Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot idea, please don't sue me cos I don't have any money!
Chapter 1
Lieutenant Colonel Mackenzie sighed and closed her tired eyes. It was nearly midnight and she had been going over and over the case files for hours. A knock at the door made her look up and Commander Harmon Rabb entered.
"Hey Mac" he greeted her.
"Hi Harm. How's things going?" she asked.
"I'm heading off now. Isn't it about time you headed home too?" he queried.
"I wish!" Mac laughed bitterly, "But I have to do this. I have absolutely no lead in this case."
"And what exactly would this case be?" Harm asked.
"The O'Connor case. Lieutenant O'Connor is being charged with first-degree murder. I'm prosecution, only I can't find anything to support the claim. So far all the only thing that I've been able to connect him to the crime with is that he is married to the victim."
"Nasty case," he sympathised. "How about take- away and a movie. My treat."
"Oh, I don't know Harm," she looked dubiously at the piles of manila folders on her desk.
"Maaaac. Come on," he dragged her name out. She succumbed to his charm.
"All right," she agreed grudgingly. "My place?" He gave her one of his charming flyboy smiles.
"Sure, why not? I'll go home and change, pick up some Chinese and a movie and come over."
"Sure. Just give me five minutes to pack up."
Half an hour later Mac, changed into denim shorts and a tank top, opened her door to the oriental aroma of noodles and honey chicken. "Mmmm. Smells delicious," she said, letting him in. Ten minutes later they were sitting on the couch eating Chinese and talking like the old friends they were.
They were discussing their current cases and laughing about a recent incidence at the office when suddenly there was the sound of shattering glass from the front room of Mac's apartment.
"What the hell was that?" Harm asked, jumping up. Mac stood and half ran into her bedroom. Shards of glass lay shattered on the floor and the window was completely broken. On the carpet near her window lay a brick. Harm stepped carefully through the glass and picked up the brick.
"There's a note." He stated. He untied the string and opened the grubby piece of paper.
Drop the O'Connor case or else.
* * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** *
Mac stared at Harm in shock.
"Who would want me off the case? I'll have to report this in the morning,"
"Well you can't stay here tonight Mac. What if they try something else?"
"I guess. Surely they wouldn't try the same thing twice in one night?"
"I don't think you should risk it Mac. You can stay at my place tonight. Bit late to find a hotel."
"Thanks Harm. I just need to get some stuff."
Mac packed an overnight bag and they got into the car. Harm pulled away from the curb and they drove in silence for a minute.
"Harm. There's a car tailing us."
"Are you sure?"
"It's been with us since we left my place."
Harm seemed to study the car for a moment. He pointed to the dashboard.
"Mac, lift the dashboard up. There should be a gun in there." Mac lifted the wooden panelling up and pulled out the semi- automatic pistol.
"Stay low okay Mac." He sped up and turned the corner, did a U- turn and parked on the curb. Mac wound down her window. A second later the dark blue Mercedes slid past them. It was to dark to see in the windows of the car. Harm immediately put his foot to the floor and they took off. A single shot rang out behind them as Harm turned the corner.
"Did you catch the number plate Mac?" he asked. She shook her head in reply.
"No. Too dark."
Harm drove in silence. He was worried about the threats on his best friend. Of course they'd both had threats before, but these ones were way more serious. He took consolation in the fact that the Admiral would probably pull Mac off the case as soon as he heard about the threats.
They arrived at Harm's house and they went inside.
"You can sleep in my bed Mac. I'll take the couch," Harm said.
"No, it's all right Harm. I'll sleep on the couch. I kind of feel like I'm intruding here," said Mac.
"Maaaac! I invited you, remember," he said. "Take a shower if you want, I'll be out here."
"Thanks Harm." Mac went into the bathroom and shut the door. The hot water calmed her nerves and drowned out the turmoil of the week. She felt great relief when she fell into Harm's bed that evening. In the end Harm and Mac decided to share the bed, as long as, as Mac put it, "You don't get too close flyboy."
Mac had felt safe when Harm slipped under the covers beside her.
Mac woke the next morning on the dot of 0500, curled around Harm.
Better leave this part of it out when I explain the situation to the admiral, thought Mac.
She tip- toed into the kitchen and poured herself a cup of juice and sat at the counter reading the newspaper from yesterday. Half an hour later Harm joined her and they had breakfast.
"How 'bout an early morning jog Harm?" asked Mac. He groaned.
"You are to full of energy Mac. All right, if you insist."
They left the building half an hour later and jogged down to the park. The cool morning air made Mac feel alive and energetic. "Race you to the coffee shop over there," she challenged. She was off before he could reply.
Harm collapsed into a seat beside her when he got to the coffee shop and a waitress came to take their order. "No thanks," said Mac in reply to the waitress question. Suddenly she sat up straight and stared across the other side of the outdoor seating area. "Hey! That's Lieutenant O' Connor. And Lieutenant Anderson." Harm looked over. "Didn't his wife just get murdered?" he asked. "Yep. Look a bit close considering he's supposed to be in mourning and his wife's funeral was yesterday, don't they?"
Harm nodded. "I think you might be on to something here Lieutenant."
The two lieutenants continued to kiss, oblivious to the fact that they were being observed.
"Mac, we should get going before they see you, otherwise there might be more trouble."
"Yeah, you're right. Let's go."
* * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** *
"Well Lieutenant, we can fix your window, but I'm not going to risk something happening to you," said the Admiral. "I want you off the case immediately. I should have a replacement by tomorrow. Dismissed."
"Thankyou sir." Mac saluted the admiral and left the office. She sat at her desk and logged on to the database. She opened the files of Lieutenant O'Connor and Petty Officer Anderson. She was determined to find the link.
About two hours later a knock came on the door and Tiner entered.
"Excuse me ma'am, sorry to interrupt, but the Admiral would like to see you in his office right away," he said.
"Thankyou Tiner." Mac stood and followed Tiner into the Admiral's office for the second time that morning.
"Sit down Lieutenant," ordered the admiral. Mac sat on the leather seat of the nearest chair. "Well lieutenant, there have been some new developments on this case. The murder weapon has been found. You read from the medical report that Mrs O'Connor was bludgeoned to death?"
"Yes admiral."
"It appears that the murder weapon has been brought in. Of course it will still need to be checked, but we can be reasonably sure it is one and the same as the one that killed Mrs O'Connor. I suggest you head over to forensics and see what you can find out. Dismissed."
"Thankyou admiral," said Mac.
She left the office and headed towards the main office area. "Bud," she asked when she met him, "I need you to find me anything you can at all to connect Lieutenant O'Connor and Petty Officer Anderson. Would you do that please?"
"Certainly ma'am. I'll see what I can do."
"Thanks Bud."
"So it is the weapon that was used to kill Mrs O'Connor?" Mac asked the Forensic expert as she stared at the Baseball bat. "Well it's her blood, so we can safely assume it is," replied the doctor.
"Where was it found?"
"As far as I know it was found beside a dumpster at the Naval base and a woman brought it in. You'll have to ask at the front desk for the name."
"Thankyou doctor." Mac left the lab and walked down the corridor to reception. "Excuse me ma'am," she greeted the woman at the desk, I need the name of someone who brought in a piece of evidence early this morning."
* * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** *
"I think we have sufficient evidence to arrest both Lieutenant O'Connor and Petty Officer Anderson admiral," reported Mac.
"If you say so Lieutenant. I'll send someone over."
Mac returned to her office, and spent the rest of the evening working on case files. Eventually she looked at her watch and realised how late it was. She yawned and packed up the scrambled mess of paper and folders on her desk. She picked up her briefcase and walked into the entrance hall. She nodded goodnight to the security guard, watching as he spoke into his radio.
The cool night breeze brushed her face as she stepped outside. She pulled her keys out as she walked towards her car. She put her briefcase in her car and was about to turn around when she felt cold metal pressed to the back of her head.
"Don't make a noise lieutenant," came the male voice from behind her. Mac stood still, thinking rapidly. Who would do this to her? She had no chance to do anything as cloth slipped over her mouth and nose and the strong smell of chloroform filled her head.
* * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** *
JAG HQ0800
"Has anyone seen Mac?" Harm asked.
"No," came the chorus of replies.
She's probably just late, he convinced himself. Late? Mac was never late. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind and went on with his work. At midday, Mac still hadn't arrived, or rung in sick. He knocked on the admiral's door. "Come!" came the annoyed voice from inside. Harm entered.
"What is it Commander? I'm very busy right now," he said.
"Sir, Lieutenant Mackenzie isn't here."
"What do you mean by not here Commander?"
"She hasn't turned up this morning sir." The phone rang.
"Hold on a moment Commander," he said and picked up the phone. "Yes? What is it?" His face seemed to lose its colour. "Who is this?" he demanded. He looked at the receiver and hung up. "TINER!" he yelled. The door opened.
"Yes sir?"
"Get base police," he snapped.
"Yes sir," said Tiner obediently, immediately leaving.
"Sit down Commander." Harm sat.
"What is it sir?"
"It seems Lieutenant Mackenzie has been kidnapped. Someone wants Lieutenant O'Connor released or, I quote, 'Mackenzie gets hurt'." Harm sat stunned.
* * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** *
Mac groaned and opened her eyes. She felt groggy and knew she had been drugged. She tried to sit up and realised her hands and legs were tied. There was a bag of some itchy material pulled and tied over her head. Mac reached up and managed to pull the bag off her head. She was in a small room, lying on a rusty bed with a thin mattress. Male voices conversed quietly in the next room.
Macs arms and legs were numb where the ropes were tied to tightly. She noticed her jacket was missing and her head stung and ached, where she had been hit. She wondered how long she'd been there as she tried to hear the conversation in the next room.
* * *
The phone rang in Harm's office and he picked it up.
"Commander Rabb," he answered wearily.
"Commander. Colonel Mackenzie has something to say to you," came the voice on the other end of the line. Harm sat up straighter.
"Who is this?" he demanded, but the man was gone.
"Harm?" Mac's voice filled the silence.
"Mac! Where are you? Have they hurt you?" Harm heard the man speaking to Mac.
"You know what to say."
"Harm, don't do anything they say!" Mac said quickly. There was a thump and Mac cried out in pain. She had been hit.
"You know what we want Rabb. Give it to us and no one gets hurt."
There was a click and the phone was hung up.
* * *
Harm dragged himself out of bed the next morning to get to work. The admiral had told him to go home and get some rest but he had stayed awake waiting for a phone call, or any news about Mac.
He traipsed into HQ at 0830 and went into his office. He stopped as soon as he opened the door. "TINER! GET THE ADMIRAL FOR ME, QUICK!" he yelled. On his desk lay a blood stained jacket with the Mac's badge on it. The admiral appeared at his side. "Don't touch it Commander. We need to certify that it is her blood," he said quietly. "Tiner get someone from forensics over ere to collect it. Commander come into my office."
Harm stood at ease behind the admiral's desk. "Sir, request permission to investigate this case," he said.
"Commander, I can't let you do that. You are too emotionally involved. That is not a good combination when you are in a stressful and potentially life- threatening situation such as this one."
"Sir, I accept why you don't want me to do this, but respectfully sir, if you don't let me I'm going to go home, and go looking for her as a friend. I'd rather have your support though sir. I'm sure it will be much easier with a gun." The admiral sighed and leaned forward on the desk, clasping his hands in front of him. "All right Commander, but I don't want to hear of anything going wrong, understand?"
"Yes sir, thankyou sir."
"Dismissed Commander."
* * *
Mac jerked awake as the door opened. She could see though the door that it was dark outside. A man walked towards her and took the gag out of her mouth. "Be quiet," he told her. "I'm here by myself, but they could be back anytime." She thought she recognised his voice.
"Do I know you?"
"I can't tell you that ma'am. Sorry. I've got some water and food for you." He held the cup for her while she sipped the water and fed her the bits off cheese and bread.
"Thankyou," she said. "Who are you?"
"I can't tell you Lieutenant. I'm sorry." Mac gave up. At least she had someone she could get help from.
"Could you at least loosen these ropes? I can't feel my arms or legs at all." He seemed hesitant and wary for a moment, but consented. He loosened the knots, but quickly replaced her gag and dashed out of the room when a car door banged somewhere.
* * *
Harm wearily picked up the phone more to stop its incessant ringing than anything else.
"Hello?"
"Is this Commander Harmon Rabb?" The voice asked.
"Yes. Who is this?" Harm asked.
"I'm sorry Commander, I can't tell you that. But I have some information for you about Lieutenant Mackenzie." Harm sat up straighter.
"Yes?"
"I know where you can find her," came the reply.
Later that night, under the cover of darkness, Harm crept up to the deserted- looking warehouse. He pulled out his gun and clicked the safety catch off. He skirted through the shadows to the back of the derelict building. Looking through the window he saw a number of men, including Senator Howard. He ducked down as one of the men looked his way. A door to his left opened and he backed further into the shadows. All of the men left, except one, who went back inside and sat at the long, low table. Harm had recognised a couple of the men. Mac had gotten herself into more trouble than she realised.
He continued around to the side of the warehouse and crept in through a side door.
He padded silently down the long dark hallway until he came to a closed door. It was open a crack, and peering through it, Harm could see a man sitting in a chair, drinking beer and reading a magazine. Harm continued down the hallway. The next room revealed nothing, and he continued on to a big open room that was piled high with boxes. He skated around the perimeter and came to another door. He opened it silently and cautiously. He descended the darkened stairwell and as his eyes adjusted to the dark room he saw a figure lying on a single bed. He dashed forward.
"Mac!" He leaned over her and tapped her cheek lightly until she woke up. "Mac, are you all right?"
"Harm! Thank goodness. I can't feel my arms or legs," she said. Harm untied the ropes and helped her to sit up. "We have to get of here soon Mac. They could come to check on you any time."
Slowly the feeling came back into Mac's arms and legs and she stood awkwardly. Suddenly they heard boots on the concrete floor, and the light flicked on. As they shielded their eyes against the sudden bright light the man spoke to them.
"Don't move Rabb. Hands up in the air. You to Mackenzie." Harm squinted at the man and saw a gun aimed at him. He raised his hands slowly above his head.
Damn, now they were both in trouble, Harm thought. Harm's eyes adjusted to the light and he vaguely recognised the man as a security guard. The man walked over to him and pulled his hands behind his back. He fumbled, and Harm took the opportunity to break his grip. He elbowed the man in the stomach and he fell to the ground. Harm pulled out his gun and aimed it at the man. The man aimed his gun at Mac.
"Don't you dare pull that trigger," Harm threatened. The man looked at him and swung his gun towards harm and shot. Harm pulled the trigger and the gun went off. The bullet whizzed past his ear, missing him by inches, and hit the wall behind him, but Harm's bullet found it's mark and the man's eyes widened. He looked down at the pool of blood forming above his heart.
Once more, he raised his gun, and as he took his last breath, fired his last shot, and fell forward. Harm watched everything happening in slow motion, watched in slow motion as the man aimed his gun steadily at Mac, as he slowly squeezed the trigger. He watched as Mac sank to her knees, a look of horror on her face. She pulled her hands away from where they had gone to her stomach, and they were covered in blood. A dark red spot stained her shirt. Harm rushed over to her and caught her before she fell onto the floor. He fumbled with his cell phone and called in the paramedics that waited outside.
Mac's face was pale, and she lay cradled in Harm's arms.
"Come on Mac, stay with me," Harm urged her.
"Stay with me Mac. Help is on the way," Mac dimly heard Harm talking to her through a haze of pain. His hand covered hers, applying pressure to her wound, but the blood continued to ooze out over her fingers.
"Mac. Mac! Come on Mac! Stay with me!" It seemed as if Harm was calling to her from a long way away. His face was the last thing she saw, floating above her, as she slipped into blackness.
* * *
Sorry to leave it there! My first proper fan fic, so please R&R.
Thanks! Hope you enjoyed.