Here it goes! Thanks a lot, I hope you enjoy this story as much as I enjoy reading your reviews!

Parts 8 and 9 should be coming soon!





1831 ZULU
Marine Corps Base Hawaii
Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii


"Good morning, AJ," Melinda greeted the admiral from the porch, as he stopped running in front of the guesthouse. "Are you always up with the sun for your jogging?"

The admiral wiped some sweat from his forehead and bent forward, placing both hands on his knees to bring his breathing back to normal. "I used to, but it's been a while, actually."

"I hope it has nothing to do with yesterday night…" she carefully asked.

"Of course, not, Meredith," he answered with conviction. "The dinner was exquisite and your sightseeing tour was fantastic. I spent a very agreeable evening with you and I hope we'll be able to do it again before I leave on Saturday."

"Well, there's still tomorrow, but who is Meredith?" the host inquired.

The admiral looked away and entered the house before replying in a sharp voice. "No one."

Melinda followed him inside quickly. "AJ, I'm sure she is not 'no one,' or else you wouldn't have used her name for me a minute ago." She placed her hand gently on his forearm and motioned for the corner table. "Why don't you tell me more about her?"

"There's nothing to say anymore," he said, before taking a seat at the table. "She used to be my fiancée."

"Used to?" Melinda asked, concern showing in her voice.

"We were supposed to get married in May, but she betrayed me," the admiral answered, bitterly.

The lady squeezed his hand slightly, before bringing her own hand back to her lap. "What happened?"

AJ sighed heavily. "Last year, despite many technicalities, I proposed to her. She can't cook, she can't sing, she drives her car like a Formula One racer, she fears nothing, but I was deeply in love with her. Over Christmas, a colleague of hers invited her to Italy for a conference. A few weeks later, he was in Washington, apparently for work. When I came back from JAG one night, I found Meredith dozing on her bed in the emerald night-gown I offered her for her birthday, and he got out of the bathroom, half naked. End of the story." He was looking outside through the window, with the same painful expression on his face he'd had when it happened.

Melinda rose from her chair and went behind the desk to grab two bottles of orange juice in a small fridge. "What explanation did she give you for that?" she asked, kindly.

AJ took a sip from the beverage she handed him. "Nothing. I left without a word, and I never returned her calls."

She stood behind him and rested her hand on his shoulder. "Do you still love her?"

He locked his gaze on his hands for a long minute. "It's over. Period," he said, on a defeated intonation, before switching to business mode. "I have to go. I want to make sure there won't be any scandal in court today." He got up rapidly, took his juice bottle and rushed to his room, without looking back.



* * * * *



2012 ZULU
Marine Corps Base Hawaii
Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii


Bud approached the first defence witness in measured steps. "Sergeant Clark, would you please tell this court when you saw Major Graham alive for the last time?"

"It was last Thursday night," Clark answered nervously. "She was swimming with her son at the beach, a few miles away from the base. The last thing I noticed was that Marty, her son, jumped in the water to play with her, and that my fiancée slapped me because I said that I would love to play like that with my own kids." Giggles were muffled in the room at that statement.

"And, according to your testimony, when you came back from your walk, approximately an hour later, you found Major Graham dead, lying on the beach, right?" Bud asked, returning near his desk.

"That would be correct, Lieutenant," the witness confirmed.

"Sergeant, as Lieutenant Sims, standing right here, is about the same height and shape as Major Graham, could you indicate her how to position herself on the stage in front of the judge, in order that she'll be in the exact same position the victim was when you found her?"

"Sure, sir. Major Graham was lying on her back, her head straight, as if she was looking at the sky, but her eyes were closed. Her feet were licked by the rising tide. Her right arm was resting over her head, but the left was along her side." Harriet positioned herself simultaneously, according to the instructions.

"Did you move her?"

"No, I started CPR immediately, sir."

"Now, Sergeant Clark, if the victim hadn't been lying on her back, but if her body had instead been washed on the beach by the waves, could you demonstrate to us, again with the help of Lieutenant Sims, what you would have done?"

"Objection, your Honour," Sneakers called. "These suppositions are leading us nowhere."

"I have no idea where you are going with that, Lieutenant," Judge Sherwood replied, addressing Bud, "but I'm interested to find out, as long as you do it rapidly." Then, he turned to Alberts. "Overruled. Sergeant Clark, you may answer the question."

"Of course, your Honour." Clark approached Harriet, who was now lying on the stage, face against the ground, with her arms over her head. "First, I would make sure the victim has no spinal injuries. If everything is okay, I would flip her on her back and drag her out of the water, until she was feet dry." While he was pulling Harriet, she lost her left shoe. "Sorry, Ma'am. I would then lay her down on the ground, tilt her head back carefully and check her vitals. If I found no pulse, I would start CPR," Clark said, beginning the manoeuvres.

Bud stopped him. "Sergeant, why did you place Lieutenant Sims' arm over her head before starting the manoeuvres?"

"To kneel closer to the victim, sir. My arms need to be perpendicular to the chest to compress the heart effectively. It is also useful to support her head if I have to turn her rapidly in case she throws up."

"Sergeant, isn't Lieutenant Sims presently in the exact same position Major Graham was when you found her?"

Clark looked at Harriet and nodded. "Yes, sir."

Bud returned to his desk and glanced at Harm, who nodded his head slightly in approval. "I have no further questions, your Honour."

Sneakers rose from his chair after a subtle hand's movement coming from Mac. "Prosecution has no questions for this witness, your Honour."

"Commander Rabb," Judge Sherwood stated, "you can call your next witness."

Harm slowly got up from his seat, attaching the last button from his jacket, and announced his witness. "The defence would like to call Mr Francis Piaf to the stand."



* * * * *



Mac was returning back to her seat after making sure the new witness had pronounced his oath when she noticed the admiral at the back of the courtroom, sitting next to Harriet. She wasn't really surprised to see him there, because Harriet had told her the day before that he was on the island. She was more surprised by the new witness Harm had brought out of the blue for his defence. Mr Francis Piaf was a civilian, but he wasn't a physician, neither was he a psychologist – he didn't even know the accused. She was lost in her theories concerning his presence when Harm began the examination. "Mr Piaf, could you tell me what the three letters 'IDR' mean?"

"Naturally, sir. It means Instinctive Drowning Response," he answered, confident.

Harm was pacing in front of the prosecution's desk as he asked the next question. "Would you please explain the concept of drowning to us?"

"Your Honour," Mac objected rapidly as she rose from her chair, "the prosecution doesn't see how this testimony is really relevant to this murder case."

"Overruled, Colonel," Judge Sherwood replied. "Commander, I'm willing to give you some time to explain your theories, but make sure to get there quickly."

"Thank you, sir," Harm told the judge. "Mr. Piaf, if a child who doesn't know how to swim was to fall into the water, what might happen?"

The witness straightened his jacket before answering. "Some non-swimmers will simply disappear under water, without any apparent sign of struggle, and drown. These represent approximately 10% of the cases. The others are called active victims, and that's where the IDR takes place."

"That means the victims will call for help, right?" Harm hypothesised.

"Absolutely not, sir," Piaf corrected. "Those persons are unable to call for help – they fight for their lives and their number one priority is breathing, not yelling. They try to stay above the water level with uncoordinated and inefficient arm movements – for an unskilled observer, those persons may appear like they are playing. They can't use their legs either – they are like leaded feet. Despite all their efforts, they will spend most of their time under water, not above, and may sink in as few as 20 seconds."

"So," Harm continued, facing the audience, "the best thing to do would be to grab those people's hands to help them, right?"

"NO!" the witness replied vehemently. "People in IDR will grab everything that is near them as their last chance; a buoy, a branch, or even a person who tries to save them. Some victims have been found dead in rivers, holding tight to underwater branches. Lifeguards receive specific training to avoid those dangerous situations, and some techniques exist to grab a non-swimmer without risks for them."

Harm went along with his hypothesis. "But, if the victim is much smaller than the saver, there shouldn't be any problem, should there?"

"Nothing is less sure," Piaf answered. "It has been reported on several occasions that parents have died trying to save their children. The strength of an IDR's victim can be increased up to tenfold."

Harm returned behind his desk, satisfied. "No further questions, your Honour."

The judge looked at Mac. "Colonel?"

"We don't have any questions for the moment, your Honour," Mac replied, resigned, understanding slowly what Harm was doing, but not knowing how to thwart his plans.

The judge returned to Harm. "Commander, do you have any other witnesses?"

Harm rose and straightened his jacket once again. "Yes, your Honour. We would like to call Commander Teresa Coulter."



* * * * *



Teresa sat on the chair in the small space reserved for the witnesses. She lifted her right hand and answered Mac's question promising to tell the truth, and then she returned her attention to Harm.

"Commander Coulter," he began, approaching slowly, "could you explain to this court what 'secondary drowning' is?"

"It is a term used by many lifeguards to designate 'pulmonary oedema'," she responded.

"Why is this expression common in lifesaving?"

"Because many non-swimmers get water in their lungs during a distress situation, and this water can cause pulmonary oedema."

"Do the symptoms appear right after the immersion?" Harm asked, still pacing the space in front of the prosecution's desk.

"Not always. Sometimes, symptoms may appear up to 72 hours after the inhalation of water."

Harm approached the box where she was sitting. "Is there a way to prove the inhalation of water?"

"When people are immersed in the sea or other open waters, unlike pools, tiny algae shells called diatoms can be found in their lungs."

"Commander Coulter, were those diatoms present in the victims' lungs, according to your analyses?"

"Yes, they were, sir."

"Your witness," Harm said, sitting back behind his desk.

Mac rose and moved toward her seat. "Commander Coulter, can those algae tell us if the person has been immersed accidentally, like for a drowning situation, or if someone deliberately immersed the victim in the water, to kill him or her?"

Teresa suppressed a smirk. "Certainly not, Ma'am. The diatoms just indicate that the victim spent time under water and that some of this fluid entered the lungs."

"So, nothing proved that the accused didn't strangle the victim in the water before her body was washed on the beach by the waves?"

"You are right, Colonel," the blond lady answered calmly, "it could still be a possibility."

Mac returned to her seat. "No further questions, your Honour."

Harm got rapidly to his feet. "Redirect, your Honour?"

Judge Sherwood looked at him over his spectacles. "Granted."

Harm grabbed a folder from his desk and moved in Teresa's direction. "Commander Coulter, do you recognise these pictures identified as exhibit C and D?"

"Sure, Commander. They represent the scrapes on Major Graham's shoulder blades and the strangulation marks on her neck."

"Your Honour," Harm addressed the judge, "I would like to introduce these new pictures as exhibits M and N."

Mac objected automatically. "Your Honour, the prosecution has not been advised of this new evidence."

"Commander," Judge Sherwood intervened, "why should I accept these new pictures?"

"It proves some kind of pattern, your Honour. And the defence believes that the prosecution knows what it refers to."

The judge stopped Mac's protests. "I'll allow it, but I hope it is going to give us final answers."

"Thank you, your Honour." Harm then gave the pictures to Teresa and started explaining them to the audience. "These pictures were taken yesterday night by Commander Coulter. They represent the scrapes on my own shoulder blades and the marks around my neck after Lieutenant Roberts' five-year-old child grasped me tightly during a near-drowning situation that happened an hour earlier. Commander Coulter, are there any similarities between these two sets of pictures?"

Terry looked at the pictures for the umpteenth time. "Despite the fact that Major Graham's skin was much paler than yours, those pictures are almost identical. The marks around the neck are situated in front and on the opposite side from the scrapes on the back. The spacing between the skin injuries corresponds to the distance betwixt child's fingers. The bruises are too small to come from an adult."

Harm walked up to Teresa's side and faced the prosecution table. "Commander Coulter, as an expert coroner, and with the facts that have been submitted to this court, do you think it is possible that Marty simply suffered from secondary drowning and that his mother died trying to save him?"

Terry nodded. "Yes, I think it would be possible."

"No more questions, your Honour," Harm concluded, returning to his seat.

"Colonel, any last questions for this witness?" the judge asked.

"Of course, your Honour," Mac answered, coming near Teresa. "How can you prove the events happened the way Commander Rabb presented them?"

" I can't prove anything, as I wasn't there," Terry started, as Mac walked back contentedly to her seat. "But the evidence says that Major Graham inhaled water, and the marks on her neck correspond exactly to those of a young child who would have gripped her to save his life. The grazes on her heels contained sand crystals from the beach where she has been found, proving that she had been dragged. The diatoms found in Marty Lewin's lungs prove that he had been immersed in water too, and this salty water caused pulmonary oedema. Glycyrrhiza glabra has been found in both victims' blood, although the concentration wasn't high enough to have cause an intoxication. I can't prove anything, Ma'am, you are right, but the evidence can."

"No more questions, your Honour," Mac concluded, defeat showing slightly on her face.

"This court is in recess for lunch until 1400 this afternoon," Judge Sherwood announced, banging his gavel on the desk.



* * * * *



1317 ZULU
Marine Corps Base Hawaii
Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii


"AJ, please, stop whining!" Mattie pleaded to the little boy. "Mommy should be back here soon."

"Actually, she's on her way here," Chloe corrected, hanging up the phone. "It was Mac. The court is in recess, but Harriet doesn't need to be there this afternoon, so she is coming back."

"Is everything finished?" Mattie asked, interested.

"Not yet, but Mac said it shouldn't be long. She sounded disappointed, though," the other girl explained.

"What'd you say if we prepare everything for a big party tonight? Those guys are on a case, but you, me, Harriet and the admiral are here on vacation, aren't we?"

"That would be great, Mattie! What do you have in mind?"

"Well, when Harriet comes back, we could go shopping for authentic leis. And we could buy tons of fruits for dessert."

"I love the idea," Chloe exclaimed, "but how are we gonna pay for all this?"

Mattie took something from the back pocket of her shorts. "With Harm's credit card, naturally!"

Both girls started laughing and scribbled down a list of what would be required for the party.



* * * * *



0005 ZULU
Marine Corps Base Hawaii
Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii


"Are both counsellors ready for their closing arguments?" Judge Sherwood asked, as he entered the courtroom.

Harm rose before Mac could answer. "No, your Honour. The defence would like to call back Captain Christopher Lewin to the stand."

The judge stared at Harm with a very severe expression on his face. "Commander, I think I already gave you enough rope to hang yourself. I hope I won't regret this. Go ahead."

"Thank you, your Honour," Harm greeted, straightening his spine. "Captain Lewin, I just remind you that you are still under oath. Would you please explain to this court what really happened last Thursday evening?"

Lewin took a sip of the water in front of him. "Maria, I mean Major Graham, was playing with Marty. She was pulling his little boat in the waves, near the base. She was swimming slowly, stopping from time to time to cough, as if she was having a cold."

"How would you know that, Captain?" Harm pressed on.

"Because I was hiding in the bushes, a few feet from them. Maria prevented me from seeing my child, but I wanted to make sure he was all right," he said, brushing nervously at a tear slipping down his cheek.

"What did you see?"

"Suddenly, Marty jumped out of the boat. I was surprised, because he has always been afraid of water. Maria quickly noticed that something was wrong and tried to put him back into the boat, but I think he grabbed her. I was approximately 50 feet from them, so I couldn't see clearly their faces, but I was able to see that they were struggling. I was just about to leave my hidden spot when I noticed that Marty was back on the boat. I didn't notice immediately that something was wrong with Maria – she was behind the canoe."

"What happened next?" Harm inquired.

"I finally realised that she was floating with her face in the water, so I ran to the shore and swam as fast as I could to bring her back to the beach. I settled her on the sand and started CPR until I heard Sergeant Clark coming in. At the sound, I ran away."

"Why did you run away, Captain?"

"Because I knew that I wasn't supposed to be there, and that I would have been accused on the spot."

"No more questions, your Honour," Harm concluded.

"Colonel, any questions?" the judge inquired.

"Yes, your Honour. Captain, you admitted that you were within 100 feet from your ex-wife, consequently, that you broke the injunction against you."

"Yes, Colonel, I admit."

"And why should we believe what you are telling us?" Mac asked, looking intensely in Lewin's eyes.

"Because I haven't said anything but the truth for my son."

Mac backed up a little, before facing the judge. "Nothing further, your Honour."

Judge Sherwood announced. "We'll come back here tomorrow at 1000 for the final recommendations. This court is adjourned."



* * * * *



0649 ZULU
Marine Corps Base Hawaii
Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii


Harm was really surprised at his ward. She had indeed used his credit card to buy everything, but she had been reasonable. The huge fish she and Chloe had cooked was delicious, and the fruits platters were a delight for both the eyes and mouth.

The admiral had just left, saying his muscles were still sore from his morning run. Teresa and Sneakers were playing cards on the kitchen table, the Roberts' family was spending quality time together in their cabin, and Chloe was braiding Mattie's hair in their room.

Feeling a bit abandoned, Harm decided to take a walk outside. As he wandered by the cabin, he noticed Mac, sitting on the back porch, her gaze lost in the ocean. He approached her slowly and sat beside her, keeping a safe distance between them. "Thank you, Mac," he started, staring at his entwined hands resting on his lap.

"Thank you for what?" she asked, her voice glacial.

"For saving my life, yesterday. With all I said to you over the last week, I know I didn't deserve it," he said, looking at her.

She turned to face him, her features distorted by anger. "You're damn right, but AJ didn't merit to die. Don't fool yourself, it was a pure accident if it helped you by the same occasion."

Harm needed a few deep breaths to stay calm. "Mac, I was just trying to be nice, you don't need to overreact like this," he finally replied, his voice neutral.

She got up and walked towards the shore, closely followed by Harm. "And you dare to say that it's me who is overreacting?" she shot back furiously. "Aren't you the one who concluded that I was sleeping with the first male officer in my path?" she finished, kicking a rock forcefully into the ocean.

He tried to touch her arm, but she pushed him away. "I'm sorry, Mac. I don't know why I said that."

"You don't know," she repeated sharply, "so how should I?" She faced him, returned to the cabin and sat at the exact same spot she was earlier. "I honestly thought until last week that we were back to some normal friendship, but you screwed up. As usual, Harmon Rabb, you screwed up!" Harm walked towards the porch and just leaned on the railing, listening attentively to the raging Marine. "I should have known from the beginning that you were no better than any other man. The two first were predictable, and I should have kept in mind the famous proverb 'the third time is the charm'. The only thing that totally escaped my mind was that you could have been the third."

He stared at her in total confusion. "Mac, please enlighten me. I have no idea what you're talking about."

Her gaze returned to the immensity of the ocean as she continued, in a faraway voice. "Sadik did it first. When he brought me at his apartment, he told me that I was acting and dressed like a whore. He was just a bastard, and I was sure he had said it only to impress me," she sighed. "But then Clay did it. He was coming from his assignments only to have sex with me. He was never there otherwise. The other day, after I killed Fahd, he held me against my will and tried to kiss me as if I was his personal courtesan." Harm's eyes grew larger as he heard what the spook had done to Mac, while she continued on an infuriated intonation. "And finally, you did it, Rabb. You did it twice, in fact. Your first allusion to Sydney was already shabby, but the one concerning Sneakers was deliberately wicked. You went way too far this time, Commander," she concluded, rushing into the cabin, leaving Harm pondering on the porch.



* * * * *



Mattie wanted to show Harm her new hairdo when she collided with Mac as she crossed the back door. After a quick look back, she reached Harm, who was now sitting on the porch. "What did you do to her this time, Harm?"

He immediately switched into defensive mode. "What makes you think I did anything wrong?"

"Because, as far as I know, every time Mac has this look in her eyes, it's because of you." She sat crossed-legged on the porch, facing Harm, her hands on her lap. "I shouldn't tell you this, well, I swore that I wouldn't tell you, but I think it's too important right now. I know what you told Mac last Friday. I can't understand why!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air. "Have you already forgotten that she is the only reason why I'm here with you and not in a foster care family?"

He stared at her, but his blue eyes were shaded. "I thanked her for that, but we have a history of problems, grown-up problems, Mattie."

This last comment infuriated her. "Stop treating me like a kid, Harm! I'm 15, I ran the business for six months by myself, and above all that, I had and still have to deal with a drunk father who killed my mother. I'm not a sweet little girl!"

The expression on Harm's face softened a little. "I know, Mattie. I apologise."

"Apologies not accepted yet," she answered. "Tell me exactly what happened."

Harm looked uneasy. "I made an inappropriate comment related to Sydney, when I thought she was in a topless mini-bikini with a fellow officer."

"Why would you care if she was?"

"Because it's an inappropriate behaviour for a Marine officer!" he replied, as if the answer was natural.

Mattie looked at him and shook her head. " Harm, tell me the real reason. I know that is only the official statement."

He lowered his head, avoiding her scrutinising gaze. "Because I feared for my life."

She started laughing. "Harm, you're not gonna break if she falls for someone."

His expression saddened. "You weren't there, Mattie. You don't know what happened. The last times she fell in love, I almost died for her."

"You never told me that, Harm."

"Almost three years ago, she was supposed to marry an Australian officer, Mic Brumby. I was on the Patrick Henry for my quals, but I did everything I could to be on time for her wedding. However, my plane crashed in the sea on the way home, and they found me in extremis. I suffered severe hypothermia, and I believe that just five more minutes would have been fatal." Mattie saw the pain in his eyes as he related the accident. "Last year, a friend," he spat the word with the tip of the tongue, "Webb, requested her on a mission in Paraguay. I quit everything, I mean everything, in order to save her, and I almost died when our plane was shot down. She never even thanked me for saving her life." He took a long pause, lost in his thoughts. "I don't want her to jeopardise my life once again."

Mattie squeezed his forearm rapidly. "Harm, why did you do all that?"

"Because I wanted her to be safe, I told you," he replied, dryly.

"Harm, look at me and tell me the real reason you act like that with her," she insisted, getting up to face him.

"I wanted her to be happy," he responded, on a higher pitch.

"Harmon Rabb Junior, don't give me all that shit. I may be young, but I know you. What's the real reason?"

"Because I love her!" he yelled, throwing his arms in the air.

Mattie was frozen in place. The words echoed in her mind as she noticed the brunette that was leaning in the doorway retreat silently in the cabin, her expression indecipherable.



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