Please, keep reviewing, it helps me to keep writing. I thought you might be interested to know that there shoud be 9 parts in this story (if no major changes happen)... Here's just the 6th chapter, so don't worry, I'm not done with them!





1623 ZULU
Marine Corps Base Hawaii
Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii


Mac was lying on the futon that acted as her bed, her eyes half-opened. From where she was, she could see people chatting in the dining room. Surprised to have visitors so early in the morning, she got up and strolled slowly into the kitchen. Two men and three women were leaning over the table, unaware of Mac's proximity. Finally, the man facing her across the table acknowledged her presence. "What are you doing here, Sarah?"

"I think I could return the question, Chris," she answered, studying her interlocutor, not too sure what to say, nor what to think.

"We never really left, Mac," a tall blond woman on her left replied. Mac needed a few second before she could recognise Commander Jordan Parker.

The man on her right continued. "We're around every time someone needs us." The sound of his voice brought Mac's memories back to the alley in front of McMurphy's, when she had tried to save him. Dalton... According to this, there was only one person missing...

"And as you couldn't do anything for them anymore, Colonel," a soft voice started, "we had to come - someone had to be taken care of." Mac was now facing her twin; well, someone who looked exactly like her a few years ago. That being said, Diane stepped aside to reveal a young woman with long blond hair, holding tenderly a little boy in her arms.

"Don't worry, Sarah. We're here to make sure everything is okay for them. Go back to sleep," Ragle recommended. Mac obeyed hesitantly, leaving the kitchen. When she sat down on her futon, the room was dark once again and the visitors had disappeared.



* * * * *



1709 ZULU
Marine Corps Base Hawaii
Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii


The shrill sound of a cell phone reverberated through the cabin. Even though Harm answered at the first ring, it was enough for Mac to wake up. A minute later, he appeared at the doorway of her improvised bedroom, an intrigued look on his face.

"What's up?" Mac asked, as she propped on her elbow to look at him.

"Alberts just called. He said he had something really important to tell us, but that he couldn't say it over the phone. He wants us to meet him at the hospital in fifteen minutes."

"Marty's dead," Mac answered bluntly, her features totally expressionless.

"What?" Harm questioned, puzzled.

Mac shrugged. "I had a vision earlier this morning. People are taking good care of him, but he's dead, Harm. I don't know what happened, but I saw him." Seeing the stunned expression on her partner's face, she got out of bed and grabbed her uniform in the commode. "I believe you and Bud should rethink your client's defence. If I find even a hint of evidence that he is involved in his son's death, he will spend the rest of his life behind the bars. The death penalty would be too kind for him; I want him to live with remorse. I can't wait to know what Teresa has found for us." That being said, she headed for the bathroom and started the shower, as Harm returned to his room to get ready.



* * * * *



1730 ZULU
Marine Corps Base Hawaii
Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii


Marty's pale body was lying on a metallic table behind the large window. A simple light blue sheet was covering it, hence only his face was visible. Teresa Coulter was busying herself reviewing the notes she had gathered during the night concerning Major Graham and her son when she heard a knock on the glass of the window. Seeing the apprehension on the four lawyers' faces, she chose to join them in the office instead of inviting them in.

"So, Terry," Harm started, his voice respectful of the deceased, "have you found anything?"

"Well, I would tend to confirm Colonel Miller's findings. Major Graham died of cardiac arrest caused by a lack of oxygen. The marks on her neck are likely to corroborate the strangulation's hypothesis. However, I found no defensive wounds on her hands or her arms. That means she may not have had a chance to fight back, either because her opponent was much stronger, or because she was weakened."

"Her son told us she had had a cold last week," Mac intervened.

"That would explain why the white cells count was a little higher than normal," Teresa confirmed. "Her blood tested negative for alcohol and drugs, so there's no lead in this direction. Unlike her potassium level, her sodium level was a little high, but not dramatically. The rib fractures are peri-mortem. They might have been caused during the strangulation process, as if the opponent had been sitting on her chest, or during the resuscitation manoeuvres. I noticed superficial abrasions behind her heels, as if she had been dragged in the sand. The scrapes on her shoulder blades may have been caused by almost anything, from the rocks on the beach to the nails of a passionate lover."

"Major Graham had had no known significant other since she left her husband," Alberts corrected. "Could those scrapes have been caused during CPR manoeuvres?"

"During the manoeuvres themselves, not really," she responded, "but if someone moved her on a rocky path, it is a possibility."

"Major Graham was found on a sandy beach and Sergeant Clark said he hadn't moved her - he was the first on site," Harm replied.

"In this case, I have nothing more for you concerning Major Graham," Teresa stated. "For the boy, I also found a low level of potassium, combined with a relatively high level of sodium and an important acidosis. Regarding the cause of death, Marty suffered severe pulmonary oedema and kidney failure. Unfortunately, I have no idea which one caused the other. They are clearly related, but it is too soon to determine the precise cause. Listen," she looked at the four lawyers, "Stephanie has print-out copies of my reports, plus all the toxicological analyses. I think you should review this, and if you have any questions, come see me. During this time, I'll continue my investigation."

Mac approached Commander Coulter and shook her hand vigorously. "Thank you very much, Teresa. It's greatly appreciated."

Harm added, "And why don't you come by tonight? I'm sure it's going to be a very long day and everybody will need something to cheer up after that. We could have a BBQ, and it would be the perfect occasion to introduce you to my ward, Mattie."

"You, Harm? You have a ward?" Terry asked, sceptic.

"That's exactly what I said; we have a lot to catch up on!" he grinned in return.

"Okay," she accepted after a short hesitation. "I'll see you tonight. Bye!"



* * * * *



1847 ZULU
Marine Corps Base Hawaii
Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii


"Okay, Sneakers, let's recapitulate what we have," Colonel Mackenzie said, pacing the small conference room near the tribunal. For the fourth time, Nicolas reviewed his notes before he answered.

"Lewin threatened to kill Major Graham when she attempted to prevent him from seeing his son almost three weeks ago. On the same night, a judge delivered an injunction precluding Lewin from being within 100 feet from his ex-wife and son. Last Thursday, Maria Graham was found dead, with strangulation marks around her neck. During the night from Sunday to Monday, Marty got sick and was brought to the hospital. When he learned the news, Lewin escaped from the brig. Monday, Marty told us his father was on the beach when his mother died. Yesterday, the kid died and the cause of death is still obscure."

"One thing is sure, Lewin has no way to avoid the escape charges, or the break of the injunction," Mac said, her intonation sarcastic.

"Yes, but we still have no evidence that links him directly to the crime," Sneakers ventured. "There were no fingerprints on Major Graham's body, and the guard from the hospital room says Lewin was asleep when his son died."

Mac read the reports for the umpteenth time, trying to find a detail that she might have missed before. Suddenly, she froze in place before hurrying next to Sneakers. "We do have the evidence we need," she said, triumphantly. Then, pointing to something on the report, she continued. "Find me everything you can concerning this, and we'll be ready to confront Harm and Bud in court."



* * * * *



In the conference room across the hall, Bud and Harm were briefing their client. "This is not a court-martial, Lewin," Harm insisted. "We can stop everything right here, right now, if you give us clues to defend you. Do you have an alibi, someone that would vouch for you, proving that you weren't on the beach when Major Graham died?"

"I can't, sir. I was there," Christopher answered, struggling to keep his composure. "Maria prevented me from seeing Marty, so that afternoon, I decided to spy on them from behind the bushes."

"Anybody see you there?" Bud asked.

"Besides Marty, I don't think so."

"Well," Harm suggested, "the testimony of a five-year-old under a great shock is not worth a lot. We could try to say he had some kind of hallucination."

"With all due respect, sir, I'm not going to let you tarnish my son's memory," Lewin fought back, indignant.

"In this case, Captain," Bud explained, "your cause is already lost. You were at the crime scene and you had a motive. The only point we can fight in your favour is that these are only circumstantial evidence."

"Commander, Lieutenant, I'm sorry, but there's nothing more to say. If the judge says that I'm guilty, I'll accept any punishment the court finds adequate. But I believe that from above, Marty will help me to prove that I'm innocent."

"If you say so," Harm replied, shaking his head in doubt. "If you say so…"



* * * * *



Energised by a good night sleep, the admiral decided to enjoy the beach. Harriet had told Coates that she hadn't been able to find lodging on base, so the admiral was looking for her cabin, to make sure she didn't feel too alone while Bud was in court. Reaching the cottage, AJ knocked on the door, but obtained no answer. After a second tentative, he heard Harriet's laughing coming from the neighbour cabin, and a few seconds later, a joyous group of young ladies emerged from the main entrance, with long summer dresses and colourful straw hats.

Seeing the admiral, Harriet froze in place. "Sir?"

Hiding a smile, AJ observed the three ladies and noticed a little sailor taking cover behind Mattie's legs. "I never imagined the whole cavalry would be here for a murder investigation, Harriet. Where were you going in such a hurry?"

"They wanted to go shopping, Uncle AJ," the little one whined, "but it's a girl's thing. I want to see the big tanks that go in the water!"

Harriet stared at her son. "I explained it to you already, Sweetie. Kids are not allowed on base."

"Harriet, why don't you go rifle the stores with Mattie and Chloe? I could bring AJ to see the amphibious vehicles, and I can also take care of Jimmy during your absence."

"You could do that, sir?" Harriet asked, unsure.

"Admiral's privilege!" And with a smile, he added, "And I would be pleased to spend an afternoon with my namesake and his little brother."

"Thank you, thank you so much, sir," Harriet greeted with earnestness.

"Admiral," Mattie started, uncertain. "Harm called earlier to say we were having a BBQ tonight. Would you like to join us?"

"He said Commander Coultard… Coutler… Coulter would be here," Chloe added.

"Teresa Coulter is here? In that case, I don't have to worry about the autopsy findings, at least," he said, relieved. "I'd love to, ladies, but I'm going to wait until the investigation is finished before I nail some good judgement into Harm and Mac's heads. You're better leave now if you want to catch the shuttle for Honolulu and be back for dinner."

"Aye, aye, sir!" The three girls saluted perfectly, with wide smiles on their faces, before the two youngest gave a peck on the admiral's cheeks and left for the road.



* * * * *



2006 ZULU
Marine Corps Base Hawaii
Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii


"Captain Lewin, usually, I would say 'Sorry for your loss'," Mac started, approaching the accused. "But can I really show sympathy for something you caused?"

"Objection, your Honour," Harm protested, offended, "argumentative."

"Sustained," Judge Sherwood replied. "Do you have a question, Colonel?"

"Yes, your Honour. Captain Lewin, do you know what Glycyrrhiza glabra is?"

Lewin looked at his entwined hands, then at his lawyers before he answered. "No, Ma'am, I have no idea what it is."

"Maybe the name 'Licorice' would be more familiar? And I mean the root, not the candy."

Lewin was getting more uneasy under Mac's scrutiny. "I don't know, Ma'am."

"Your Honour, the prosecution would like to submit exhibits F and G to the court," Mac said, facing the judge, before showing a first plastic bag to the accused. "Captain Lewin, do you recognise this bottle?"

"Yes, those are the homeopathic caplets I take to fight the infection when I have a cold."

"Did these caplets come from this bottle?" Mac questioned, showing the vitamins coming from Major Graham's house in the other bag.

"Yes, I gave them to Marty when he felt sick a month ago. Maria should have kept them, I believe."

"I have no more questions for the accused for now, your Honour," Mac concluded, returning to her table. "Your witness," she said, addressing Harm.

The commander got up slowly and approached the box in measured steps, his hands joined by the tip of his fingers. "Captain Lewin, I know this must be very hard for you right now. Your ex-wife was killed last week and your son died last night. I have only two questions for you: first, did you kill your ex-wife?"

"No!" he answered.

"And your son?"

"Of course not, Commander!" Lewin said vehemently.

"That'll be all, your Honour," Harm concluded, as Mac rose to call her next witness.

"I would like to call Colonel Miller at the bar." After the physician pronounced his oath, Mac presented him two sheets of paper. "Colonel, these are exhibits B and I. They are the tox screens of Major Maria Graham and her son Marty Lewin. Can you identify the compound underlined in yellow, please?"

"Yes," the coroner approved, "this is Glycyrrhiza glabra."

"What is the use of this product?" Mac inquired. "And what is the regular dosage?"

"Licorice has some healing and protective properties. People use it to prevent infections like the flu," Colonel Miller acknowledged. "This product is quite dangerous. People should only take one pill die, I mean only once a day, for not more than a week."

"Are these recommendations and warnings written on the bottle, usually?" Mac questioned.

"They have to, as well as the list of the principal adverse effects."

Mac was pacing calmly the space in front of the judge's desk. "Is it dangerous to consider those pills like simple vitamins?"

"Absolutely!"

"If people take more than the recommended amount, what are the risks, Colonel?"

"The potassium quantity in the blood will drop to an alarming level. In some kind of reaction, the body will augment the volume of water in the system, causing oedema. The person will also suffer acidosis as the pH will dramatically fall, and finally all this will cause renal failure."

"Aren't these the symptoms Major Graham and her son suffered?"

"Objection, your Honour," Harm intervened. "The prosecutor is leading the witness."

Mac didn't wait for the judge's answer and threw an icy glare at Harm. "I'll rephrase, your Honour. Colonel Miller, accordingly to the victims' charts, can you tell me if their symptoms correspond with a Glycyrrhiza glabra overdose?"

"Yes, they do."

"Your witness," Mac finished, sitting down as Harm approached the box.

"Colonel Miller, as far as you know, do you think the level of," Harm stumbled on the Latin word, " Glycyrrhiza glabra in the victims' blood was high enough to have caused an overdose?"

"I'm not an expert in that field, Commander," the colonel replied, "but I don't think so. The level was high, but most probably not enough to be toxic."

"That'll be all, your Honour," Harm said, throwing a side-glance to Mac before taking place beside his client.

"This court is adjourned until 1300 tomorrow," Judge Sherwood said, before banging the gavel on the desk.



* * * * *


0539 ZULU
Marine Corps Base Hawaii
Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii


"You're early tonight, Admiral," Melinda greeted him as he entered the guesthouse.

"I think I forgot how exhausting a five-year-old could be sometimes," he said with an unconscious grin, sighing from exhaustion.

She gestured for him to take a seat in front of her, at a table away from the desk. "Your grandson is here?" she asked, amiably.

AJ shook his head. "No. I do have a daughter, but she doesn't have kids and she lives in Italy. Some members of my staff are here with their children, and I offered to take care of the two youngest for the afternoon."

"So why don't you spend the evening with them, Admiral?" she inquired, kindly.

He stopped her. "Please, Melinda. Call me AJ, I'm here on vacation. Well, some of those officers had been acting out for a while, but it's been worse since they got here, and I'm really not in a mood to do discipline right now. Honestly, I would rather spend the evening by myself."

The host rose from her seat and headed for the desk. "It's a pity. My niece should be here in a minute to take charge of the house, and then I'm going into town for dinner. I thought you might want to join me …" she trailed off.

"You'd really like an old, bald grumbler to join you for dinner?" he asked, surprised.

She waved his protests away with her hand. "I'm sure you're not that bad, AJ. And yes, I would be glad if you accepted the invitation."

"I've been told to never refuse something to a young lady, so I'll be honoured," he accepted, radiant, before walking towards his room to freshen up.



* * * * *



The dinner was a real success. Kids always love hotdogs and hamburgers, and Mattie had been wise enough to find veggie-patties for Harm. The tall commander was making sure the gas burner was safely turned off when he noticed Harriet sitting alone at the table. When he came by her side, he discerned tears on her cheeks. "What's going on, Harriet?" he asked, sitting beside her.

"Sir… Harm, I can't stop thinking about that poor little boy. He's the same age as AJ – I can't believe someone let him die!"

"You know, Harriet, I'm not the first in line to consider the Acts of God, but I'm sure that there was a good reason for Him to take Marty back. And even though I believe my client has nothing to do with his son's death, Bud and I still have to find what really happened." With his last words, Harm embraced the blond lady tightly and observed the group in front of him. Terry and Mattie were chatting cheerfully, as the girl couldn't get enough of the sordid cases the coroner worked on. The teenager had found a new hero for her horror fantasies. Bud was playing with AJ in the sand fortress Harm had built a few days before, while Jimmy was sleeping on a quilt beside them. Sneakers was helping Chloe to find colourful corals in a shoal approximately 50 feet from the shore, while Mac was swimming in front of the cabins. Assessing his options, he removed his shirt before he ran in Bud's direction and grabbed AJ on his way, without stopping, shrieking like a warrior.

The little boy yelled with fear at first, but when he noticed that he was in his godfather's solid arms, he started to squeal with excitement. "Let's go, Uncle Harm, take me in the water!"

Harm set AJ comfortably on his shoulders and moved forward until he had water up to his chest. The ocean was turquoise and he could clearly see all the big rocks in the water. When everything seemed safe, he asked the boy with the same voice the big turtle had in Finding Nemo, "Are you ready to jump, Dude?"

"Sure, Dude!" AJ replied, and with his little voice, sounded exactly like the baby turtle.

Harm helped the boy climb up to put his feet on his godfather's shoulders and gave him the last instructions. "Don't forget to jump with your feet first. It's deep enough, but I don't want you to hurt your head. And I'll stay right here if you need any help. Okay?"

"Okay!" AJ answered eagerly, before starting the countdown. "Three, two, one, JUMP!"

The child rapidly reappeared at the surface beside Harm and started splashing water in his face. "You want war," he menaced, mockingly, "you're gonna get it!" and he started throwing water playfully at the boy too. A few seconds later, as he noticed that the child was spending more time under water than above, Harm approached quickly and was almost instantly brought under water. When he tried to get up with little AJ, he slipped on algae, choked with a mouthful of salty water and started having trouble breathing. The kid was holding to his neck so tight that even if he hadn't been under water, he wouldn't have been able to inhale. He tried to maintain AJ's head above water, but it was now too deep for him to stand and keep his own head up, and the kid wasn't releasing his hold. His lungs were burning and screaming for air, and he was slowly becoming dizzy because of the lack of oxygen. Suddenly, the boy let go of his grip around his neck, and Harm could reach the surface to breathe deeply before his lungs could explode.

"Bud, you really shouldn't let AJ go in the water without his life jacket," Harm heard Mac warn his colleague through some kind of haze. He saw Harriet running towards Mac, who was holding a crying little boy, while he noticed Bud's presence at his own side.

"Sir… Harm, are you okay?"

"I… I think so, Bud," he answered, unsure, before continuing rapidly. "How's AJ?"

"He should be okay, sir. You stayed under water much longer than he did. You should grab a hot tea to reheat yourself, you are shivering."

Harm was still too shocked by what had just happened to react. His gaze was locked on the kid, now rocked in his mother's arms. Everybody was staring from little AJ to Harm with a worried look in their eyes.

"Sir, what's that?" Bud asked, a foot behind Harm.

"What's what, Bud?" The commander was finally getting back to his senses.

"The long scrapes you have on your shoulder blades. They are strangely similar to the ones found on Major Graham's back."

Understanding dawned in Harm's mind. "Bud, bring AJ with us, it's important." He called out to Teresa, "Terry, I need your help. We gotta go to the lab, ASAP."



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *