The Spider and the Fly XIV
She was in the standard position in the admiral's office. Mac smiled to herself. Well, it was almost the standard position, she thought as she looked across to the Commander's empty chair.
She passed another file over the desk to the admiral. They were in the middle of some major personnel reallocation. The Iraqi conflict, her TAD to Paraguay, Harm's resignation had all put a crimp in the productivity of the office. It was her job as chief of staff to get this mess sorted out. The admiral wasn't cutting her any slack.
"Last file sir. Dobson DDO goes to Mattoni. And then that's it," she said.
The admiral grunted. "I'm never allowing JAG to get this far behind again. It will take weeks to dig out. Which brings me to the next topic. I have put in a request to have Gunny transferred back to JAG."
"Galindez, sir? It might be a little quiet for him after all of the action he has seen lately."
"Well actually I have heard through the grapevine that he might welcome the change. It would be good to have him back here. We could use the help," he said.
Mac nodded. "I couldn't agree with you more, sir. When would he come?"
"He is on leave in New Mexico. I've asked for his decision end of next week," the admiral said. He leaned back in his chair, removed his glasses and passed his hand over his bald head. Before Mac left, he wanted to ask one more question. He tried to appear nonchalant.
"Have you heard from the Commander, Colonel?" The question was contrary to Chegwidden's policy not to pry into the personal lives of his staff. But he had misgivings about Harm's sojourn into the world of the CIA. A repeat of the events in Paraguay was something he wanted to avoid. He didn't need a second officer quitting to chase after a missing colleague.
"Yes sir," she said. "Last night. He called me from Easton, Maryland."
In almost complete contradiction to everything their relationship had been over the last seven years, Harm had called her every night since this op began. Mac was starting to realize that he was taking great pains not to worry her. The intense events in Paraguay had touched them both in strange ways.
"The CIA sent him to the Eastern Shore?" The admiral relaxed slightly. He couldn't get into too much trouble this close to home. "What is he doing?"
"I don't really know sir. But I do know that he is working with Special Agent Gibbs from NCIS," she said.
"Our friend who tried to charge the commander with murder?" the admiral was incredulous. Who thought this up? "Are they managing to get along?"
"Seems so sir. At least the commander hasn't complained too much yet," she said smiling.
The admiral smiled back. "Is there anything more, Colonel?"
"One more thing sir," she said. She paused a moment, and then asked. "Would you like to drive with me up to Baltimore after work today, admiral? To visit Clay."
The admiral flicked his gaze up to her face. This was an odd request. Why is she asking this? She doesn't need a chaperone. Realization struck him and he quickly lowered his eyes. "Sure," he started slowly. "I haven't seen Clay for a week. Maybe Meredith will come and we can have dinner together in the Inner Harbor."
Mac beamed. "Thank you admiral."
#
Gibbs sat at rectangular table in a small conference room in INS offices in Baltimore. A young Pakistani man, Mohammad Aziz, sat with his lawyer across the table. Harm was standing off to one side, leaning against a wall with his arms folded across his chest.
SEVIS, the new INS database for tracking student visas had pinpointed this man for violating the terms of his F-1 visa. The F-1 gained notoriety after 9/11 when it was discovered that three of the terrorist hijackers were in the United States on student visas. They had used the lenient administration of this visa type by schools as a way to gain legal entry. SEVIS was created in response to tightening legislation.
Aziz was now subject to deportation back to Pakistan. A sharp-eyed Dinozzo had recognized one of his sponsors, an uncle, as one of Saddiq's contacts in the US.
They had been at this for several hours. And now it was obvious to Harm that this man was not a terrorist. Any association was unwittingly through family members. He watched as Aziz stumbled over his words in broken English. Harm believed his story that his mother wanted an American education for him and possibly a citizenship.
But he had lived with his uncle for several weeks. And Gibbs was focused on that period in time.
Harm found it hard to follow the track of his story. He jumped around from topic to topic talking about several men and places that they went. The only solid conclusion Harm came to was that their activities were centered on the bay south of Baltimore.
Harm mentally started a list of possible targets. This was the focus they needed. Fort Meade was a large army base near Laurel, Maryland. The National Security Agency was located at Fort Meade. There was also the Naval Academy at Annapolis.
Aziz implored Harm not to deport him. Harm glanced over to Gibbs. All he could assure the man was that no criminal charges would be laid. Deportation? Harm believed there was not much his lawyer could do for him.
#
Harm glanced at his watch as he walked with Gibbs towards the NCIS sedan. Good, he thought. It was only 3.30. There was more than enough time to do his next suggestion before dinner. And he wanted to avoid after dinner visiting hours at the hospital.
Harm started to speak as he waited for Gibbs to unlock the car. "Clayton Webb is in the hospital at Johns Hopkins University," he said waving his hand in the general direction. "He spent a number of months working this case. He may have some insight into what we have discovered."
Gibbs glanced at him as he bent down to enter the car. "I've read all of his reports on Paraguay but many things don't make it down on paper. You think he is up to a visit?"
"That's what I hear," said Harm.
#
Gibbs was sitting at a table at Legal's Seafood on Pratt Street in Baltimore. Harm had left him again as he went to find a private place to make some phone calls. He sat alone at the table sipping some Yuengling.
Interesting meeting with Clayton Webb, mused Gibbs. Clayton Webb was someone even Gibbs had heard about buried as he was inside NCIS. He was known as a first class operative whose rise inside the company was legendary. He was considered effective but somewhat of a rogue, often pushing the boundaries of acceptable practice. He had an atypical relationship with a few senior lawyers at Judge Advocate General's office. From what Gibbs knew, he believed that relationship stemmed from Rabb's life long quest to discover the whereabouts of his MIA father.
From the minute that Gibbs stepped into Webb's private hospital room, he could see that the connection between the two men was deep and complex. It was an emotional meeting. It had been the first time they had connected since the brutal events in Paraguay. Webb was obviously thankful to Harm for the rescue but Gibbs sensed an additional undercurrent in the room. He puzzled at the source.
Webb sifted through the results of their meeting with practiced ease. He talked more to Harm indicating to him what direction he thought they should pursue. Gibbs found his input invaluable. He saw why this man had the reputation that he did.
Gibbs looked over to the windowed entrance. Harm was talking to three people on the street outside. He looked again. It was Admiral Chegwidden, Colonel Mackenzie and an unknown women. Ah, he thought, this could get interesting.
4
She was in the standard position in the admiral's office. Mac smiled to herself. Well, it was almost the standard position, she thought as she looked across to the Commander's empty chair.
She passed another file over the desk to the admiral. They were in the middle of some major personnel reallocation. The Iraqi conflict, her TAD to Paraguay, Harm's resignation had all put a crimp in the productivity of the office. It was her job as chief of staff to get this mess sorted out. The admiral wasn't cutting her any slack.
"Last file sir. Dobson DDO goes to Mattoni. And then that's it," she said.
The admiral grunted. "I'm never allowing JAG to get this far behind again. It will take weeks to dig out. Which brings me to the next topic. I have put in a request to have Gunny transferred back to JAG."
"Galindez, sir? It might be a little quiet for him after all of the action he has seen lately."
"Well actually I have heard through the grapevine that he might welcome the change. It would be good to have him back here. We could use the help," he said.
Mac nodded. "I couldn't agree with you more, sir. When would he come?"
"He is on leave in New Mexico. I've asked for his decision end of next week," the admiral said. He leaned back in his chair, removed his glasses and passed his hand over his bald head. Before Mac left, he wanted to ask one more question. He tried to appear nonchalant.
"Have you heard from the Commander, Colonel?" The question was contrary to Chegwidden's policy not to pry into the personal lives of his staff. But he had misgivings about Harm's sojourn into the world of the CIA. A repeat of the events in Paraguay was something he wanted to avoid. He didn't need a second officer quitting to chase after a missing colleague.
"Yes sir," she said. "Last night. He called me from Easton, Maryland."
In almost complete contradiction to everything their relationship had been over the last seven years, Harm had called her every night since this op began. Mac was starting to realize that he was taking great pains not to worry her. The intense events in Paraguay had touched them both in strange ways.
"The CIA sent him to the Eastern Shore?" The admiral relaxed slightly. He couldn't get into too much trouble this close to home. "What is he doing?"
"I don't really know sir. But I do know that he is working with Special Agent Gibbs from NCIS," she said.
"Our friend who tried to charge the commander with murder?" the admiral was incredulous. Who thought this up? "Are they managing to get along?"
"Seems so sir. At least the commander hasn't complained too much yet," she said smiling.
The admiral smiled back. "Is there anything more, Colonel?"
"One more thing sir," she said. She paused a moment, and then asked. "Would you like to drive with me up to Baltimore after work today, admiral? To visit Clay."
The admiral flicked his gaze up to her face. This was an odd request. Why is she asking this? She doesn't need a chaperone. Realization struck him and he quickly lowered his eyes. "Sure," he started slowly. "I haven't seen Clay for a week. Maybe Meredith will come and we can have dinner together in the Inner Harbor."
Mac beamed. "Thank you admiral."
#
Gibbs sat at rectangular table in a small conference room in INS offices in Baltimore. A young Pakistani man, Mohammad Aziz, sat with his lawyer across the table. Harm was standing off to one side, leaning against a wall with his arms folded across his chest.
SEVIS, the new INS database for tracking student visas had pinpointed this man for violating the terms of his F-1 visa. The F-1 gained notoriety after 9/11 when it was discovered that three of the terrorist hijackers were in the United States on student visas. They had used the lenient administration of this visa type by schools as a way to gain legal entry. SEVIS was created in response to tightening legislation.
Aziz was now subject to deportation back to Pakistan. A sharp-eyed Dinozzo had recognized one of his sponsors, an uncle, as one of Saddiq's contacts in the US.
They had been at this for several hours. And now it was obvious to Harm that this man was not a terrorist. Any association was unwittingly through family members. He watched as Aziz stumbled over his words in broken English. Harm believed his story that his mother wanted an American education for him and possibly a citizenship.
But he had lived with his uncle for several weeks. And Gibbs was focused on that period in time.
Harm found it hard to follow the track of his story. He jumped around from topic to topic talking about several men and places that they went. The only solid conclusion Harm came to was that their activities were centered on the bay south of Baltimore.
Harm mentally started a list of possible targets. This was the focus they needed. Fort Meade was a large army base near Laurel, Maryland. The National Security Agency was located at Fort Meade. There was also the Naval Academy at Annapolis.
Aziz implored Harm not to deport him. Harm glanced over to Gibbs. All he could assure the man was that no criminal charges would be laid. Deportation? Harm believed there was not much his lawyer could do for him.
#
Harm glanced at his watch as he walked with Gibbs towards the NCIS sedan. Good, he thought. It was only 3.30. There was more than enough time to do his next suggestion before dinner. And he wanted to avoid after dinner visiting hours at the hospital.
Harm started to speak as he waited for Gibbs to unlock the car. "Clayton Webb is in the hospital at Johns Hopkins University," he said waving his hand in the general direction. "He spent a number of months working this case. He may have some insight into what we have discovered."
Gibbs glanced at him as he bent down to enter the car. "I've read all of his reports on Paraguay but many things don't make it down on paper. You think he is up to a visit?"
"That's what I hear," said Harm.
#
Gibbs was sitting at a table at Legal's Seafood on Pratt Street in Baltimore. Harm had left him again as he went to find a private place to make some phone calls. He sat alone at the table sipping some Yuengling.
Interesting meeting with Clayton Webb, mused Gibbs. Clayton Webb was someone even Gibbs had heard about buried as he was inside NCIS. He was known as a first class operative whose rise inside the company was legendary. He was considered effective but somewhat of a rogue, often pushing the boundaries of acceptable practice. He had an atypical relationship with a few senior lawyers at Judge Advocate General's office. From what Gibbs knew, he believed that relationship stemmed from Rabb's life long quest to discover the whereabouts of his MIA father.
From the minute that Gibbs stepped into Webb's private hospital room, he could see that the connection between the two men was deep and complex. It was an emotional meeting. It had been the first time they had connected since the brutal events in Paraguay. Webb was obviously thankful to Harm for the rescue but Gibbs sensed an additional undercurrent in the room. He puzzled at the source.
Webb sifted through the results of their meeting with practiced ease. He talked more to Harm indicating to him what direction he thought they should pursue. Gibbs found his input invaluable. He saw why this man had the reputation that he did.
Gibbs looked over to the windowed entrance. Harm was talking to three people on the street outside. He looked again. It was Admiral Chegwidden, Colonel Mackenzie and an unknown women. Ah, he thought, this could get interesting.
4
