Notice: Do I really need to say it?
A/N: serendipity112233: Thank you for your review; I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Trust me when I say there is lots more to come…and I've already planned a couple spin off stories from this one for later (beyond the Mac POV of this storyline).
North of Union Station
Monday May 24, 2004
1027 Zulu
Harm jogged up the steps leading to his loft. He'd had a good run to start the day, but his knees were starting to complain more and more after every run. He couldn't wait to hit a nice cold shower to wash the sweat from the run off. As he hit the landing of his floor he slid to a stop. Standing in front of the door to his apartment was Mac. Holding a finger to his lips he nodded to the door of Mattie and Jen's apartment then went and unlocked his own, letting Mac enter first.
"What are you doing here?" he asked quietly.
"Nice to see you too." She said. "I thought I'd give you a ride to Nofolk and that way you wouldn't have to leave your Lexus out there while you're deployed."
"It's a two week hitch Mac, not the six month spread. Regardless though, I appreciate the gesture. Thank you." He said tossing the towel he wore around his neck over the back of a chair. "You could have let yourself in you know, I wouldn't have minded. Want some breakfast?"
"You shower, I'll make you some toast. We need to be on the road in twenty minutes if I'm going to make it back in time for my flight to Lejune." She replied apparently ignoring his statement about her letting herself in.
Nodding Harm walked off to his bathroom to get that shower he was thinking about. It was just too bad he was taking it alone. With a grin he looked over his shoulder at Mac. "Sure you don't want to join me?" he asked.
"Ah gee. And I've already got my uniform on. Can it flyboy, you're running out of time. Eighteen minutes and forty seconds." Mac said as she slid a couple slices of toast into the toaster.
Chuckling Harm finished the short walk to his bathroom. When he came out five minutes later wearing nothing but a pair of loose cotton pants Mac had two slices of toast and a glass of orange juice sitting on the counter waiting for him.
Sitting down on a stool he smiled at Mac. "Thanks Marine. I meant it you know…I really appreciate that you want to see me off."
"Don't let it go to your head." Mac said with mock sarcasm.
"You know…" he said between bites of toast and then he paused. He was about to tell her about the weird dream he had had the night before but he stopped. He wasn't sure if she'd want to hear about a dream where he was some medieval knight on a quest to rescue her as a princess who'd been captured by an evil sorcerer.
"You know what?" Mac asked.
"Umm. Nothing…don't worry about it." He said evasively. "Hey…do you want to take the Lexus? Your 'Vette isn't exactly luggage friendly."
"Do you have anything more than your seabag?" Mac asked with a raised eyebrow.
"No…but I was just thinking you've probably got your bags for your trip to Lejune…"
"Just an overnight bag and my suit bag. It'll be fine. Besides, just think what everyone will say when you're dropped off at the ship by a marine in a red Corvette."
Harm could just imagine what people would say…him getting dropped off at the pier by the most beautiful woman in the world in a red sportscar. And he probably wouldn't say anything to dissuade their speculations. He was just glad they weren't fighting this morning. Smiling he polished off the rest of his juice and then went to his room to put on his uniform.
"So what's in Lejune for you and Meg?" he called out to Mac.
"Nothing much…a couple UA marines. One of them is claiming that his absence was authorized and the Admiral felt it should be investigated. Why he's saddled me with Austin I don't know."
"Look at it as a chance to get to know her better." Harm said as he tied his shoes and then grabbed his cover and walked out to the living room. "Seriously Mac…you both mean a lot to me, and I'd like for you two to get along."
"We'll see. You ready to go?" Mac said from the door.
"Yeah. Just let me slip this under Jen and Mattie's door." Harm said as he picked up his sea bag and grabbed an envelope off the desk. "Can you do me a favor while I'm gone Mac?"
"You want me to look in on her?" Mac asked as Harm locked up his apartment.
"If you wouldn't mind, it would mean a lot to me." Harm said as he walked down the hall to the door to Mattie and Jen's apartment where he slipped the envelope under the door.
"No problem. What's in the envelope?"
"A quick note and one of my credit cards." Harm shrugged. "Make sure she doesn't empty my bank account before I get back?"
Laughing Mac nodded and then led the way down the stairs.
Pier 7
Norfolk Naval Yard
1310 Zulu
Harm grabbed his sea bag from the back of Mac's corvette and stepped back from the car. "Thanks for the ride Mac." He said with a smile.
"Just be careful out there Harm. Don't do anything stupid."
"You know, the Admiral said the same thing. I'll be fine. Its just some routine flights and some more notches on the greenie board." Harm said with a grin.
"Well, just try not to ditch any aircraft this time."
"I'll be careful Mac. Hey…do you think you should give me a kiss for luck?" Harm asked with a grin, fully aware that the duty officer at the top of the gangplank and his non-comm where watching.
"In your dreams Flyboy. In your dreams." Mac said with a laugh. "Come back safe."
"Yes ma'am. See you in a couple weeks." Harm said and then he turned to walk up the long gangplank to the ship. Saluting the flag he turned to the Ensign on duty. "Permission to come aboard?" he asked formally.
Saluting the commander before him the ensign checked his clipboard of all arriving personnel. Only one pilot was listed. "Commander Rabb? Welcome aboard sir. The Captain would like to see you on the bridge."
"Thank you Ensign. I know the way."
"Aye aye sir."
With that Harm walked back into the world that could make his whole body hum. Shortly he found himself walking into the command centre of one of the most powerful seagoing vessels on the planet.
"JAG on deck!" rang out as soon as Harm passed through the hatchway.
"Commander! Good to see you again." Captain Ingles said as he turned to the newly arrived officer.
Saluting Harm stood to attention. "Thank you sir, its good to be back." Holding out his orders Harm waited until the Captain had taken them and then stood at ease. It wasn't until then that Harm noticed Clayton Webb standing over by the chart table. What the hell was he doing there? Hadn't Mac said that he'd be in Germany?
"Commander, join me in my state room. Mr. Webb, join us." Captain Ingles said as he looked at Harm's orders.
"Aye aye sir." Harm said as he came to attention once more. He then followed the Captain down three decks to his wardroom. As the hatch closed behind Webb, Harm came to attention again.
"At ease Commander. Harm, as you know you're to fly your quals after we set to sea in a day and a half. But I'm sure you can guess by now that you're here for more than your quals."
"Yes sir. My annual quals aren't for four more months, and the sealed orders sir."
"Well, why don't we just open those now?" the Captain asked and then broke open the sealed envelope. After a quick glance he handed them to Harm.
Looking down Harm read the orders quickly. His designator was being changed to return him to active flight status. He was to be attached to the Patrick Henry's flight group for a period of not less than three months. Looking back up at the Captain he said "Sir, permission to speak freely?"
"Granted."
"Sir, I don't understand. Why is my designator being changed? Why am I being returned to active flight status? I have duties at JAG, and I was under the impression this was a two week hitch to bring my quals up to date."
"Not my idea Commander." The Captain said with a look at Clayton Webb.
"It was my idea Harm." Webb said with a smirk.
Gritting his teeth Harm continued looking at the Captain.
"Harm…there's something else. My CAG had mechanical problems two days out. He had to punch it and had a bad landing. His leg is fractured in six places and he's being sent to Bethesda. His XO doesn't have your flight hours or your time in the thick. We need someone with your experience running the show. While you're here you'll be acting CAG." The Captain said with another glance at Webb.
"That was also my idea Harm. This does not leave this room, but we need a CAG we can trust to replace the old CAG."
"Why was he one of 'your's'?" Harm asked sarcastically.
"Actually he was. Sort of. He was one of the few naval personnel we feel we can use when the situation requires it, much like yourself."
"Who was it? Keeter?" Harm asked flippantly thinking of the time Keeter flew the stealth for the CIA. There was no way it would be Keeter.
"Actually it was." Webb answered with yet another smirk.
"What the hell are you playing at Webb? And why the hell aren't you in Germany?"
"I'm not 'playing' at anything Rabb. What we're doing here is deadly serious, and you would do well to remember that. Did Sarah tell you I was in Germany? As far as she's concerned I am, and if you must know I told her that so that she wouldn't worry about me. Now if you'll excuse me Captain? I have a helo to catch. Rabb, I'll be in touch." Webb said and then without waiting for the Captain's dismissal turned and opened the hatch and left.
Sitting down the Captain gestured for Harm to do the same. "I don't like him any better than you appear to CAG. He makes me very nervous for some reason."
"He gets good people into problems they shouldn't be in sir, and they usually end up dead. I don't like it sir, but you know I'll follow orders. Does the Admiral know?"
"I'll be speaking with him later today. He doesn't know what was in the sealed orders…those came from the SecNav. It appears that Mr. Webb's boss and our boss are very good golfing buddies. Son, there's something fundamentally wrong with the SecNav letting the CIA have our pilots whenever they ask."
"You'll get no argument out of me sir."
"Well Commander, I'll let you get settled into your stateroom. Report to me on the bridge in half an hour."
"Aye aye sir." Harm said coming out of his chair and standing to attention again. Taking two steps back he turned around and was in the process of opening the hatch when the captain spoke again.
"And I trust you won't be landing anything bigger than a tomcat on my deck CAG."
"No sir." Harm said with a smile.
Twenty minutes later Harm was hanging his flight suit in the locker in his stateroom. His helmet followed the flight suit into the locker, the front facing out so that 'Hammer' was visible to all. He still couldn't get over the gift that the Raptors had given him last time he was with them. Taking a last look in his seabag he decided everything he would need in the next little while was put away and the rest could wait. Tossing the seabag into the bottom of the locker he closed the door and looked around the stateroom. Nothing else to do here, he might as well head up to the bridge. It was a shame he had stay in uniform; he would much rather be wearing the flight suit but seeing as flight operations were suspended while in port there wasn't much point in it. Soon enough. Soon enough.
While he made his way to the bridge of the carrier Harm began to wonder about things that were going to surely come his way. If he were to be on the carrier for at least three months he would be doing more than his quals; he would be flying combat missions, and in all probability writing letters home to unknowing families. Growing more and more pensive Harm was cursing Webb for once again reaching out and plucking him from JAG when he came to a sudden stop in the passageway nearly causing an accident as numerous sailors desperately tried to avoid running over this tall, broad shouldered Commander who had suddenly stopped in the their way. Harm however had no time to notice the looks he was getting from those going around him. What if this was simply a ploy by Webb to get Harm away from Mac? Could Webb pull enough strings to get Harm sent into action for half a standard cruise? He couldn't, could he? As he pondered these thoughts Harm felt his anger rising. If he found out that Webb was simply trying to separate him and Mac then the spook would find he had waken the tiger.
It was a slightly confused and brooding Harm that stepped onto the bridge for the second time that day. "Ah CAG…all squared away?" Captain Ingles asked.
"Aye sir, reporting as ordered."
"Good good. Seeing as we're not engaged in flight ops while in port, you should have ample opportunity to go over any of the personnel records of anyone unfamiliar to you. You'll find them in your office, along with copies of previous flight rotations and maintenance schedules. By the time we get underway in two days I want you to have the next month's rotation done up. I've kept your crews on board for the time being…if you feel the need to let them off ship before we get underway feel free to give them passes. As long as they're on deck and sober when we leave port everything will be fine. Any questions?"
"No sir. I'll get on that right away with your permission?"
"Carry on Commander."
An hour later Harm leaned back in his chair pinching the bridge of his nose. Spread out on the desk in front of him was the numerous personnel files of young pilots he had no pervious contact with. He had noticed that Skates and Tuna were still flying with the Raptors, along with a number of other pilots and RIOs he'd flown with in the past. He liked the look of his squadron; lots of them had stick time in the thick.
Looking up at a knock on his hatch Harm smiled to see Lieutenant Elizabeth "Skates" Hawkes standing there smiling.
"Skates…come in. I thought you were trying to fly dry?" he asked, referring to her plans to transfer to a land bound duty station to be closer to her fiancé.
"Well you know sir…I have salt in the blood and jet fumes in the lungs. If the landing strip is too big and doesn't pitch there's just no fun in it. Besides, none of those drivers know how to fly." Skates said with a smile. "So we're stuck with the Hammer again are we?"
"Good to see you again Liz." Harm said with genuine feeling. This woman had helped bring him back from death's door three years ago. "So who's your driver?"
"Well sir, it seems I don't have one right now. I broke the last one, and they told me I'd have to wait for the new CAG to decide what to do with me." Skates said with mock seriousness.
"You broke your last one? Wait…you were riding backseat for Keeter?" Harm asked. That reminded him, he wanted to get down to sickbay and see if Keeter had been sent to Bethesda yet. Damn...he probably had been.
"Damn right she was." A familiar voice called from the hallway, followed by an odd thumping noise. A few moments later the sight of Keeter thumping his way over a kneeknocker on crutches hove into view. "Damn it Hammer, give me a hand will you?"
Laughing Harm stood up from behind his desk and squeezed past Skates to help Keeter over the kneeknocker. "I thought they were strapping you to a bed in Bethesda?" he asked once Keeter was fully into the office.
"Oh they will…just wanted to come by and make sure you don't screw up my squadron first. And her…" he said nodding at Skates. "All she can talk about is Hammer this and Hammer that. You'd think she saw you walk on water buddy. I tried telling her about that time we snuck off campus to see those twins, but even that didn't tarnish her Hammer worship."
Laughing Harm helped Keeter into a seat and then sat on the edge of his desk. "Well I'm not sure what she saw…I was pretty much out of it with hypothermia the last time I was in the water with Skates."
"Well sir, I'm just sorry you missed that wedding." Skates said with sincerity.
"What wedding?" Keeter asked curiously.
"Mac's…but it never happened." Harm said evasively.
"You still haven't married that Marine? What's wrong with you buddy? You slowing down in your old age?"
"Its not that easy buddy. Anyway…rest assured I won't mess up my squadron while you're out of commission. And who am I to mess with the way of things, I guess I'll take Skates as my RIO." Harm said with a smile for Skates. "One of the best I've ever chauffeured."
"Skates…now that you know he's going to keep you in his backseat, can I speak to the Commander in private?"
"Aye aye sir." Skates said coming to attention. "Sirs."
As she left Skates made sure to dog the hatch shut so that Harm and Keeter had the privacy they needed.
"She's going up before the next Lieutenant Commander board. It's just too bad I won't be here to see her get it." Keeter said with a sigh. "She is a hell of a RIO…damn glad she came back where she belonged. Harm, listen….about this whole thing. I'm sorry…I was involved in bringing you in."
"What do you mean?" Harm asked looking at his friend.
"Well I've been helping out the Company with in country jobs while we were in the Gulf…and if that damned roll SAS hadn't gone out on me on the last patrol you'd still be comfy in your JAG office. But it did, and I got this." Keeter said thumping his cast. "So the Company needed someone they could trust. That's when we all thought of you."
"I'm through with the Company Keeter." Harm said stubbornly.
"You're never through with the Company buddy, you know that. They may have given you a pat on the head and sent you back to JAG, but they didn't cut all the strings. They'll still make you dance when they need you. And this is one of those times. Hell, Webb asked for you for this."
"I'll just bet." Harm said bitterly.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"He's probably just looking for a way to get me away from Mac for awhile. Finished what he started after Paraguay."
"What do you mean buddy?"
"Him and Mac are dating." Harm said simply.
With a low whistle Keeter shook his head. "Well I didn't know about that, but I do know if they can't have me here, they might as well have the second best."
"Second best my ass. I've never let Martin Baker beat me up that bad." Harm said with a laugh looking at Keeter's cast. For a moment Keeter had managed to get his mind off of Webb and Mac.
"Look buddy…here's how its going to work. Webb will come back on board once in awhile to task you with a new mission. Sometimes they're hops that you can give to someone from the squad, sometimes they're dark."
Harm knew that when Keeter said dark he meant black ops, stuff only he could handle. "How dirty?"
"Some of them get pretty bad brother. I'd suggest going to see the Chaplin for confession once in awhile to get some of it off your soul." Keeter said somberly.
Sighing Harm cursed the day he met Webb all those years ago. Ever since then he just couldn't seem to get away from the CIA. A knock at his hatch brought him out of his reverie.
"Enter!" he called.
Slowly the hatch was undogged and then swung upon. A young ensign poked her head in. "Sirs? The Captain was wondering why Commander Keeter was 'loafing around his ship'. Your ride to Bethesda has been dockside for half an hour sir. And CAG, the Captain said if you need to let anyone know of the change in plans you are cleared to use the comm centre."
"Thank you Ensign…." Harm said, waiting for the young lady to provide her name.
"Tollari sir. I'm the PRO here on the Henry." She said with a smile.
With a smile and chuckle Harm said "I'll take the Captain up on that and make sure that Commander Keeter catches his cab. Remind me some time to tell you about another young Public Relations Officer I knew on the Seahawk."
"Aye sir. Excuse me sir?" Ensign Tollari said respectfully.
"Carry on Tollari." Keeter said as he struggled to stand up from the chair. "Well I guess that's my cue."
"Let me walk you down to your ride." Harm said.
After numerous struggles and some near fatal misses Harm finally got Keeter off the ship and down the gangplank to the dock where an ambulance was waiting.
"I don't need any stinking ambulance." Keeter grumbled when they were finally at the vehicle.
"I know buddy. Humor the Captain." Harm said. Giving Keeter a quick hug he followed up with a gentle shove in the direction of the ambulance. "Get better soon buddy…I've got a job to do that isn't your's."
"Three months buddy. That's what their saying it'll take me to heal up and rehab. Look for me on a Cod in three months."
As the ambulance drove down the dockside and disappeared around a corner Harm turned back to the carrier that would be his home for the next three months. There was just something about this cruise that Harm didn't like…something felt wrong. With a sigh he started up the gangplank once more. Now for the hardest part of the whole mission…he needed to phone Mattie and tell her that he wouldn't be home in two weeks. The Admiral would take care of letting everyone else know, but Mattie needed to hear it from him.