The Spider and the Fly - X

Harm studied his reflection in the rear view mirror of his corvette. He was parked in the visitor's section of the JAG parking lot. For some inexplicable reason he was jumpy. It was just JAG and he was just going to a meeting with the admiral. Something he had done hundreds of times.

He glanced at his wristwatch and waited till the hand moved to 8:27. Precisely enough time to walk across the parking lot, run up two flights of stairs and make it through the bullpen with minimal conversations.

When Tiner had told him the only time slot available was 8.30 am, he knew the admiral had arranged a time when the bullpen was the busiest. Court had yet to start and the investigative staff would be checking messages before heading out. It would be hard for Harm to avoid friends and coworkers.

He thought back to the other time he had quit JAG, when he had returned to active duty as a pilot. To say that the meeting had not gone well was an understatement. No emotional goodbyes. The admiral had made it clear then. Loyalty cuts two ways. You are either with me or against me.

Quite frankly, Harm still wasn't sure what he wanted to do. He wasn't quitting to go to a passion like flying. He had no great desire to work in the private sector. All he knew is that he wasn't ready to return to JAG yet. Besides, he had this other little obligation with the deputy director of the CIA to work off.

And there was Mac. He was finding it hard to work with her as some kind of androgynous friend. If she and Webb got together, it would drive him crazy. Crazy cause he loved her and crazy cause he hated the dangerous situations Webb was involved with. How could he stand by and watch that? Worry and jealousy were not a good mix. And Harm handled neither well.

8:27. Harm climbed out of the Corvette shut the door and jammed the key in the lock. He turned around.

"Morning, Commander." It was PO Coates. She deviated across the parking lot to walk with him.

"Morning," he said returning her salute. This was going to be more painful than he thought.

"It is so good to see you, sir. We were all so worried about you and the Colonel," she said.

"Thanks Coates," he said.

"You are not going to quit now, sir? JAG just wouldn't be the same without you."

"Ah, Jennifer? I have an appointment with the admiral in two minutes. I will talk to you later, okay?" And he ducked into the stairwell.

When he emerged from the stairwell, he could see Sturgis and Bud standing outside of an empty courtroom. They saw him and walked over, blocking his path through the glass doors into the bullpen.

Sturgis stuck out his hand. "Harm, good to see you. When are you coming back, man?"

Bud was smiling. "I tried to call you last night, sir. Thought maybe I could interest you in a game of chess?"

Harm returned Bud's smile. "Gotta go Bud. Admiral is waiting." And he pointed toward the bullpen. "Talk to you later."

Harriet was waiting for him on the other side of the bullpen doors. He mentally groaned. This was worse than evading Saddiq's men in Paraguay.

He finally made it through to the admiral's outer office. Tiner was at attention, waiting for him.

"The colonel is with the admiral, sir. He asked that you wait here. He will be finished soon," said Tiner.

Harm nodded and sat down in a chair furthest from the open door to the bullpen. Chegwidden wasn't going to make this easy.

"It is good to see you, sir," Tiner started to speak. "The admiral was in a bad mood while you and colonel were gone. It was kind of bleak around here. Now things can get back to normal."

Harm nodded and tried to think of answer. He prayed this torture would end soon.



#

"Colonel MacKenzie was wondering if you had a minute sir," said Tiner.

"Send her in."

Mac sat down in the chair in front of the admiral's desk. She waited as he finished with the file in front of him. He looked up and closed the yellow manila cover.

"What can I do for you, Colonel?"

"I was just wondering what was decided with Commander Rabb, sir. Some of the staff were curious," said Mac in her best noncommittal voice.

"Some of the staff?"

"Okay. I guess I should say everyone wants to know if he is returning."

AJ Chegwidden leaned back in his chair and sighed. "Not decided. Harm has 41 days of leave on the books. He has already eaten up six of those days. With weekends, that means he has almost two months of leave. So he is going to take them and then tell me his decision later. The option is still open for him to return but his status is still terminal leave."

Mac remained silent. Not the worse news but not the best either.

The admiral continued. "When he quit here and went down to Paraguay, he made a deal with the deputy director of the CIA in exchange for information of your whereabouts. The director is calling in that deal now. So Harm has an obligation with the CIA that he has to work off. It sounds like he is going to Langley this afternoon for more details on what it involves."

"The CIA sir?"

"I'm not thrilled with this either, Mac. I am getting tired of these guys co-opting my people. First you, now Harm. But it is out of my hands. Seems the deputy director has been studying Harm's resume. He thinks he might make a good operative."

"Just temporary, right sir?"

He paused. "Yes. Anything else Colonel"

Mac got up to leave. She was being dismissed.