Title: Paraguay didn't solve anything - Part 6
***************************************
JAG Headquarters
Fall Church, Virginia
1245 Zulu
Mac went to work the next day resolved to get on with her life. She had admittedly made some mistakes. Some she regretted more than others. Hitting bottom was something that she had experienced before. And she knew there was only one way to escape the overwhelming sense of defeat. And that was to put one foot in front of the other. And climb her way back out.
Her broken friendship with Harm was slowly on the mend. The ad hoc working dinner in his office with Bud had cleared the air somewhat. She could trade friendly banter with Harm about cases without feeling like she was walking on glass.
It was so good to talk with Harm in that fashion. She looked forward to their few chance meetings during the day. She found herself going to the break room a little more often than usual. Maybe she would bump into him and have an opportunity to talk briefly. If she was lucky, he would treat her with a Harmon Rabb special, that mind-boggling smile of his that left most women weak kneed. Her included.
She trained herself not to expect anything more. He seemed to have drawn a line. Friendly but not too friendly. He was busy also. The Imes affair was still having repercussions through the office. Everyone was putting in full days.
But it was more than that. Every spare moment he had, he took the long drive down to Blacksburg. She knew some details of the story. Mattie Grace was a 14-year-old girl running a crop dusting operation. Her mother was dead and her dad was MIA. The man was an alcoholic, which made the story even more poignant for Mac. Scuttlebutt in the office had Harm trying to obtain guardianship for the girl.
Secretly, she was worried about that. What was with Harm, picking up strays? There was the Terrance Minnerly affair and now, this girl Mattie Grace. The admiral had shown uncharacteristic understanding when it came to the veteran Minnerly. But that might not be the case with this crop dusting kid. Mac knew that despite the friendly truce between Harm and Chegwidden, it wouldn't take much to push both men over the edge again. Harm's career couldn't afford another hit. She couldn't shake the feeling he was on borrowed time.
She had just returned from the break room with her morning cup of coffee when she spied Harm coming in. He was shaking off the last few drops from his blue overcoat and under his arm was a bulging box of battered files. Mac recognized them immediately as non-JAG. Evidence and case files were instantly catalogued and filed in distinctive folders with a JAG logo on the outside. The ones Harm carried were unmarked.
A brief smile came to his mouth when he saw her. For an instant, she watched as he looked at her with unguarded eyes. Then he nodded and headed down the hall to his small office.
It was a couple of hours later before Mac had a chance to ask Harm about the files. They were both standing in his office discussing an upcoming Article 32 hearing. Before she turned to leave, she nodded to the box in the corner.
"Moonlighting?" she asked.
He turned to look in the direction of her query. He smiled and said, "Sort of. Believe it or not, that box represents Grace Aviation. Financials, tax forms, legal documents. What little there is of it."
"Grace Aviation?" she asked.
"Yeah. Mattie's company. I've been asked by the courts to figure out where everything stands. What assets the company has. What is her legal standing as a minor in regards to that company. I have been requested to make a financial reckoning before they grant guardianship. Seems they want to make sure I'm not just in this to scam her money. What little there is of it." Harm looked away.
"Wow," said Mac. "That's not an easy task. It could take weeks."
"Two," said Harm.
"Two?" she asked puzzled.
"Two weeks. It has to be all finished in two weeks. That's my hearing date. December 24th," he said ruefully.
Mac shook her head at him. "Better you than me, I guess. I just can't figure out why you are doing this. It seems like mountains of work with no upside to you."
Harm chose not to look at her. Instead, he fixed on a point behind her. "How can I walk away now? The more I look at this, the more I see what a mess this is. She needs help. And there is no one around to give it to her."
There was a stubborn look to his face. She was well aware of that look. She had seen if before. On a plane going to Russia, or on a train station in Russia. In the snow at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Many, many times. She knew the admiral had seen that very look when he had resigned his commission to go to Paraguay.
"Okay," she said. "Just don't kill yourself over this. Or your career."
"I haven't done either yet," he said.
She turned to leave. 'You've come close, Harm,' she thought and walked out of his office.
********************
Two Days Later
The Office of the Secretary of the Navy
1905 Zulu
Admiral Chegwidden shifted in the leather chair. Sheffield was perched on the edge of his ornate desk. He was looking intently at AJ.
"I don't understand. What does the Aurora have to do with Commander Rabb?" AJ said looking at photos of the top-secret aircraft. Five minutes ago, AJ wasn't even aware of the aircraft's existence.
"There have been several covert missions with the Aurora over North Korean airspace. While Rabb was with the CIA, he was involved with several of those flights," said Sheffield. "The office of the Secretary of Defense has made a formal request for the Commander. It is imperative to national security that we understand what is going on under the DMZ."
"Doesn't the CIA have their own pilots?" AJ could feel his hackles rise. He hated these continuous demands by that organization on JAG.
"I guess most of them are civilian test pilots. Good in their own way. But the situation in Korea demands the skills of a military pilot. One who can keep his cool under pressure. Rabb has demonstrated he is just such a man."
Sheffield waited for his JAG to reply. When none was forthcoming, he said, "Look, AJ, I expect you to cooperate fully. I know JAG is busy, but this super cedes that. It's about national security."
AJ was about to protest and then thought better of it. Harm was too damn good a pilot for his own sake. Why don't they just leave the man alone? But orders were orders.
AJ stood up and went to attention. "Yes, sir," he said.
***************************************
JAG Headquarters
Fall Church, Virginia
1245 Zulu
Mac went to work the next day resolved to get on with her life. She had admittedly made some mistakes. Some she regretted more than others. Hitting bottom was something that she had experienced before. And she knew there was only one way to escape the overwhelming sense of defeat. And that was to put one foot in front of the other. And climb her way back out.
Her broken friendship with Harm was slowly on the mend. The ad hoc working dinner in his office with Bud had cleared the air somewhat. She could trade friendly banter with Harm about cases without feeling like she was walking on glass.
It was so good to talk with Harm in that fashion. She looked forward to their few chance meetings during the day. She found herself going to the break room a little more often than usual. Maybe she would bump into him and have an opportunity to talk briefly. If she was lucky, he would treat her with a Harmon Rabb special, that mind-boggling smile of his that left most women weak kneed. Her included.
She trained herself not to expect anything more. He seemed to have drawn a line. Friendly but not too friendly. He was busy also. The Imes affair was still having repercussions through the office. Everyone was putting in full days.
But it was more than that. Every spare moment he had, he took the long drive down to Blacksburg. She knew some details of the story. Mattie Grace was a 14-year-old girl running a crop dusting operation. Her mother was dead and her dad was MIA. The man was an alcoholic, which made the story even more poignant for Mac. Scuttlebutt in the office had Harm trying to obtain guardianship for the girl.
Secretly, she was worried about that. What was with Harm, picking up strays? There was the Terrance Minnerly affair and now, this girl Mattie Grace. The admiral had shown uncharacteristic understanding when it came to the veteran Minnerly. But that might not be the case with this crop dusting kid. Mac knew that despite the friendly truce between Harm and Chegwidden, it wouldn't take much to push both men over the edge again. Harm's career couldn't afford another hit. She couldn't shake the feeling he was on borrowed time.
She had just returned from the break room with her morning cup of coffee when she spied Harm coming in. He was shaking off the last few drops from his blue overcoat and under his arm was a bulging box of battered files. Mac recognized them immediately as non-JAG. Evidence and case files were instantly catalogued and filed in distinctive folders with a JAG logo on the outside. The ones Harm carried were unmarked.
A brief smile came to his mouth when he saw her. For an instant, she watched as he looked at her with unguarded eyes. Then he nodded and headed down the hall to his small office.
It was a couple of hours later before Mac had a chance to ask Harm about the files. They were both standing in his office discussing an upcoming Article 32 hearing. Before she turned to leave, she nodded to the box in the corner.
"Moonlighting?" she asked.
He turned to look in the direction of her query. He smiled and said, "Sort of. Believe it or not, that box represents Grace Aviation. Financials, tax forms, legal documents. What little there is of it."
"Grace Aviation?" she asked.
"Yeah. Mattie's company. I've been asked by the courts to figure out where everything stands. What assets the company has. What is her legal standing as a minor in regards to that company. I have been requested to make a financial reckoning before they grant guardianship. Seems they want to make sure I'm not just in this to scam her money. What little there is of it." Harm looked away.
"Wow," said Mac. "That's not an easy task. It could take weeks."
"Two," said Harm.
"Two?" she asked puzzled.
"Two weeks. It has to be all finished in two weeks. That's my hearing date. December 24th," he said ruefully.
Mac shook her head at him. "Better you than me, I guess. I just can't figure out why you are doing this. It seems like mountains of work with no upside to you."
Harm chose not to look at her. Instead, he fixed on a point behind her. "How can I walk away now? The more I look at this, the more I see what a mess this is. She needs help. And there is no one around to give it to her."
There was a stubborn look to his face. She was well aware of that look. She had seen if before. On a plane going to Russia, or on a train station in Russia. In the snow at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Many, many times. She knew the admiral had seen that very look when he had resigned his commission to go to Paraguay.
"Okay," she said. "Just don't kill yourself over this. Or your career."
"I haven't done either yet," he said.
She turned to leave. 'You've come close, Harm,' she thought and walked out of his office.
********************
Two Days Later
The Office of the Secretary of the Navy
1905 Zulu
Admiral Chegwidden shifted in the leather chair. Sheffield was perched on the edge of his ornate desk. He was looking intently at AJ.
"I don't understand. What does the Aurora have to do with Commander Rabb?" AJ said looking at photos of the top-secret aircraft. Five minutes ago, AJ wasn't even aware of the aircraft's existence.
"There have been several covert missions with the Aurora over North Korean airspace. While Rabb was with the CIA, he was involved with several of those flights," said Sheffield. "The office of the Secretary of Defense has made a formal request for the Commander. It is imperative to national security that we understand what is going on under the DMZ."
"Doesn't the CIA have their own pilots?" AJ could feel his hackles rise. He hated these continuous demands by that organization on JAG.
"I guess most of them are civilian test pilots. Good in their own way. But the situation in Korea demands the skills of a military pilot. One who can keep his cool under pressure. Rabb has demonstrated he is just such a man."
Sheffield waited for his JAG to reply. When none was forthcoming, he said, "Look, AJ, I expect you to cooperate fully. I know JAG is busy, but this super cedes that. It's about national security."
AJ was about to protest and then thought better of it. Harm was too damn good a pilot for his own sake. Why don't they just leave the man alone? But orders were orders.
AJ stood up and went to attention. "Yes, sir," he said.