was a long time ago, but Liz and Chloe are probably the closest to daughters I'll ever have." She thought that if she confided in him, he would confide in her, and it wouldn't hurt him as much. Besides, everyone in the office already knew about her and John; it couldn't hurt for him to know the truth too.
"From what I see, you and the Colonel are pretty close too. I've worked with Lizzie and know her pretty well." He shifted a little on the bed, a little uncomfortable with the direction this conversation was taking. He wondered just how close the two colonels were, but he knew that Colonel MacKenzie would never violate the regulations as he and Liz were.
"We were." She paused. "It's part of the reason I didn't actually track Harm down to tell him. It's hard on him, hard on everyone. They've forgiven, but it's not been forgotten." She knew he needed to hear it, especially if she was right in thinking that Gunny and Liz's gunnery sergeant were one and the same.
"I'm not sure I understand, ma'am." She couldn't be telling him that she and Colonel Farrow had violated the regulations by fraternizing.
"Five years ago, a year before you arrived, JAG, especially Harm and the Admiral, discovered that I broke one of the cardinal rules in the Marine corps."
"You...and Colonel Farrow?" Gunny didn't know what to say. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He stood up, went to the window, and peered outside at the night. "I had no idea. They found out? What happened then?"
"Well, six years had passed, so they let it be officially. Of course, it took awhile for the Admiral to trust me again and Harm still hasn't forgotten about it." It had been a little too obvious in Harm's eyes when he'd realized she was there.
'Damn, she was lucky', Gunny thought. His biggest fear was getting discovered and he didn't think it would take six years. He sighed. Sometimes things really felt hopeless. He turned to face Mac. "When you and the Colonel are together, did you ever think about resigning your commission?" He had been thinking about taking an early out in order to bring his relationship with Liz out in the open. "It's hard...must have been hard to have to keep looking over your shoulder."
"It wasn't that serious with us. I really...I love John, don't get me wrong, but if I had it to do all over again, I don't think I would." She paused. "Liz is different though. This gunnery sergeant she wrote John about...if she's broken her rule against fraternization, it must be her love of a lifetime." Or her Harm.
Gunny sucked in a deep breath. "She wrote about a gunnery sergeant?" He whispered. "Ma'am...I don't know what to say." Colonel MacKenzie was a superior officer. Regardless of her own previous violation, she might feel bound to report whatever he told her. He paced the length of the room. "Do you know what she wrote about?"
"Just that she met a gunnery sergeant in Afghanistan, she ended up in Paraguay with him." She saw his face. "Gunny, the only ones who know and who are ever going to know are John and me. She's been through a lot of hell in her life and she deserves some happiness now. Why would anyone try to take that away from her?"
"Would it make her happy to lose her career? Am I worth that to her?" Gunny was surprised at how relieved he felt. Now he had someone to talk to about it without fear of repercussions. "I really have been thinking about taking an early out, but I haven't mentioned it to her yet. I don't think she would go for it. I don't know what else to do. I'm so tired of having to sneak around. We never get to see enough of each other." He snapped his mouth shut. He hadn't meant to unload all of this on Mac. Besides, at this point there were more important things to worry about. If they didn't get Liz back alive, there was no sense in even continuing this conversation.
"When her father and I were found out, she told herself that she would never set herself up for that, not unless she really loved the guy. You're worth her career. And you're right, you quit and she would have a cow. I'm not even sure Liz ever wanted to be a Marine. Sometimes I think it's just what John groomed her to be since she was born. She thought that was the only option for her, never thought about going against his wishes. Sometimes, I think she just wants to be normal."
"I don't think she'll ever be normal to me." Gunny smiled, his eyes shining with his love for Liz. "Even if she really didn't want to be a Marine, she still doesn't need a courtmartial."
"I didn't mean normal like that. I mean...she only got about three years to be a kid and a teenager. Before that, John moved once a year and when she was eighteen, she joined the corps. I know she doesn't need a courtmartial, but I think, whatever you do, you should talk to her about it first."
He nodded his head. "I know. We've agreed to always be honest with each other. She's never mentioned resigning her commission, so I figured being a Marine was very important to her. I'll never ask her to resign. I guess she feels the same way about me. I'm a Marine. It's who I am and I love it. She knows that and will never ask me to retire. But Liz is more important than anything to me. Even more important than being a Marine." He grinned. "You know, to be honest, I'm a little scared to mention it to her. I'd get a size five combat boot in the six."
Mac smiled. "You would. Last time we sparred together, she almost beat me. That's something even Harm can't do."
"She's tough, all right. She's not a quitter." He checked his watch. With every minute that passed, he could feel her sliping further away. "She's waiting for us to find her. I know she is."
"You're right. She is. Probably cursing whoever has her while she's at it." She smiled slightly before Harm came in, slamming the door behind him. Keeter came in next and then Meg. "Whoa. What happened?" Mac asked, worried.
"Ask the lovebirds." He said, crossing his arms, giving out the vibe she knew meant he was furious.
"You're just mad cause Mac wasn't there for you to do it too." Keeter retorted and Meg stepped in the middle of them. Gunny hid a snicker behind a head as he retreated to his corner again. He had a good idea what might have happened. As anxious as he was to hear what the others had found out, he knew he had to bide his time while the present scenario played out.
"What are you talking about?" Mac asked.
"They were kissing." Harm protested as Keeter looked like the cat that ate the canary.
"My God, Harm." She rubbed her forehead. "Both of you straighten up or I'll arrange for you to fly home, together, right now. You're acting Tiner's age!" She looked at Meg. "Did you find out anything?"
"Yeah. We've got a pretty good lead on where she is."
"Thank God."
His heart pounding, Gunny pushed away from the wall. "Well, what did you find out? Where is she?"
"Casa Diablo. The ranch outside town."
Gunny headed for the door. "I know where that is. Let's go."
"Don't you think we should have a game plan first? You run in there like a chicken with his head cut off, you're gonna get her killed." Keeter said sternly, forgetting Harm for a few seconds. "I'll go get John. He needs to be in on this too." Mac disappeared and then reappeared with the colonel, rested and back on fire.
Gunny scowled at Keeter and began to pace impatiently. He knew the man was right. "Well, let's make it quick. The longer we take about getting her out of there, the less chance we have of getting her out alive." He told them what he knew about the ranch. Where it was located, the terrain around it, and that it was heavily guarded. "They don't call it the devil's house for nothing."
"Harm, Keeter, I want you two to get a helicopter. There'll be a signal. When you see it, I want you to blow those missles." Meg said.
"How do you suggest we get a helicopter?"
"Like you usually do, Harm. Steal one." Mac retorted, going through the weapons until she found one she was most comfortable with.
"Let's get out there."
Meg nodded. "Gunny, go in from the east, Colonel, from the west, Mac, from the south, and I'll go from the north."
"How are we gonna get her outta there? I mean, if she was all right, she'd be out herself." Mac observed.
"Okay, after you guys take care of the arms sheds, there's an empty field near enough to benefit, but far enough to avoid gunshots. Land there." Keeter nodded. *****
Mac sat in the back with Gunny while Meg drove and John rode shotgun. "If anything happens and you two find Lizzie first, don't worry about us, just get her the hell outta there." She told him too quietly to be overheard by anyone but him. She knew that the Marine code of conduct said otherwise, but she would be all right, as long as she knew Lizzie and John were.
Gunny frowned. It went against the Corps core values as well as his own to leave anybody behind. "Lizzie wouldn't go for that and you know it. We'll get her to the helicopter and then I'll come back." Even that was a compromise to his values, but he had to get Lizzie out. He couldn't bear the thought of losing her.
"No. I've seen too many friends die. I'll make it an order if I have to, but I want John and Lizzie out. She wouldn't go without you and you know it. You remember after we left Lylyana? You told me that it was the best thing, the only thing, we could do at the time."
"I did." It had bothered him ever since. He wasn't sure if he could leave anyone behind without wondering if he could have possibly gotten them out. "Lizzie probably won't go at all, with or without me, if she finds out you're in there somewhere." If he didn't tell her about Mac being there until it was too late, Lizzie'd make his life even more miserable than if he had just had to worry about having left her. Still, if the Colonel did make it an order, there was nothing he could do but obey.
"We're arguing about something that might not even happen. But if it does, Lizzie, John, and I are the only ones from our group that are still alive. I need to know that they're safe and taken care of. If worse comes to worse, you can trade places on the helo with Harm."
Gunny sighed. "If I can't come back for you, I'll trade places with the Commander. He'll get you out." Rabb was a good man, for a sailor. In Gunny's opinion, he would have made a good Marine and you couldn't say that about many squids. "Bottom line, we get Lizzie out of there."
"Exactly." Meg pulled up close to the perimeter, but far enough away so that she wouldn't be spotted.
For the three Marines and Meg, the guards were easy to take out, a few fancy moves and they were down. John waited for Gunny so they could have backup, just as Meg and Mac did on the other side of the compound. Gunny slipped up next to John and nodded. So far, so good. The compound was still quiet, their presence apparently unnoticed. He waited for the signal to proceed. As they entered the compound, they heard a scream of pain, sounding so tortured that John himself hurt. He remembered that sound well, from his days in Vietnam, from the day that his wife had died, and knew instinctively who had made it. Seeing the fear on the Colonel's face and feeling it set his own heart pounding. Gunny put a hand on the older man's shoulder. The act helped to steady his own hand but did nothing to stop his stomach from churning. The sound died and there was quiet, eerie, still, thick silence that weighed heavily. Finally, although it took mere seconds, explosions started on the other side of the compound. Hispanic voices clammered and soon there were only three people inside the house: the two male Marines and their Lizzie. It was all Gunny could do to hold himself back and allow John to go to his daughter. His knees felt a little weak at the sight of an alive Lizzie. Her father obstructed his view so he really didn't know just what her condition was. He wanted to go to her, but he wasn't ready for John to know about their relationship. "How is she?" He asked quietly.
"Alive. We've got to get her out of here." He was reluctant to move her though. Her body was twisted, beaten, and broken so bad that he knew just touching her would cause more pain, maybe even damage her further. He saw a board nearby, cleaner than the rest of the room, and instinctively took his outer shirt off, leaving him in a t-shirt, but putting the outer shirt on the board as some sort of protection for her. "Carry the end of this." It was a crude carry, but it was the best he could think of. Now that Lizzie needed him and he could help her, John was much more awake, back to normal, concerned for his daughter, but every inch a Marine colonel.
Gunny did as he was asked and, between the two of them, they managed to get Lizzie onto the board without causing her any further damage. Gunny's eyes filled as he examined her bruised face. He took his jacket off and covered her to ward off shock. "I'm going to kill him," he said quietly, a dangerous tone in his voice. "Webb is a dead man."
"Take a number." John said, using one of Lizzie's favorite phrases. They carried her to the helicopter, where Harm and Keeter were waiting, but there was no sign of Meg or of Mac.
Keeter got out to help them put Lizzie in, glad that they'd stolen a helicopter with plenty of room in the back. Harm turned around and looked at Lizzie. He might have had his issues with John, but Lizzie was what he pictured Mac as at her age. "Where are the girls?" Keeter finally asked Gunny.
"We haven't seen them since right before we entered the compound. I told Colonel MacKenzi that if we didn't all make it back to the helicopter, I would go back. She told me to go with Lizzie and Colonel Farrow and to ask you to go back, Commander Rabb. I'll go with you, sir, if that's what you want." Gunny was torn between going with Lizzie and getting Mac and Meg out. He hated to go against Mac's wishes, but she hadn't actually made it an order. He would do what the Commander wanted him to do.
Harm looked at him and then at Lizzie, suddenly figuring out what Mac had earlier. "You stay with Lizzie. I'll go find the girls." Harm said, getting out of the helicopter.
"What if you need backup?" Keeter asked.
"Just get them the hell out of here. I'll take care of Meg, I promise." Keeter nodded and went back to the pilot's seat as Harm started back down to the compound. He couldn't very well ask Gunny to leave Lizzie; he wouldn't have left Mac.
Gunny climbed into the helicopter and took a seat next to Lizzie. John sat on her other side, holding her hand and speaking to her softly. Gunny brushed the hair out of her eyes. At this point, he didn't really care who noticed his tender expression. He doubted the Colonel would notice he was there at all. He took her hand and willed her the strength to keep fighting. John noticed, but he didn't say a word. Who was he to judge who was right or wrong for a person? He was still hung up on a woman who had long since fallen in love with someone else. Besides, the only thing that had ever mattered to him was that Lizzie was happy. Her moving here was not the gunnery sergeant's fault and, as easy as it was to hate him right now, it wasn't Webb's either. One of the things he loved most about his daughter was her stubborness, her inability to sit back and do nothing when people were hurting, even if it cost her everything. Torn between staying to fight with Harm for the women they loved and saving the woman that the two Marines loved, Keeter began the flight to Asuncion, the Centro Medico Bautista.
Gunny sat down on the bed beside Mac. He was curious about the photos, but at the same time, dreaded seeing pictures of the woman he loved when he had no idea where she was or whether she was dead or alive. "You don't mind if I look at them too, do you?"
She smiled at him. "Of course not." She handed him the pictures she'd looked at; the one on the top was one of her and Liz and another Marine at one of John's famous barbecues that he had for his men on holidays, when they had time off, but not enough to visit family. "You know, I knew her when she was a teenager?" She smiled. "She was always getting into trouble and then sliding out with a wink and a smile. Most of the time, I thought John was going to skin her alive." But there had always been the 'Daddy's girl' in Liz that had gotten her out of trouble. As she looked at the picture, she couldn't help but think about the others in the group back then. Most had died in one battle or another, another had been killed in a car wreck, and another had died of cancer. The only ones left any more were her, John, and Lizzie.
Gunny swallowed hard, fighting the lump in his throat as he looked at the smiling teen in the picture, so full of life. In a way, he was glad he hadn't known her then. He was quite a rebel rouser himself at that age and he probably would have been killed by the Colonel. "She still has a knack of getting herself out of trouble. I just hope she gets out with a wink and smile this time." He said quietly, his voice rough.
"She'll be fine. She has to be." She passed another picture over. "I have a confession to make." She paused again. "I'm not here as a Marine. John...well, it was a long time ago, but Liz and Chloe are probably the closest to daughters I'll ever have." She thought that if she confided in him, he would confide in her, and it wouldn't hurt him as much. Besides, everyone in the office already knew about her and John; it couldn't hurt for him to know the truth too.
"From what I see, you and the Colonel are pretty close too. I've worked with Lizzie and know her pretty well." He shifted a little on the bed, a little uncomfortable with the direction this conversation was taking. He wondered just how close the two colonels were, but he knew that Colonel MacKenzie would never violate the regulations as he and Liz were.
"We were." She paused. "It's part of the reason I didn't actually track Harm down to tell him. It's hard on him, hard on everyone. They've forgiven, but it's not been forgotten." She knew he needed to hear it, especially if she was right in thinking that Gunny and Liz's gunnery sergeant were one and the same.
"I'm not sure I understand, ma'am." She couldn't be telling him that she and Colonel Farrow had violated the regulations by fraternizing.
"Five years ago, a year before you arrived, JAG, especially Harm and the Admiral, discovered that I broke one of the cardinal rules in the Marine corps."
"You...and Colonel Farrow?" Gunny didn't know what to say. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He stood up, went to the window, and peered outside at the night. "I had no idea. They found out? What happened then?"
"Well, six years had passed, so they let it be officially. Of course, it took awhile for the Admiral to trust me again and Harm still hasn't forgotten about it." It had been a little too obvious in Harm's eyes when he'd realized she was there.
'Damn, she was lucky', Gunny thought. His biggest fear was getting discovered and he didn't think it would take six years. He sighed. Sometimes things really felt hopeless. He turned to face Mac. "When you and the Colonel are together, did you ever think about resigning your commission?" He had been thinking about taking an early out in order to bring his relationship with Liz out in the open. "It's hard...must have been hard to have to keep looking over your shoulder."
"It wasn't that serious with us. I really...I love John, don't get me wrong, but if I had it to do all over again, I don't think I would." She paused. "Liz is different though. This gunnery sergeant she wrote John about...if she's broken her rule against fraternization, it must be her love of a lifetime." Or her Harm.
Gunny sucked in a deep breath. "She wrote about a gunnery sergeant?" He whispered. "Ma'am...I don't know what to say." Colonel MacKenzie was a superior officer. Regardless of her own previous violation, she might feel bound to report whatever he told her. He paced the length of the room. "Do you know what she wrote about?"
"Just that she met a gunnery sergeant in Afghanistan, she ended up in Paraguay with him." She saw his face. "Gunny, the only ones who know and who are ever going to know are John and me. She's been through a lot of hell in her life and she deserves some happiness now. Why would anyone try to take that away from her?"
"Would it make her happy to lose her career? Am I worth that to her?" Gunny was surprised at how relieved he felt. Now he had someone to talk to about it without fear of repercussions. "I really have been thinking about taking an early out, but I haven't mentioned it to her yet. I don't think she would go for it. I don't know what else to do. I'm so tired of having to sneak around. We never get to see enough of each other." He snapped his mouth shut. He hadn't meant to unload all of this on Mac. Besides, at this point there were more important things to worry about. If they didn't get Liz back alive, there was no sense in even continuing this conversation.
"When her father and I were found out, she told herself that she would never set herself up for that, not unless she really loved the guy. You're worth her career. And you're right, you quit and she would have a cow. I'm not even sure Liz ever wanted to be a Marine. Sometimes I think it's just what John groomed her to be since she was born. She thought that was the only option for her, never thought about going against his wishes. Sometimes, I think she just wants to be normal."
"I don't think she'll ever be normal to me." Gunny smiled, his eyes shining with his love for Liz. "Even if she really didn't want to be a Marine, she still doesn't need a courtmartial."
"I didn't mean normal like that. I mean...she only got about three years to be a kid and a teenager. Before that, John moved once a year and when she was eighteen, she joined the corps. I know she doesn't need a courtmartial, but I think, whatever you do, you should talk to her about it first."
He nodded his head. "I know. We've agreed to always be honest with each other. She's never mentioned resigning her commission, so I figured being a Marine was very important to her. I'll never ask her to resign. I guess she feels the same way about me. I'm a Marine. It's who I am and I love it. She knows that and will never ask me to retire. But Liz is more important than anything to me. Even more important than being a Marine." He grinned. "You know, to be honest, I'm a little scared to mention it to her. I'd get a size five combat boot in the six."
Mac smiled. "You would. Last time we sparred together, she almost beat me. That's something even Harm can't do."
"She's tough, all right. She's not a quitter." He checked his watch. With every minute that passed, he could feel her sliping further away. "She's waiting for us to find her. I know she is."
"You're right. She is. Probably cursing whoever has her while she's at it." She smiled slightly before Harm came in, slamming the door behind him. Keeter came in next and then Meg. "Whoa. What happened?" Mac asked, worried.
"Ask the lovebirds." He said, crossing his arms, giving out the vibe she knew meant he was furious.
"You're just mad cause Mac wasn't there for you to do it too." Keeter retorted and Meg stepped in the middle of them. Gunny hid a snicker behind a head as he retreated to his corner again. He had a good idea what might have happened. As anxious as he was to hear what the others had found out, he knew he had to bide his time while the present scenario played out.
"What are you talking about?" Mac asked.
"They were kissing." Harm protested as Keeter looked like the cat that ate the canary.
"My God, Harm." She rubbed her forehead. "Both of you straighten up or I'll arrange for you to fly home, together, right now. You're acting Tiner's age!" She looked at Meg. "Did you find out anything?"
"Yeah. We've got a pretty good lead on where she is."
"Thank God."
His heart pounding, Gunny pushed away from the wall. "Well, what did you find out? Where is she?"
"Casa Diablo. The ranch outside town."
Gunny headed for the door. "I know where that is. Let's go."
"Don't you think we should have a game plan first? You run in there like a chicken with his head cut off, you're gonna get her killed." Keeter said sternly, forgetting Harm for a few seconds. "I'll go get John. He needs to be in on this too." Mac disappeared and then reappeared with the colonel, rested and back on fire.
Gunny scowled at Keeter and began to pace impatiently. He knew the man was right. "Well, let's make it quick. The longer we take about getting her out of there, the less chance we have of getting her out alive." He told them what he knew about the ranch. Where it was located, the terrain around it, and that it was heavily guarded. "They don't call it the devil's house for nothing."
"Harm, Keeter, I want you two to get a helicopter. There'll be a signal. When you see it, I want you to blow those missles." Meg said.
"How do you suggest we get a helicopter?"
"Like you usually do, Harm. Steal one." Mac retorted, going through the weapons until she found one she was most comfortable with.
"Let's get out there."
Meg nodded. "Gunny, go in from the east, Colonel, from the west, Mac, from the south, and I'll go from the north."
"How are we gonna get her outta there? I mean, if she was all right, she'd be out herself." Mac observed.
"Okay, after you guys take care of the arms sheds, there's an empty field near enough to benefit, but far enough to avoid gunshots. Land there." Keeter nodded. *****
Mac sat in the back with Gunny while Meg drove and John rode shotgun. "If anything happens and you two find Lizzie first, don't worry about us, just get her the hell outta there." She told him too quietly to be overheard by anyone but him. She knew that the Marine code of conduct said otherwise, but she would be all right, as long as she knew Lizzie and John were.
Gunny frowned. It went against the Corps core values as well as his own to leave anybody behind. "Lizzie wouldn't go for that and you know it. We'll get her to the helicopter and then I'll come back." Even that was a compromise to his values, but he had to get Lizzie out. He couldn't bear the thought of losing her.
"No. I've seen too many friends die. I'll make it an order if I have to, but I want John and Lizzie out. She wouldn't go without you and you know it. You remember after we left Lylyana? You told me that it was the best thing, the only thing, we could do at the time."
"I did." It had bothered him ever since. He wasn't sure if he could leave anyone behind without wondering if he could have possibly gotten them out. "Lizzie probably won't go at all, with or without me, if she finds out you're in there somewhere." If he didn't tell her about Mac being there until it was too late, Lizzie'd make his life even more miserable than if he had just had to worry about having left her. Still, if the Colonel did make it an order, there was nothing he could do but obey.
"We're arguing about something that might not even happen. But if it does, Lizzie, John, and I are the only ones from our group that are still alive. I need to know that they're safe and taken care of. If worse comes to worse, you can trade places on the helo with Harm."
Gunny sighed. "If I can't come back for you, I'll trade places with the Commander. He'll get you out." Rabb was a good man, for a sailor. In Gunny's opinion, he would have made a good Marine and you couldn't say that about many squids. "Bottom line, we get Lizzie out of there."
"Exactly." Meg pulled up close to the perimeter, but far enough away so that she wouldn't be spotted.
For the three Marines and Meg, the guards were easy to take out, a few fancy moves and they were down. John waited for Gunny so they could have backup, just as Meg and Mac did on the other side of the compound. Gunny slipped up next to John and nodded. So far, so good. The compound was still quiet, their presence apparently unnoticed. He waited for the signal to proceed. As they entered the compound, they heard a scream of pain, sounding so tortured that John himself hurt. He remembered that sound well, from his days in Vietnam, from the day that his wife had died, and knew instinctively who had made it. Seeing the fear on the Colonel's face and feeling it set his own heart pounding. Gunny put a hand on the older man's shoulder. The act helped to steady his own hand but did nothing to stop his stomach from churning. The sound died and there was quiet, eerie, still, thick silence that weighed heavily. Finally, although it took mere seconds, explosions started on the other side of the compound. Hispanic voices clammered and soon there were only three people inside the house: the two male Marines and their Lizzie. It was all Gunny could do to hold himself back and allow John to go to his daughter. His knees felt a little weak at the sight of an alive Lizzie. Her father obstructed his view so he really didn't know just what her condition was. He wanted to go to her, but he wasn't ready for John to know about their relationship. "How is she?" He asked quietly.
"Alive. We've got to get her out of here." He was reluctant to move her though. Her body was twisted, beaten, and broken so bad that he knew just touching her would cause more pain, maybe even damage her further. He saw a board nearby, cleaner than the rest of the room, and instinctively took his outer shirt off, leaving him in a t-shirt, but putting the outer shirt on the board as some sort of protection for her. "Carry the end of this." It was a crude carry, but it was the best he could think of. Now that Lizzie needed him and he could help her, John was much more awake, back to normal, concerned for his daughter, but every inch a Marine colonel.
Gunny did as he was asked and, between the two of them, they managed to get Lizzie onto the board without causing her any further damage. Gunny's eyes filled as he examined her bruised face. He took his jacket off and covered her to ward off shock. "I'm going to kill him," he said quietly, a dangerous tone in his voice. "Webb is a dead man."
"Take a number." John said, using one of Lizzie's favorite phrases. They carried her to the helicopter, where Harm and Keeter were waiting, but there was no sign of Meg or of Mac.
Keeter got out to help them put Lizzie in, glad that they'd stolen a helicopter with plenty of room in the back. Harm turned around and looked at Lizzie. He might have had his issues with John, but Lizzie was what he pictured Mac as at her age. "Where are the girls?" Keeter finally asked Gunny.
"We haven't seen them since right before we entered the compound. I told Colonel MacKenzi that if we didn't all make it back to the helicopter, I would go back. She told me to go with Lizzie and Colonel Farrow and to ask you to go back, Commander Rabb. I'll go with you, sir, if that's what you want." Gunny was torn between going with Lizzie and getting Mac and Meg out. He hated to go against Mac's wishes, but she hadn't actually made it an order. He would do what the Commander wanted him to do.
Harm looked at him and then at Lizzie, suddenly figuring out what Mac had earlier. "You stay with Lizzie. I'll go find the girls." Harm said, getting out of the helicopter.
"What if you need backup?" Keeter asked.
"Just get them the hell out of here. I'll take care of Meg, I promise." Keeter nodded and went back to the pilot's seat as Harm started back down to the compound. He couldn't very well ask Gunny to leave Lizzie; he wouldn't have left Mac.
Gunny climbed into the helicopter and took a seat next to Lizzie. John sat on her other side, holding her hand and speaking to her softly. Gunny brushed the hair out of her eyes. At this point, he didn't really care who noticed his tender expression. He doubted the Colonel would notice he was there at all. He took her hand and willed her the strength to keep fighting. John noticed, but he didn't say a word. Who was he to judge who was right or wrong for a person? He was still hung up on a woman who had long since fallen in love with someone else. Besides, the only thing that had ever mattered to him was that Lizzie was happy. Her moving here was not the gunnery sergeant's fault and, as easy as it was to hate him right now, it wasn't Webb's either. One of the things he loved most about his daughter was her stubborness, her inability to sit back and do nothing when people were hurting, even if it cost her everything. Torn between staying to fight with Harm for the women they loved and saving the woman that the two Marines loved, Keeter began the flight to Asuncion, the Centro Medico Bautista.
