Paraguay Didn't Solve Anything - Part 9 of 10
****
Monday, December 22, 2003
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
1235 Zulu
It was a frustrating weekend, thought Mac as she drove into the parking lot at JAG. Most of Mac's waking hours had been spent sleuthing out Mattie's assets. What an interesting set of problems that was. A 14-year-old girl, an 'all-cash' business, and an absentee father all combined to make this a nightmare.
The under-age Matilda Grace Johnson may be the rightful owner of Grace Aviation but her MIA dad was keeper of the legal documents. Somewhere in the state of Virginia there must be a safety deposit box with deeds, licenses, wills and titles. One thing was for sure; they weren't in the small office in the old hangar. Mac and Mattie tore the place apart over the weekend looking for them.
To make matters worse, the bank's loan wasn't the only thing in arrears. Federal taxes from the previous year needed to be paid. And then there were the county taxes.
Mattie's father. It was obvious to Mac that the man had been siphoning off the crème from Grace Aviation. The property and planes left to Mattie by her mother were now all heavily mortgaged.
So where did this leave Mattie? Well, at least Harm could assure the courts he wasn't in this for the money. Unless there was a large cash infusion, the company would be bankrupt in a few months.
Harm. Where was he? The CIA had not been forthcoming about when they would release him from his current duty. Mattie's hearing was in two days and Christmas was the day after. Surely he would be back in Washington soon.
Mac pulled her Corvette into the parking spot next to Sturgis' grey Ford Taurus. She put her cover on her head and climbed out. She hated seeing Sturgis' car. Something about that just wasn't right. Six months had passed since Harm had left JAG and she couldn't get past the fact that Sturgis now parked in the prestigious spot next to the admiral's. Since his return, Harm parked somewhere in the back lot. It was depressing.
Flying with CIA again. For the greater part of a year, Harm had been bounced around like ping pong ball. First he was charged with Singer's murder, then Paraguay, and then he was fired from JAG, and then fired from the CIA. Then JAG wants him back and now so does the CIA. The whole situation was a mess layered with irony.
It made her wonder where Harm's head really was. Where was it he really wanted to be? JAG? The red carpet had not been rolled out for Harmon Rabb when he returned to JAG. Best friend Sturgis had both his parking spot and his office. Sure, at least dead animal smell was gone out of the cramped closet that he now called an office
She walked through the glass doors of the bullpen at JAG. There was a million dollar question here. Why would Harmon Rabb want to come back to this?
All of sudden she stopped and looking unseeing around the bullpen. In her mind she was transported back to that marine base in Yuma. Harm was asking her a question, "Are you glad I'm back?"
On the surface, it seemed like an innocent question. Are you glad I'm back? With an emphasis on the word 'you.' If it hadn't been for an untimely interruption by Mac's cell phone, it might have been the first truly personal conversation with Harm since the taxi stand in Paraguay.
She wanted to scream at him. 'Of course, I'm glad! Why wouldn't I be?' But she knew what he really meant. That somehow now, their enigmatic relationship had gone past frustrating. Now, it was down right painful.
Maybe he thought returning to JAG was a mistake.
"Ma'am?" Bud's voice brought her out of her reverie. She shook off the conversation in Yuma. She smiled at him and commenced moving toward her office.
"Morning Bud. Can I help you?" she asked.
He limped slightly as he followed her into her office. "Actually, I was wondering if I could help you. You're working with Mattie Grace, right? Trying to help Harm prepare for the hearing?" he said.
"Yes?" she said, understanding immediately. She should have known that Bud would want to help.
"I've got some time. I'd like to have an opportunity to help Harm," he said in the inimitable Bud way. Through this whole mess, Bud was the one person who had been truly consistent, she admitted ruefully.
Mac said, "You know what I really need help with? Trying to track down Mattie's Dad. Let me show you what I have so far." Mac pulled out a file from her brief case to show Bud. They both bent over Mac's notes.
***
Location Classified
Sea of Japan
0205 Zulu
"Nice work, boys," Blaisdell's voice was tinny in Harm's ear. "Now we can all enjoy Christmas at home."
Their recon flight over the DMZ had been actually uneventful considering the raft of technical problems all week. True, the North Koreans had tracked them throughout their illegal foray over the no-man zone between North and South Korean, but they had emerged the over the Sea of Japan unscathed. The North Korean missiles were neither fast enough nor high enough to cause much trouble. The Aurora had done its job.
Harm rolled his shoulders to release the tension. He couldn't raise much enthusiasm for Christmas this year. If he left Diamond Lake immediately upon return, he would manage to make DC by Tuesday evening. Mattie's hearing was the next morning.
'I'll just have to ask the judge for more time,' he thought. The situation wasn't ideal. And it was about par for the course when you considered how his life was going lately.
*****
Harm made a grab for his cell phone the minute he was out of the restricted area of Diamond Lake. He punched in a now familiar number.
"Merry Christmas, Grace Aviation." He smiled with relief. It was good to hear her voice. After all, she had managed on her own without him before. Obviously, she had done it again. He should quit feeling so guilty.
"Mattie, it's Harm," he started, apologies ready.
She cut him off. "Harm! We were starting to worry about you! Are you going to be back for the hearing?"
"Yes, but ..." He processed what she had said. " What do you mean - 'We' were worried?"
Mattie laughed, "Mac and I. She told me what was happening, that sometimes this kind of thing happened. But it was getting longer and longer, so I think even she was worried."
Harm paused. "Mac?" he said disbelieving.
"She's been helping me all week. She's great! Remember I told you about the guy from Aviation Fuels? Well, she told him off! My rate has been reduced. It was amazing!"
Harm started to speak. Mattie cut him off again. "I have to go, Harm. There's a pilot waiting outside. Call Mac. I think she is almost finished everything for the hearing. All you have to do is show up. I'll talk to you later."
Harm stared at his cell phone, the connection now dead. He punched in the familiar number of JAG headquarters.
"Commander!" Petty Officer Coates answered the line. "It's good to talk with you sir. Are you going to be back for Christmas?"
"Merry Christmas, Jennifer. Yes. Is the admiral free?" he asked.
"I'll put you through, sir."
Chegwidden's voice was more subdued. "All done with your TAD, Commander?"
"Yes, sir. All done," he said. "I should be back late tonight."
"It will be good to have you back. You can start back after Christmas. We will be securing early for Christmas Eve tomorrow and I believe you have some personal business to attend to?"
"Yes, sir," said Harm.
"Do what you have to do, Commander. There are a few messages on your desk but they can wait till the 26th."
Harm blinked. "Thank you, sir. I appreciate that." He thought of something else. "Can you put me through to Colonel Mackenzie, sir?"
"Not here," said the admiral. "She's down at Norfolk till tomorrow afternoon. Drunk and disorderly for a number of sailors on liberty."
"Oh," said Harm trying to get his brain to engage.
"I think you want to talk to Lieutenant Roberts, Commander. I'll have Coates put you through. By the way, good luck at the hearing," Chegwidden said and hung up without ceremony.
Bud? A slow smile broke across Harm's face. He shouldn't have ruled out his friends so soon. A warm rush went through him.
****
Monday, December 22, 2003
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
1235 Zulu
It was a frustrating weekend, thought Mac as she drove into the parking lot at JAG. Most of Mac's waking hours had been spent sleuthing out Mattie's assets. What an interesting set of problems that was. A 14-year-old girl, an 'all-cash' business, and an absentee father all combined to make this a nightmare.
The under-age Matilda Grace Johnson may be the rightful owner of Grace Aviation but her MIA dad was keeper of the legal documents. Somewhere in the state of Virginia there must be a safety deposit box with deeds, licenses, wills and titles. One thing was for sure; they weren't in the small office in the old hangar. Mac and Mattie tore the place apart over the weekend looking for them.
To make matters worse, the bank's loan wasn't the only thing in arrears. Federal taxes from the previous year needed to be paid. And then there were the county taxes.
Mattie's father. It was obvious to Mac that the man had been siphoning off the crème from Grace Aviation. The property and planes left to Mattie by her mother were now all heavily mortgaged.
So where did this leave Mattie? Well, at least Harm could assure the courts he wasn't in this for the money. Unless there was a large cash infusion, the company would be bankrupt in a few months.
Harm. Where was he? The CIA had not been forthcoming about when they would release him from his current duty. Mattie's hearing was in two days and Christmas was the day after. Surely he would be back in Washington soon.
Mac pulled her Corvette into the parking spot next to Sturgis' grey Ford Taurus. She put her cover on her head and climbed out. She hated seeing Sturgis' car. Something about that just wasn't right. Six months had passed since Harm had left JAG and she couldn't get past the fact that Sturgis now parked in the prestigious spot next to the admiral's. Since his return, Harm parked somewhere in the back lot. It was depressing.
Flying with CIA again. For the greater part of a year, Harm had been bounced around like ping pong ball. First he was charged with Singer's murder, then Paraguay, and then he was fired from JAG, and then fired from the CIA. Then JAG wants him back and now so does the CIA. The whole situation was a mess layered with irony.
It made her wonder where Harm's head really was. Where was it he really wanted to be? JAG? The red carpet had not been rolled out for Harmon Rabb when he returned to JAG. Best friend Sturgis had both his parking spot and his office. Sure, at least dead animal smell was gone out of the cramped closet that he now called an office
She walked through the glass doors of the bullpen at JAG. There was a million dollar question here. Why would Harmon Rabb want to come back to this?
All of sudden she stopped and looking unseeing around the bullpen. In her mind she was transported back to that marine base in Yuma. Harm was asking her a question, "Are you glad I'm back?"
On the surface, it seemed like an innocent question. Are you glad I'm back? With an emphasis on the word 'you.' If it hadn't been for an untimely interruption by Mac's cell phone, it might have been the first truly personal conversation with Harm since the taxi stand in Paraguay.
She wanted to scream at him. 'Of course, I'm glad! Why wouldn't I be?' But she knew what he really meant. That somehow now, their enigmatic relationship had gone past frustrating. Now, it was down right painful.
Maybe he thought returning to JAG was a mistake.
"Ma'am?" Bud's voice brought her out of her reverie. She shook off the conversation in Yuma. She smiled at him and commenced moving toward her office.
"Morning Bud. Can I help you?" she asked.
He limped slightly as he followed her into her office. "Actually, I was wondering if I could help you. You're working with Mattie Grace, right? Trying to help Harm prepare for the hearing?" he said.
"Yes?" she said, understanding immediately. She should have known that Bud would want to help.
"I've got some time. I'd like to have an opportunity to help Harm," he said in the inimitable Bud way. Through this whole mess, Bud was the one person who had been truly consistent, she admitted ruefully.
Mac said, "You know what I really need help with? Trying to track down Mattie's Dad. Let me show you what I have so far." Mac pulled out a file from her brief case to show Bud. They both bent over Mac's notes.
***
Location Classified
Sea of Japan
0205 Zulu
"Nice work, boys," Blaisdell's voice was tinny in Harm's ear. "Now we can all enjoy Christmas at home."
Their recon flight over the DMZ had been actually uneventful considering the raft of technical problems all week. True, the North Koreans had tracked them throughout their illegal foray over the no-man zone between North and South Korean, but they had emerged the over the Sea of Japan unscathed. The North Korean missiles were neither fast enough nor high enough to cause much trouble. The Aurora had done its job.
Harm rolled his shoulders to release the tension. He couldn't raise much enthusiasm for Christmas this year. If he left Diamond Lake immediately upon return, he would manage to make DC by Tuesday evening. Mattie's hearing was the next morning.
'I'll just have to ask the judge for more time,' he thought. The situation wasn't ideal. And it was about par for the course when you considered how his life was going lately.
*****
Harm made a grab for his cell phone the minute he was out of the restricted area of Diamond Lake. He punched in a now familiar number.
"Merry Christmas, Grace Aviation." He smiled with relief. It was good to hear her voice. After all, she had managed on her own without him before. Obviously, she had done it again. He should quit feeling so guilty.
"Mattie, it's Harm," he started, apologies ready.
She cut him off. "Harm! We were starting to worry about you! Are you going to be back for the hearing?"
"Yes, but ..." He processed what she had said. " What do you mean - 'We' were worried?"
Mattie laughed, "Mac and I. She told me what was happening, that sometimes this kind of thing happened. But it was getting longer and longer, so I think even she was worried."
Harm paused. "Mac?" he said disbelieving.
"She's been helping me all week. She's great! Remember I told you about the guy from Aviation Fuels? Well, she told him off! My rate has been reduced. It was amazing!"
Harm started to speak. Mattie cut him off again. "I have to go, Harm. There's a pilot waiting outside. Call Mac. I think she is almost finished everything for the hearing. All you have to do is show up. I'll talk to you later."
Harm stared at his cell phone, the connection now dead. He punched in the familiar number of JAG headquarters.
"Commander!" Petty Officer Coates answered the line. "It's good to talk with you sir. Are you going to be back for Christmas?"
"Merry Christmas, Jennifer. Yes. Is the admiral free?" he asked.
"I'll put you through, sir."
Chegwidden's voice was more subdued. "All done with your TAD, Commander?"
"Yes, sir. All done," he said. "I should be back late tonight."
"It will be good to have you back. You can start back after Christmas. We will be securing early for Christmas Eve tomorrow and I believe you have some personal business to attend to?"
"Yes, sir," said Harm.
"Do what you have to do, Commander. There are a few messages on your desk but they can wait till the 26th."
Harm blinked. "Thank you, sir. I appreciate that." He thought of something else. "Can you put me through to Colonel Mackenzie, sir?"
"Not here," said the admiral. "She's down at Norfolk till tomorrow afternoon. Drunk and disorderly for a number of sailors on liberty."
"Oh," said Harm trying to get his brain to engage.
"I think you want to talk to Lieutenant Roberts, Commander. I'll have Coates put you through. By the way, good luck at the hearing," Chegwidden said and hung up without ceremony.
Bud? A slow smile broke across Harm's face. He shouldn't have ruled out his friends so soon. A warm rush went through him.