Title: The Spider and the Fly IV
Author: Nan
Rating: PG
Classification: vignette, Harm/Mac, a shipper story.
Spoilers: Tangled Web
Summary: Speculation Fic - conclusion to Tangled Web
Mac's legs ached from the low crouch. She had crept closer towards the four men standing in the parking lot. Vines, tall grasses and low brush hid her from view. She could hear snippets of their conversation.
They were discussing the two off-road trikes. Saddiq was contemplating the direction that two of the men should take. He told one heavily armed man to follow the right-of-way under the large metal towers leading from the hydro station.
She could tell he was uncertain of the direction for the second man on the trike. Finally, he ordered the man to follow the road and check side trails around the installation. She heard the motors on the vehicles rev up and watched as they sped away.
Mac let out a sigh of relief. So far, so good. Saddiq had not considered the river. She watched as Saddiq and the remaining gunman retraced the search around the perimeter of the hydro plant.
Slowly and silently she crept from her hiding place and made her way towards Harm's position. She skidded on her six down the steep bank towards the riverbed. The sun was setting behind the rolling hills leaving the valley bottoms dark. She squinted trying to find Harm.
Harm had moved the Zodiac raft closer to the river. It was covered with leafy branches and long vines. Harm was sifting through the equipment in the bottom of the raft. A small twig snapped under her foot. In one fluid motion, she watched as he turned towards the sound while hiding himself in the leafy underbrush. When he realized it was she, he stood up slightly, welcoming her into his hiding spot.
"What is going on?" he asked quietly.
"One of the off-road vehicles headed up the right-of-way. The second is following the road. Saddiq and the last man are searching the installation."
"I think we should get out of here," he said.
"Me too."
"Climb into the raft. I will push us off. Leave the branches and vines on the raft till we are further downstream."
She crawled under the brush and fell clumsily into the bottom of the raft. Harm gave a strong heave and she could feel the boat starting to float on the river. He was sloshing in the ankle deep water, freeing the rubber bottom from rocks and other obstructions.
Suddenly, there was the bark of a rifle. Ping! She heard a bullet popping upstream. Peering out through the brush she saw Saddiq standing on the top of the dam taking aim. Harm was running beside the Zodiac, pushing it into deeper water and faster current.
"Duck down," yelled Harm. It was at least 200 yards from the top of the dam. It would be a challenge for even an experienced marksman. In this dwindling light, she prayed that Saddiq's shots would be wide.
The water level was reaching Harm's upper thighs impeding his progress. The boat was moving faster. If he didn't jump soon, he would miss the opportunity. She sat up pushing aside branches.
"Jump!" shouted Mac. She reached for his arms as he made a wild fling at the boat. Gripping his underarm, she hauled him hard over the wide sides before the current could sweep him away. Ping! She heard another bullet hit the water at a spot where they had been seconds before.
The distance from the dam was increasing. Soon they would be out of range. But before Mac could relax, she heard the revving of the off-road trike. The rider must have heard the shots. She looked up and saw it speeding to catch up with them using the clear path along the muddy flats on the side of the river. She looked ahead. The mud flats ended as the river spilled into the gorge. She tried to gauge the distance they had to travel. It was about 75 yards.
She grabbed a paddle under the lashings on the side of the boat. Dipping it in the water, she pulled back hard and raft shot forward. She repeated the action, concentrating on the entrance to the steep walled gorge.
Harm was lying in the bottom of the raft panting heavily with his eyes closed. The rough handling on the way into the raft had re-injured his shoulder.
Mac looked back at their pursuer. He had stopped his trike and was dismounting. She watched as he reached for his automatic weapon and prepared to aim. He wanted to get a shot off before they entered the turn into the steeply walled valley ahead. She paddled faster.
Ping, ping, ping! She could hear the noisy spray of bullets from an automatic weapon. But the bullets hit harmlessly on the rocky banks as the Zodiac entered the turn into the gorge. She let out a breath. They were safe.
"Are we through?" asked Harm rolling to his good side and slowly sitting up.
"Uh huh," she said. Mac pushed the remaining vines and brush off the sides of the Zodiac and into the water. "How is the shoulder?"
He winced as he rested propped against the rounded sides of the boat. The aftermath of the adrenaline and mad scramble through the water had left him shaky. "It hurts."
Mac spied a first aid kit lashed to the side of the river raft. Grabbing it, she held it up in front of his face. "Isn't it nice that people are so thoughtful? It's like they knew we were going to misappropriate their boat. Or biplane as the case may be."
Harm looked at her warily. "What are you going to do with that?"
She grinned at him. "I'm just changing the dressing, Navy."
"Just the dressing," he said sternly and he turned his back towards her. "You are going to have to stop calling me that, Mac. Not in the Navy anymore, remember?"
"Do you really believe that?" she said as stripped his shirt and took off the remains of the sodden bandage.
"I did submit the proper forms in triplicate. I'm on terminal leave," he said wincing as she dabbed antiseptic cream on the wound.
"So there is still wiggle room. Chegwidden could reinstate you."
"Sure, I guess. Some of it depends on how this all plays out between the CIA, the Navy and the State Department. There are some people who won't like an unauthorized foray into a secret operation of the CIA."
"You do want to come back to the Navy, right Harm?" said Mac. There was a peculiar resignation to his voice she hadn't heard before.
He was silent. Mac waited for his reply. When it didn't come, she said. "Harm?"
More silence. She tried again. "Harm?" She leaned forward to look into his face. His eyes were staring at an invisible point on the horizon.
He started to speak. "I've started to wonder lately if the Navy really wants me. Three weeks in the brig for a murder that I didn't commit didn't help."
Singer's murder trial! The vivid events in Paraguay had made that seem like a lifetime had passed since then. But in reality, Harm had been released from the brig only two weeks ago.
"I never got a chance to talk to you about that, did I? I tried but Webb's op got in the way and I had to catch that plane to Paraguay," she said.
"Finding you and Webb has had at least one advantage. It's taken my mind off that trial," said Harm.
"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.
"I did, the night that you showed up in that pregnancy getup. But not now. Too much has happened since then."
Mac put tape across the new dressing on his wound in silence. She contemplated what he said. She knew what had happened in the intervening time between the trial and current events in Paraguay. Webb had happened. Harm had all but admitted earlier that he believed she had feelings for Webb.
He looked tired. This wasn't a time for either of them to dive into painful emotions. The raft was floating slowly on the slow current in the gorge. There was a quarter moon hanging in the sky above them.
"Do you want to get some sleep?" she asked. "I will take first watch."
"Keep an eye on the current. It will speed up if we approach rapids or falls. Wake me if you are unsure," he said curling up in the bottom of the raft.
She motioned for him to put his head in her lap. It didn't take long before she heard his slow regulated breath signaling that he was asleep. She leaned against the soft sides of the raft, stroking his hair with her hand.
1
Author: Nan
Rating: PG
Classification: vignette, Harm/Mac, a shipper story.
Spoilers: Tangled Web
Summary: Speculation Fic - conclusion to Tangled Web
Mac's legs ached from the low crouch. She had crept closer towards the four men standing in the parking lot. Vines, tall grasses and low brush hid her from view. She could hear snippets of their conversation.
They were discussing the two off-road trikes. Saddiq was contemplating the direction that two of the men should take. He told one heavily armed man to follow the right-of-way under the large metal towers leading from the hydro station.
She could tell he was uncertain of the direction for the second man on the trike. Finally, he ordered the man to follow the road and check side trails around the installation. She heard the motors on the vehicles rev up and watched as they sped away.
Mac let out a sigh of relief. So far, so good. Saddiq had not considered the river. She watched as Saddiq and the remaining gunman retraced the search around the perimeter of the hydro plant.
Slowly and silently she crept from her hiding place and made her way towards Harm's position. She skidded on her six down the steep bank towards the riverbed. The sun was setting behind the rolling hills leaving the valley bottoms dark. She squinted trying to find Harm.
Harm had moved the Zodiac raft closer to the river. It was covered with leafy branches and long vines. Harm was sifting through the equipment in the bottom of the raft. A small twig snapped under her foot. In one fluid motion, she watched as he turned towards the sound while hiding himself in the leafy underbrush. When he realized it was she, he stood up slightly, welcoming her into his hiding spot.
"What is going on?" he asked quietly.
"One of the off-road vehicles headed up the right-of-way. The second is following the road. Saddiq and the last man are searching the installation."
"I think we should get out of here," he said.
"Me too."
"Climb into the raft. I will push us off. Leave the branches and vines on the raft till we are further downstream."
She crawled under the brush and fell clumsily into the bottom of the raft. Harm gave a strong heave and she could feel the boat starting to float on the river. He was sloshing in the ankle deep water, freeing the rubber bottom from rocks and other obstructions.
Suddenly, there was the bark of a rifle. Ping! She heard a bullet popping upstream. Peering out through the brush she saw Saddiq standing on the top of the dam taking aim. Harm was running beside the Zodiac, pushing it into deeper water and faster current.
"Duck down," yelled Harm. It was at least 200 yards from the top of the dam. It would be a challenge for even an experienced marksman. In this dwindling light, she prayed that Saddiq's shots would be wide.
The water level was reaching Harm's upper thighs impeding his progress. The boat was moving faster. If he didn't jump soon, he would miss the opportunity. She sat up pushing aside branches.
"Jump!" shouted Mac. She reached for his arms as he made a wild fling at the boat. Gripping his underarm, she hauled him hard over the wide sides before the current could sweep him away. Ping! She heard another bullet hit the water at a spot where they had been seconds before.
The distance from the dam was increasing. Soon they would be out of range. But before Mac could relax, she heard the revving of the off-road trike. The rider must have heard the shots. She looked up and saw it speeding to catch up with them using the clear path along the muddy flats on the side of the river. She looked ahead. The mud flats ended as the river spilled into the gorge. She tried to gauge the distance they had to travel. It was about 75 yards.
She grabbed a paddle under the lashings on the side of the boat. Dipping it in the water, she pulled back hard and raft shot forward. She repeated the action, concentrating on the entrance to the steep walled gorge.
Harm was lying in the bottom of the raft panting heavily with his eyes closed. The rough handling on the way into the raft had re-injured his shoulder.
Mac looked back at their pursuer. He had stopped his trike and was dismounting. She watched as he reached for his automatic weapon and prepared to aim. He wanted to get a shot off before they entered the turn into the steeply walled valley ahead. She paddled faster.
Ping, ping, ping! She could hear the noisy spray of bullets from an automatic weapon. But the bullets hit harmlessly on the rocky banks as the Zodiac entered the turn into the gorge. She let out a breath. They were safe.
"Are we through?" asked Harm rolling to his good side and slowly sitting up.
"Uh huh," she said. Mac pushed the remaining vines and brush off the sides of the Zodiac and into the water. "How is the shoulder?"
He winced as he rested propped against the rounded sides of the boat. The aftermath of the adrenaline and mad scramble through the water had left him shaky. "It hurts."
Mac spied a first aid kit lashed to the side of the river raft. Grabbing it, she held it up in front of his face. "Isn't it nice that people are so thoughtful? It's like they knew we were going to misappropriate their boat. Or biplane as the case may be."
Harm looked at her warily. "What are you going to do with that?"
She grinned at him. "I'm just changing the dressing, Navy."
"Just the dressing," he said sternly and he turned his back towards her. "You are going to have to stop calling me that, Mac. Not in the Navy anymore, remember?"
"Do you really believe that?" she said as stripped his shirt and took off the remains of the sodden bandage.
"I did submit the proper forms in triplicate. I'm on terminal leave," he said wincing as she dabbed antiseptic cream on the wound.
"So there is still wiggle room. Chegwidden could reinstate you."
"Sure, I guess. Some of it depends on how this all plays out between the CIA, the Navy and the State Department. There are some people who won't like an unauthorized foray into a secret operation of the CIA."
"You do want to come back to the Navy, right Harm?" said Mac. There was a peculiar resignation to his voice she hadn't heard before.
He was silent. Mac waited for his reply. When it didn't come, she said. "Harm?"
More silence. She tried again. "Harm?" She leaned forward to look into his face. His eyes were staring at an invisible point on the horizon.
He started to speak. "I've started to wonder lately if the Navy really wants me. Three weeks in the brig for a murder that I didn't commit didn't help."
Singer's murder trial! The vivid events in Paraguay had made that seem like a lifetime had passed since then. But in reality, Harm had been released from the brig only two weeks ago.
"I never got a chance to talk to you about that, did I? I tried but Webb's op got in the way and I had to catch that plane to Paraguay," she said.
"Finding you and Webb has had at least one advantage. It's taken my mind off that trial," said Harm.
"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.
"I did, the night that you showed up in that pregnancy getup. But not now. Too much has happened since then."
Mac put tape across the new dressing on his wound in silence. She contemplated what he said. She knew what had happened in the intervening time between the trial and current events in Paraguay. Webb had happened. Harm had all but admitted earlier that he believed she had feelings for Webb.
He looked tired. This wasn't a time for either of them to dive into painful emotions. The raft was floating slowly on the slow current in the gorge. There was a quarter moon hanging in the sky above them.
"Do you want to get some sleep?" she asked. "I will take first watch."
"Keep an eye on the current. It will speed up if we approach rapids or falls. Wake me if you are unsure," he said curling up in the bottom of the raft.
She motioned for him to put his head in her lap. It didn't take long before she heard his slow regulated breath signaling that he was asleep. She leaned against the soft sides of the raft, stroking his hair with her hand.
1
