Chapter Two
Delta Airways Flight 982- Nonstop service to Pensacola (A/N: Does Pensacola have an airport?) 1748 ZULU- that same day
"You're nuts, you know." Harm commented.
"I figured that out a long time ago. I thought you would've by now, too." Mac frowned. "Besides, it's not like I'll be alone. You'll be there. You'll just have to keep an eye out for me."
Harm groaned. "I'm still worried about it." He admitted. "I mean, what if I have to go to the bathroom, and.." He began.
"No bathroom breaks for you, then." She grinned innocently.
"It's not funny." He growled.
"I know it's not funny!" she assured him. "But if you go in there looking like your puppy just died, don't you think some people will find it a little weird?" she asked. "At least pretend to have fun, Flyboy. You'll blow my cover."
Webb was already there by the time they got off the plane, and waiting in the parking lot in a shiny new rental car.
"I'm not even going to ask how you got here so quickly, but go ahead, let me in on the joke." Mac smirked, getting into the car.
Webb didn't answer her, nut instead turned to Harm. "The house we rented for you guys is just up ahead. Two bedrooms, two baths." He told Harm. He pulled into a driveway.
Mac looked ill. "How does that fit two bedrooms in it?" she mused.
"It slightly resembles a cardboard box if you ask me." added Harm.
"Looks can be deceiving." Said Webb simply.
He took the two of them into the house, and gave a quick tour of every room.
"We have surveillance on basically the whole house." He told them. "No one will get in or out unless it's one of you two.we've made sure of that this time."
"This time?" Mac paled.
"We have also installed a top notch security system around your windows..so no one should be able to get in through there either." He continued, ignoring her. He handed Harm what seemed to be two small ring boxes. "There's one for each of you. If you're in any trouble at all, the top presses down, and a silent alarm will alert us and the nearest police unit. We should be able to find you using the signal that the ring will give off. Good luck." He waved, and left, just like that.
"One of these days, he'll be the death of us." Mac commented. I just hope one of those days isn't soon, she thought worriedly.
"What's wrong? What are you thinking about?" asked Harm. "I know that look. That's your worried look." He nodded knowledgably. "Come on, spit it out." He demanded.
"It's nothing." She shrugged. "Besides, I have to get ready for work.." She smirked.
Sporty's Bar Just outside Pensacola, FL 1900 ZULU
"This doesn't look like a place that's very full of activity." whispered Harm as he and Mac entered. "Did Webb give us the right address? What is there, four people in here?" he smirked.
"Shhh!" Mac warned. "They might hear you.and besides, less people only mean fewer suspects. That must be what makes Webb so nervous about this place."
"I say we just arrest them all and see who cracks first." Harm suggested.
"Lovely idea, but that's not our job, remember?" she reminded him.
The two of them looked around for a few minutes. Not including the bartender, there were four people at the bar, and one of them was female. Mac shook her head. She scanned each face. The bartender was the last person she looked to. He had called about the problem. Surely he wasn't the perpetrator?
He waved her over to the counter. Harm took a seat, much more comfortable now that he realized he'd actually be able to keep an eye on his partner.
"You the new girl?" asked the bartender.
"Yes sir.I mean, yeah." Mac tried to demilitarize herself. "What do I do?"
"All you do is serve them their drinks. We don't get too busy around here that often, so there's only one other girl that works here." He pointed to a corner of the room. Mac could make out the silhouette of a woman sitting at a table there. "Shouldn't be too much work for you." He added. "(So sorry about all this..I really don't understand it all. So glad you could come and help.)" He said under his breath.
The night was uneventful. The four people at the bar barely made even an attempt to talk to her. One man never even moved from his place on the stool at the end of the bar. Harm left twenty minutes ahead of her so that he wouldn't seem suspicious. He waited in the car until 1 am, when Mac walked safely through the bars front doors.
The Next Day Harm and Mac's House Outside of Pensacola, FL
"I have absolutely no clue." Mac admitted. "In fact, I think the people there may be mute. No one talked. It would help if someone would talk, at least.." She frowned.
Webb twirled the phone cord around his index finger. "That does seem weird." he agreed. "So everything went alright?" he asked again.
"Yes. Everything went fine. The bartender was so glad that I'd agreed to help out. I feel kind of bad for him..he looks a little old for minimum wage, don't you think?" she frowned.
There was a long silence. All Mac could hear was Webb's breathing, first slow and controlled, and then, slightly panicked. She could hear the sound of papers rustling in the background.
"What is it?" she asked. She looked up at Harm, who happened to be on his way to the kitchen. He stopped, shooting her a look of concern. "What is it?" she repeated.
"Mac, last time I checked, the bartender at Sporty's was a thirty one year old single mother..."
"What?" Mac gasped. "Then who was..?" She didn't finish.
"I have no idea." He admitted. "Be careful, Mac. Remember the rings. Look for the real bartender. And I'll be there in a week." He added, hanging up.
"A week?" repeated Mac, but all she was answered with was a repetitive tone.
Harm walked quietly into the room, and sat down next to her. "What is it?" he asked, a hint of worry in his voice. "What did he say?"
A/N: I have a 'thing' for leaving the end of my chapters wide open. R&R please! New chapter soon!
Delta Airways Flight 982- Nonstop service to Pensacola (A/N: Does Pensacola have an airport?) 1748 ZULU- that same day
"You're nuts, you know." Harm commented.
"I figured that out a long time ago. I thought you would've by now, too." Mac frowned. "Besides, it's not like I'll be alone. You'll be there. You'll just have to keep an eye out for me."
Harm groaned. "I'm still worried about it." He admitted. "I mean, what if I have to go to the bathroom, and.." He began.
"No bathroom breaks for you, then." She grinned innocently.
"It's not funny." He growled.
"I know it's not funny!" she assured him. "But if you go in there looking like your puppy just died, don't you think some people will find it a little weird?" she asked. "At least pretend to have fun, Flyboy. You'll blow my cover."
Webb was already there by the time they got off the plane, and waiting in the parking lot in a shiny new rental car.
"I'm not even going to ask how you got here so quickly, but go ahead, let me in on the joke." Mac smirked, getting into the car.
Webb didn't answer her, nut instead turned to Harm. "The house we rented for you guys is just up ahead. Two bedrooms, two baths." He told Harm. He pulled into a driveway.
Mac looked ill. "How does that fit two bedrooms in it?" she mused.
"It slightly resembles a cardboard box if you ask me." added Harm.
"Looks can be deceiving." Said Webb simply.
He took the two of them into the house, and gave a quick tour of every room.
"We have surveillance on basically the whole house." He told them. "No one will get in or out unless it's one of you two.we've made sure of that this time."
"This time?" Mac paled.
"We have also installed a top notch security system around your windows..so no one should be able to get in through there either." He continued, ignoring her. He handed Harm what seemed to be two small ring boxes. "There's one for each of you. If you're in any trouble at all, the top presses down, and a silent alarm will alert us and the nearest police unit. We should be able to find you using the signal that the ring will give off. Good luck." He waved, and left, just like that.
"One of these days, he'll be the death of us." Mac commented. I just hope one of those days isn't soon, she thought worriedly.
"What's wrong? What are you thinking about?" asked Harm. "I know that look. That's your worried look." He nodded knowledgably. "Come on, spit it out." He demanded.
"It's nothing." She shrugged. "Besides, I have to get ready for work.." She smirked.
Sporty's Bar Just outside Pensacola, FL 1900 ZULU
"This doesn't look like a place that's very full of activity." whispered Harm as he and Mac entered. "Did Webb give us the right address? What is there, four people in here?" he smirked.
"Shhh!" Mac warned. "They might hear you.and besides, less people only mean fewer suspects. That must be what makes Webb so nervous about this place."
"I say we just arrest them all and see who cracks first." Harm suggested.
"Lovely idea, but that's not our job, remember?" she reminded him.
The two of them looked around for a few minutes. Not including the bartender, there were four people at the bar, and one of them was female. Mac shook her head. She scanned each face. The bartender was the last person she looked to. He had called about the problem. Surely he wasn't the perpetrator?
He waved her over to the counter. Harm took a seat, much more comfortable now that he realized he'd actually be able to keep an eye on his partner.
"You the new girl?" asked the bartender.
"Yes sir.I mean, yeah." Mac tried to demilitarize herself. "What do I do?"
"All you do is serve them their drinks. We don't get too busy around here that often, so there's only one other girl that works here." He pointed to a corner of the room. Mac could make out the silhouette of a woman sitting at a table there. "Shouldn't be too much work for you." He added. "(So sorry about all this..I really don't understand it all. So glad you could come and help.)" He said under his breath.
The night was uneventful. The four people at the bar barely made even an attempt to talk to her. One man never even moved from his place on the stool at the end of the bar. Harm left twenty minutes ahead of her so that he wouldn't seem suspicious. He waited in the car until 1 am, when Mac walked safely through the bars front doors.
The Next Day Harm and Mac's House Outside of Pensacola, FL
"I have absolutely no clue." Mac admitted. "In fact, I think the people there may be mute. No one talked. It would help if someone would talk, at least.." She frowned.
Webb twirled the phone cord around his index finger. "That does seem weird." he agreed. "So everything went alright?" he asked again.
"Yes. Everything went fine. The bartender was so glad that I'd agreed to help out. I feel kind of bad for him..he looks a little old for minimum wage, don't you think?" she frowned.
There was a long silence. All Mac could hear was Webb's breathing, first slow and controlled, and then, slightly panicked. She could hear the sound of papers rustling in the background.
"What is it?" she asked. She looked up at Harm, who happened to be on his way to the kitchen. He stopped, shooting her a look of concern. "What is it?" she repeated.
"Mac, last time I checked, the bartender at Sporty's was a thirty one year old single mother..."
"What?" Mac gasped. "Then who was..?" She didn't finish.
"I have no idea." He admitted. "Be careful, Mac. Remember the rings. Look for the real bartender. And I'll be there in a week." He added, hanging up.
"A week?" repeated Mac, but all she was answered with was a repetitive tone.
Harm walked quietly into the room, and sat down next to her. "What is it?" he asked, a hint of worry in his voice. "What did he say?"
A/N: I have a 'thing' for leaving the end of my chapters wide open. R&R please! New chapter soon!