TITLE: Revealing Souls
RATING: PG-13
PAIRING: H/M
DISCLAIMER: I do not own JAG.
Author's Note: About 3 chapters to go ... woo-hoo! Hope everyone has enjoyed it thus far. Reviews always welcome! Thanks everyone for reading.
Chapter 5: Protective Faith
Mac's Barracks room
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba 2230 EST
They struggled, Mac moving them to the bed, trying desperately to use her weight to land him on top of it. With an amazing effort that Mac didn't know she had in her, she flipped the man using his weight as leverage, sending him crashing into the bed. As he landed, she ran over to him, ready to somehow keep him pinned until eventual help came, but the attacker quickly kicked her, sending her sailing across the room hard into the set of closets. Mac suddenly felt her world turn dizzy, realizing she had hit her head extremely hard.
It didn't take much, however, for her to realize the shadow once again descending on her brutally. The man then grabbed her arms, trying to pin her to the floor, and Mac found herself unable to fathom which way was up, her head making the world a blur. All she could depend on was her Marine instincts, feeling herself pushing the man roughly across the room. He came to her again, but this time Mac was ready and kicked him. Standing, she began to charge towards him, only moving with the black blur that covered her eyes, but it was too late. The man was gone.
Mac then realized she was panting harshly, finding it extremely difficult to catch her breath. Immediately she dropped to her knees onto the floor unable to hold her balance any further. Had Mac been able to see just a little better, she would have gone after him in a heartbeat. However, such an idea was not wise. Not now. But soon.
Another shadow invaded her vision, coming towards her quickly. "Colonel? Are you ok?" a worried Marine replied next to her. All Mac could feel was someone checking her pulse and her breathing. She knew she was mostly fine, yet dizzy and disoriented because of the nasty blow to her head.
It was then she heard whom she needed to. "Mac?" came Harm's shocked call, feeling his hands on her face.
Mac could only think of a few words. "He went out the door. Left, I think." Her rasps came out choppy, barely understandable. Yet Harm bolted to his feet and ran out quickly. The few other Marines began to help her to her feet.
"Ma'am, we're taking you to the medical center," one Marine replied hastily next to her. Mac only nodded, knowing there wasn't much she could say or do.
Suddenly she saw Harm come up to her, clearly out of breath. "He's gone, Mac." Whatever they were arguing about before melted away like ice in the sun, and Harm could only think of one thing. Mac's safety. However, the second thought that came to mind was the jerk that attacked her and the revenge that flooded his heart and soul. The anger. It sickened him to think that the person was trying to kill her. The same person who they were trying to catch, he knew. Now the case had become very personal. Looking to Mac, he realized he had never felt this before. Certainly he had been angry with those who have hurt Mac in the past, but this time the rage was boiling over. The rage existed not only because of Mac's attacker, but also his own guilt for not being there to protect her. Next time, he wouldn't let her out of his sight.
Colonel Madison's Office
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
0730 EST The Next Day
Colonel Madison sighed deeply as he saw the reports flooding his desk concerning the commotion from the night before. All he needed was more determined JAG lawyers, he thought sarcastically to himself. He felt his base had already been terribly disturbed by the cases that wouldn't go away, and he had to admit he was becoming much more in favor of a speedy solution. His base didn't need anymore of this, and he hoped that Colonel Mackenzie's experience last night would either make them leave or cause them to find the killer that much quicker so Marine life at Guantanamo Bay would get back to normal.
Just as he thought this, there was a knock at his door. He was certain he had told his yeoman to keep people out of his office for the morning. The paperwork because of that unwanted commotion was overflowing. Calling with irritation, "Come in!", he hoped the person waiting on the other side of the door would know to make their visit short.
Commander Rabb swiftly came in, closing the door quickly behind him. He strolled up to the Colonel's desk, saluting him. "Sir, a word?"
Knowing it was best to humor the lawyers as much as possible, he replied, "Sit." Rabb quickly moved to a seat across from the Colonel and sat down. "What can I do for you?"
Rabb didn't hide the anger, displaying it openly. "Care to tell me what happened last night?"
Madison just shrugged. "I don't know, Commander, you tell me. You were there." He knew his reply would not be accepted lightly.
Rabb leaned back a little in his chair. "I think it's obvious that someone on your base hates to have women Marines."
"My Marines have opinions about everything, Commander. There's no way I can control their beliefs," Madison rebuked angrily.
Rabb was becoming more irritated by the second, just being in this man's presence. "I'm not asking you to control their beliefs, Colonel, I'm asking you to learn how to control the actions of your men."
Madison stood then, the anger pouring out of him. "You don't know anything about running a base, Commander!"
Rabb stood, as well, displaying his height. "No, Colonel, and it seems like you don't either." Rabb didn't expect Madison to come around his desk, jumping right into his face. However, it also didn't surprise him. The way he was feeling right now, he could take down a whole army.
"Why don't just your take your butt back to Washington, where it belongs. Where everyone is safe in their little neighborhoods and homes, and the rest of the real Marines, unlike your partner, can stand watch on the wall!" Madison screamed, feeling his heart pounding, his breathing quickening. He had moved strongly into the young Commander's face.
Rabb moved just an inch closer. "Is that statement indicating that we should be investigating you, too? Colonel?"
Madison felt the anger melting away a little, and he wasn't even sure why. He knew that both he and Rabb were getting off the subject at hand. Something terrible was happening on his base, and he had been so preoccupied with getting his base back to normal that the solution to the problem was evading him. If the person who was committing these crimes would go so far as to try and murder a Lieutenant Colonel of the Marine Corp., the problem had become ten times worse. The killer needed to be found soon.
"No, Commander," Madison replied softly, moving back behind his desk. "Honestly, I have no idea who might be doing this. The JAG officer who investigated the Miller case didn't go into great detail because I told him not to. I wanted my base back to normal, and JAG business would just be a disruption. If someone was found murdered on my base, it would've looked horrible in the eyes of my Marines, discouraged them. When the medical examiner suggested suicide, I thought that would be good enough." Madison felt the weight lift, upset at the route he took to save his command, but glad that he finally revealed why everything had seemed so messy.
Rabb also felt himself calming, knowing that the information he was just told was quite important. It explained many inconsistencies as to why the Miller case hadn't been investigated to its full lengths, and why there appeared to be a cover-up. The cover-up was merely Colonel Madison trying to hide the murders in fear that his command would take a major blow. However, the cover-up itself had already done that. "What about Major Hanson?"
Madison nodded slightly and looked out the window at the many Marines running their early morning drills. "Hanson certainly has his strong feelings. I would hate to lose him, but if he's the one killing off my soldiers because he doesn't like them, well ..."
Rabb immediately interrupted, "So you're saying it could be him?"
Madison glanced to Rabb, feeling his years in the Marines were catching up to him. "I think any man or woman can go to the extreme, Commander."
Rabb followed the Colonel's gaze, seeing Major Hanson and his unit, unable to let go of his own opinion, yet hearing Mac's pleas. Maybe they were looking in the wrong spot, and maybe Major Hanson was so irritated with Mac and her success as a Marine that he had to do something. What feared him the most, however, was the chance that Mac was right, knowing there could be someone sitting in the darkness, waiting for the right time to strike next. Harm knew Mac was in danger.
Medical Center, United States Naval Base
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
0830 EST
Captain Andrews began to write notes on Mac's chart. "Colonel Mackenzie, you are extremely lucky," he said. Mac only nodded, knowing that the doctor was probably right. However, her skills as a Marine also came in handy.
"Will I be able to leave soon?" Mac asked, eager to get back to the case as soon as possible. Though she probably would not be able to prosecute or defend now, she could at least finish the investigation. She had been sitting in the medical center for the early hours of the morning, still wearing the shorts and T-shirt that she had been changing into before the attack. Indeed she had hit her head extremely hard, but the doctors had observed her for hours with no real problems. Indeed it had come very close.
Andrews nodded. "Just a few more hours. The dizziness and blurred vision you suffered when you hit your head only lasted a few minutes, but I want to observe just a little longer to make sure it's nothing more serious than a blow to the head. No signs of concussion or anything, which is good."
Mac smiled. "Thanks." The doctor promptly left, and Mac found herself alone. Sleeping most of her time here, she wasn't entirely sure who had been with her most of these hours. Her sense of loneliness quickly left as Harmon Rabb appeared in the emergency section of the medical center. "Hey, sailor."
Harm couldn't help but shine brightly seeing her awake and alert. When he had left only an hour before she was still sleeping. "Hey, Marine." He grabbed a seat next to her bed and sat down next to her. "Feeling better?"
Mac nodded, sitting up to talk to him better. "I feel ok."
Harm glanced around quickly before reaching his hand over to hers, squeezing it. "You had me a little scared," he whispered, smirking a bit.
Mac squeezed back, replying with confidence, "I'm your lean, green, fighting Marine, remember?"
Harm suddenly became very serious, edging a bit closer to her. "I should've been there." He knew he should've been and he knew he shouldn't have let the argument get to him. Knowing that the idea that both Marines murdered were women should have hinted to him to stay with Mac as much as possible.
Mac replied, "It's ok, Harm. Both of us should've suspected this, knowing that both victims were women." Honestly, she hadn't thought of it much before their discussion before she was attacked. In many cases, Bobbi Latham had been right; Mac had fit the profile perfectly.
"I went to Colonel Madison," Harm replied bluntly, chancing a quick glance at Mac to see her reaction. Only confusion answered. "I think he finally agrees this is very serious."
Mac knew how difficult it had been to convince the Colonel that the women had been murdered. Hearing the sudden cooperation of Madison worried her. "What did you say to him, Harm?" she asked, very concerned. If anything, she certainly didn't want Harm to make such a high stir because of this incident. The last thing they wanted was to irritate the Colonel more than they already had. Getting in his face wasn't the solution.
Harm shrugged sheepishly, taking his eyes away from hers, apparently unwilling to describe exactly what was said. "I just told him that the incident last night should be more than enough reason to help us find who is behind all of this."
Mac smirked back, unable to hide her surprise at Harm's lack of control because of her. She could easily tell that Harm had said much more than he was letting on and he had made quite an impression. However, that's not what she wanted from him. Protecting her as he was trying to do was sweet in it's own way, yet the real need was to find the attacker and to find him quickly. "So what do you think now?"
Harm grabbed both of her hands now in his. "You tell me."
Mac sighed, realizing she had suddenly become the main witness in the case. All she really remembered was trying desperately to get the man off of her, trying to pin him, trying to keep the rope off of her neck. Her thoughts were flooded with quick movements, the blurry shadows, her instinctive reactions. If the attack had taken place in the daytime the odds of her possibly seeing his face, or anything distinctive, were certainly better. However, this was not the case. "I wish I could tell you."
Harm only vaguely sensed her frustration, some with the case and some with herself. "Don't worry if you can't remember much." Such a quick event in someone's life would be difficult to remember, difficult to define. Everything had happened with such intensity.
Mac shook her head, sitting up even further. "Just give me some time to think about it." Frustration, yes, but also determination flooded her thoughts. "Right now we need to get back to work," Mac replied, beginning to stand.
Harm immediately stood with her, grabbing a hold of her arms. "Mac, no. The doctor hasn't cleared you yet." Harm knew better than to let her go, especially when she was so upset. He needed to take the main hold of this case, knowing that Mac's involvement had almost cost her life. Of course, Harm knew Mac's strength and determination, and trying to tame them wouldn't be wise. Those characteristics were apart of who she was.
Mac pushed him away slightly. "Really, Harm, I'm fine. I want to get back to work," she insisted, looking up into eyes with an amazing confidence. It was time to finish this case, and her experience with the attacker was the key to doing so. They had to begin thinking of ways to trap the attacker and reveal his identity. Whether it was Major Hanson or not, it had to be done now and quickly. As Bobbi Latham has said, Mac fits the profile and her ability to get back on the case as if nothing had fazed her would certainly help bring her attacker out once again.
Harm backed away, knowing he wouldn't be able to do much. "Ok, fine. But on one condition."
Mac looked to him, very intrigued. "What's that?" she asked, humoring him a bit, the intensity of the situation beginning to drain away.
Yet Harm remained somewhat serious. "I'm not leaving you anywhere by yourself."
Mac felt herself smiling, again realizing she will never be able to escape Harm's protectiveness of her. "That might get annoying," she remarked, finally breaking the seriousness of the man before her as a smile crossed his features.
Harm and Mac's temporary office
United States Naval Base, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
1000 EST
Major Hanson couldn't believe he was sitting here. The room was very hot, the fans in the windows barely letting off a breeze. It was a breeze he desperately needed, not only feeling hot because of the weather, but also because of the situation he was suddenly in. The tension was extremely high as the two JAG lawyers from before began to question him. This time the Lieutenant Colonel was standing a bit away from the situation, hardly seeming like she was in the conversation. Yet, Hanson thought to himself, her expression was infallible. In fact, her eyes had remained on him the entire time. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but the stare was beginning to unnerve him. Such ability made him rethink his reservations about the Lieutenant Colonel's status as a true Marine. After hearing about last night's events, he sensed he would not mind having the Colonel in battle with him. Such an admission was strange to him.
"Where were you last night, Major?" Rabb asked, sitting across from the Major, making a small note on his report.
Hanson only shrugged, desperately trying to find his nerve. "Sleeping."
Rabb put his hands in front, together, on the table. His eyes immediately displayed contempt and disbelief. Hanson was not in a friendly place at all. "Anyone to confirm that, Major?"
Hanson glanced to the Colonel, who had suddenly moved away from the wall and a bit closer to them. Part of him hoped that despite his lack of alibi and his apparent ill feelings towards women in the Marines, his reputation would aid him. He knew he had one, his work in the Persian Gulf War and recently in Afghanistan displaying his commitment to the Marine Corp. Despite any beliefs he may have towards women or anything else for that matter, the Marine Corp. and his unit came first. "I don't believe so, sir."
Rabb nodded slightly, making another note. The Commander glanced quickly to the Lieutenant Colonel, waiting for a response. Being that she was suddenly an important witness and one who actually encountered the attacker, any questions she had would be quite important. The Colonel didn't say a word at first, instead sighing deeply and crossing her arms over her chest. Finally, she ordered, "Would you mind standing up for a second, Major?"
Hanson stood slowly, rather rigid, unsure of what the Colonel was looking for. "Would you like me to dance, too, Colonel?" Hanson replied, ever keeping the hard stone exterior. He was determined to hide his nervousness. However, the look that met his made him regret his retort.
Mackenzie replied quickly, "Be lucky you're not in the brink, Major." Hanson looked away from the Colonel, trying to remember he was in the presence of two officers that outranked him. He needed to be quite careful. Rabb only leaned back in his chair, observing the actions in front of him. "Where were you the night Private Miller was killed? Or Knight?"
Hanson knew it was coming now. There was no escaping it. The problem was, Hanson thought, he was out and about that night. He liked to walk the base at night to clear his head. "After Marine training is finished, ma'am, I then go to dinner. After that I proceed to Colonel Madison's office to give my daily report and to receive orders. From there I like to take a walk through the base." He glanced to Rabb, treating his description of events as a normal day in his life, because it was.
Rabb leaned forward becoming very intrigued. "Time frame?" he asked quietly. Hanson only noticed Mackenzie motioning him to sit down again, which he followed.
Hanson immediately answered, "About 1900 hours, sir. I usually start eating dinner around then after everything is settled, then report to my CO. Sometimes we have night drills. That night we didn't. My meetings with the Colonel last about an hour, sir."
Mackenzie shot back, "What do you talk about? Specifically?"
Hanson looked away from her, a bit irritated at the question. He knew he had already answered it enough and didn't wish to go further into what he and his CO discussed at the end of the day. It wasn't any of her business, Hanson said to himself. Replying with disdain, the Major said, "What happened during the day, ma'am."
Rabb pressed further, "And then you go for a walk?"
Hanson hated being asked the same question twice. "Yes, sir."
"This happened both nights? And last night?" Mackenzie asked eagerly.
Hanson knew they were trying to trip him up, confuse him. He couldn't give them any more reason to suspect him than was already there "I told you, last night I was sleeping."
Mackenzie nodded, feeling they were beginning to get to the Major. The idea was to test his nerves, see if his stories stayed straight throughout the interview. So far they had, except for having no witnesses to where he was on those three nights. "How long do you usually walk for?"
Hanson replied quickly, "An hour or so."
Rabb asked, "And you went back to the barracks right after the walk?"
Hanson nodded, "Yes, sir." He could tell both Rabb and Mackenzie had been watching him, staring at him constantly throughout the interview. What they might be thinking he can only speculate, and part of him really didn't care. He couldn't necessarily control their feelings, and whether they believed him or not, he knew the truth. Knowing he should've kept his feelings about women in the Marines to himself, it was a lesson to keep his mouth shut. Especially when JAG lawyers were strutting about.
Mackenzie chanced a quick glance at Rabb, nonverbal communication evident in their stare. Hanson only prayed that it would all be over soon and he could return to his unit. The clock told him he had been here for about a half hour total, way too long in a room with two JAG lawyers all by himself. It was then that Rabb addressed him. "We're finished for now, Major. But don't be surprised if we want to talk to you again."
Hanson nodded. "Yes, sir." He stood, saluted, and quickly left.
Harm and Mac looked to each other again, the obvious question floating in Harm's eyes. "Well?"
Mac shrugged and sat down across from him. "I don't know."
Harm knew it was difficult for her, difficult for any star witness to label someone as the attacker. He pushed slightly, "First instinct?"
Mac's eyes darted to the windows, staring at the sun shining brightly through the glass. The fan's propellers left interesting shadows across her face as well as the floor and the walls. They were the same shadows that converged on her heart right now, unwilling to label a person who may be innocent as the attacker. In reality, she had no real way of knowing for sure. It had been very dark that night. Asking Hanson to stand helped Mac compare his height to that of her attacker. Hanson seemed about 6 foot, as was the estimated height of her attacker. However, she couldn't let herself do this, just blame someone when she wasn't 100 percent sure. "I don't think it's him." That answer would have to be good enough for now.
Harm nodded, continuing to offer support to her, allowing his hand to reach over to hers, clasping it. It was obvious the experience was still so new that it was affecting her judgment. Even though he had allowed her to help him, Harm now saw it may not have been a good idea. She was now way too close to the case to be objective. Maybe she didn't feel he was the assailant, even after that attack, but Harm couldn't let him go. There was too much there, too many opportunities for the Major. Not only did he not have any true alibis, he also had quite a motive. It all seemed to fit. "Maybe you should get some rest, Mac. Get away from the case for awhile."
Mac looked to him, aggravated at his immediate acceptance of the Major as the one and only attacker, despite, in her opinion, the lack of a smoking gun. Knowing this made her even more determined to stick with the case, to find the real killer once and for all. Having such a close encounter with the assailant, Mac knew she had to step up and make the claim. Forcing herself to remember what happened during those 2 or 3 short minutes of the encounter was essential. It was up to her and she needed to take hold of the responsibility, despite her confusion and feelings. It had to be done. "No, Harm. I can't. Especially when you're so ready to convict Major Hanson without looking at anyone else." Her irritation with him overflowed.
Harm pulled away, standing up. "I knew it," he muttered.
Mac stood up to meet him. "What?"
Harm put his papers back into the folder, wishing he hadn't said such a statement under his breath. If anything, Mac sensed everything about him. Especially since their relationship started, it often amazed him as to how much Mac suddenly knew about him. She was an observer and above all his confidante. Telling her his feelings and problems had become second nature, and he found himself slipping such small statements to her portraying his real feelings quickly without a fight. "You're too close to this, Mac. If it was any other case, that interview should have given you even more reason to suspect Hanson."
Mac shook her head and moved away from the table and closer to Harm. "I would be careful, Commander, of what you're implying. I am always professional when I need to be, and I'm the last person to let my experiences hinder my objectivity." She knew why he was feeling this way. Harm was concerned for her. He had reason to be concerned, Mac knew that, but at the same time Harm knew her better than anyone has ever known her. If she felt unable to perform her duties as a JAG officer or Marine she would step down. At this moment, she didn't feel this way at all.
Harm sighed deeply, realizing he had opened a can of worms. This case was not really helping their relationship at all, Harm mused. "I'm not sure you can make that distinction right now, Mac, as to whether you're suitable to continue the investigation under the circumstances." Even though Mac had gone formal on him, he wouldn't do so with her. Unfortunately, these feelings were personal and it was difficult for them to be anything else.
Mac stepped towards the door and opened it, suddenly feeling slightly alone. Harm of all people should be the person she could count on in these difficult times. Right now Mac was having trouble believing that. In a way, it almost scared her. She looked away a bit from him, thinking of the words to leave him with. Being too upset and angry with him was not the way to be to continue this conversation if they had any hope of accomplishing anything. There were many subjects to fix in their relationship, but right now wouldn't be the time to do so. "I really thought you had faith in me, Harm."
Watching Mac leave, Harm felt his world crash down upon him. Indeed many things between them had suddenly gone wrong, and Harm wished he could fix them. However, this case was still looming and he only hoped there was a relationship left to save when it was all over. Glancing out the window, he felt his soul ache a bit. Of all the people in the world, Mac was the person he trusted the most. Why was he convincing himself that her opinion was definitely wrong? He knew she was professional, knew that her assessment of situations was highly important. Why did it seem like he didn't have any faith in her? He had faith in her before the relationship. Trusting her with his life was easy. As he reached the door and began to open it, the problem suddenly arose inside of him. Relationships were different. The intimacy was different. Suddenly not having faith in her in these types of situations was only a symptom. Trusting her with his life was easy, he thought again, but now he had to trust her with his soul. He realized then that such a concept frightened him, because he had never done such a thing before.
... To Be Continued ...
Reviews Welcome!!!
RATING: PG-13
PAIRING: H/M
DISCLAIMER: I do not own JAG.
Author's Note: About 3 chapters to go ... woo-hoo! Hope everyone has enjoyed it thus far. Reviews always welcome! Thanks everyone for reading.
Chapter 5: Protective Faith
Mac's Barracks room
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba 2230 EST
They struggled, Mac moving them to the bed, trying desperately to use her weight to land him on top of it. With an amazing effort that Mac didn't know she had in her, she flipped the man using his weight as leverage, sending him crashing into the bed. As he landed, she ran over to him, ready to somehow keep him pinned until eventual help came, but the attacker quickly kicked her, sending her sailing across the room hard into the set of closets. Mac suddenly felt her world turn dizzy, realizing she had hit her head extremely hard.
It didn't take much, however, for her to realize the shadow once again descending on her brutally. The man then grabbed her arms, trying to pin her to the floor, and Mac found herself unable to fathom which way was up, her head making the world a blur. All she could depend on was her Marine instincts, feeling herself pushing the man roughly across the room. He came to her again, but this time Mac was ready and kicked him. Standing, she began to charge towards him, only moving with the black blur that covered her eyes, but it was too late. The man was gone.
Mac then realized she was panting harshly, finding it extremely difficult to catch her breath. Immediately she dropped to her knees onto the floor unable to hold her balance any further. Had Mac been able to see just a little better, she would have gone after him in a heartbeat. However, such an idea was not wise. Not now. But soon.
Another shadow invaded her vision, coming towards her quickly. "Colonel? Are you ok?" a worried Marine replied next to her. All Mac could feel was someone checking her pulse and her breathing. She knew she was mostly fine, yet dizzy and disoriented because of the nasty blow to her head.
It was then she heard whom she needed to. "Mac?" came Harm's shocked call, feeling his hands on her face.
Mac could only think of a few words. "He went out the door. Left, I think." Her rasps came out choppy, barely understandable. Yet Harm bolted to his feet and ran out quickly. The few other Marines began to help her to her feet.
"Ma'am, we're taking you to the medical center," one Marine replied hastily next to her. Mac only nodded, knowing there wasn't much she could say or do.
Suddenly she saw Harm come up to her, clearly out of breath. "He's gone, Mac." Whatever they were arguing about before melted away like ice in the sun, and Harm could only think of one thing. Mac's safety. However, the second thought that came to mind was the jerk that attacked her and the revenge that flooded his heart and soul. The anger. It sickened him to think that the person was trying to kill her. The same person who they were trying to catch, he knew. Now the case had become very personal. Looking to Mac, he realized he had never felt this before. Certainly he had been angry with those who have hurt Mac in the past, but this time the rage was boiling over. The rage existed not only because of Mac's attacker, but also his own guilt for not being there to protect her. Next time, he wouldn't let her out of his sight.
Colonel Madison's Office
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
0730 EST The Next Day
Colonel Madison sighed deeply as he saw the reports flooding his desk concerning the commotion from the night before. All he needed was more determined JAG lawyers, he thought sarcastically to himself. He felt his base had already been terribly disturbed by the cases that wouldn't go away, and he had to admit he was becoming much more in favor of a speedy solution. His base didn't need anymore of this, and he hoped that Colonel Mackenzie's experience last night would either make them leave or cause them to find the killer that much quicker so Marine life at Guantanamo Bay would get back to normal.
Just as he thought this, there was a knock at his door. He was certain he had told his yeoman to keep people out of his office for the morning. The paperwork because of that unwanted commotion was overflowing. Calling with irritation, "Come in!", he hoped the person waiting on the other side of the door would know to make their visit short.
Commander Rabb swiftly came in, closing the door quickly behind him. He strolled up to the Colonel's desk, saluting him. "Sir, a word?"
Knowing it was best to humor the lawyers as much as possible, he replied, "Sit." Rabb quickly moved to a seat across from the Colonel and sat down. "What can I do for you?"
Rabb didn't hide the anger, displaying it openly. "Care to tell me what happened last night?"
Madison just shrugged. "I don't know, Commander, you tell me. You were there." He knew his reply would not be accepted lightly.
Rabb leaned back a little in his chair. "I think it's obvious that someone on your base hates to have women Marines."
"My Marines have opinions about everything, Commander. There's no way I can control their beliefs," Madison rebuked angrily.
Rabb was becoming more irritated by the second, just being in this man's presence. "I'm not asking you to control their beliefs, Colonel, I'm asking you to learn how to control the actions of your men."
Madison stood then, the anger pouring out of him. "You don't know anything about running a base, Commander!"
Rabb stood, as well, displaying his height. "No, Colonel, and it seems like you don't either." Rabb didn't expect Madison to come around his desk, jumping right into his face. However, it also didn't surprise him. The way he was feeling right now, he could take down a whole army.
"Why don't just your take your butt back to Washington, where it belongs. Where everyone is safe in their little neighborhoods and homes, and the rest of the real Marines, unlike your partner, can stand watch on the wall!" Madison screamed, feeling his heart pounding, his breathing quickening. He had moved strongly into the young Commander's face.
Rabb moved just an inch closer. "Is that statement indicating that we should be investigating you, too? Colonel?"
Madison felt the anger melting away a little, and he wasn't even sure why. He knew that both he and Rabb were getting off the subject at hand. Something terrible was happening on his base, and he had been so preoccupied with getting his base back to normal that the solution to the problem was evading him. If the person who was committing these crimes would go so far as to try and murder a Lieutenant Colonel of the Marine Corp., the problem had become ten times worse. The killer needed to be found soon.
"No, Commander," Madison replied softly, moving back behind his desk. "Honestly, I have no idea who might be doing this. The JAG officer who investigated the Miller case didn't go into great detail because I told him not to. I wanted my base back to normal, and JAG business would just be a disruption. If someone was found murdered on my base, it would've looked horrible in the eyes of my Marines, discouraged them. When the medical examiner suggested suicide, I thought that would be good enough." Madison felt the weight lift, upset at the route he took to save his command, but glad that he finally revealed why everything had seemed so messy.
Rabb also felt himself calming, knowing that the information he was just told was quite important. It explained many inconsistencies as to why the Miller case hadn't been investigated to its full lengths, and why there appeared to be a cover-up. The cover-up was merely Colonel Madison trying to hide the murders in fear that his command would take a major blow. However, the cover-up itself had already done that. "What about Major Hanson?"
Madison nodded slightly and looked out the window at the many Marines running their early morning drills. "Hanson certainly has his strong feelings. I would hate to lose him, but if he's the one killing off my soldiers because he doesn't like them, well ..."
Rabb immediately interrupted, "So you're saying it could be him?"
Madison glanced to Rabb, feeling his years in the Marines were catching up to him. "I think any man or woman can go to the extreme, Commander."
Rabb followed the Colonel's gaze, seeing Major Hanson and his unit, unable to let go of his own opinion, yet hearing Mac's pleas. Maybe they were looking in the wrong spot, and maybe Major Hanson was so irritated with Mac and her success as a Marine that he had to do something. What feared him the most, however, was the chance that Mac was right, knowing there could be someone sitting in the darkness, waiting for the right time to strike next. Harm knew Mac was in danger.
Medical Center, United States Naval Base
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
0830 EST
Captain Andrews began to write notes on Mac's chart. "Colonel Mackenzie, you are extremely lucky," he said. Mac only nodded, knowing that the doctor was probably right. However, her skills as a Marine also came in handy.
"Will I be able to leave soon?" Mac asked, eager to get back to the case as soon as possible. Though she probably would not be able to prosecute or defend now, she could at least finish the investigation. She had been sitting in the medical center for the early hours of the morning, still wearing the shorts and T-shirt that she had been changing into before the attack. Indeed she had hit her head extremely hard, but the doctors had observed her for hours with no real problems. Indeed it had come very close.
Andrews nodded. "Just a few more hours. The dizziness and blurred vision you suffered when you hit your head only lasted a few minutes, but I want to observe just a little longer to make sure it's nothing more serious than a blow to the head. No signs of concussion or anything, which is good."
Mac smiled. "Thanks." The doctor promptly left, and Mac found herself alone. Sleeping most of her time here, she wasn't entirely sure who had been with her most of these hours. Her sense of loneliness quickly left as Harmon Rabb appeared in the emergency section of the medical center. "Hey, sailor."
Harm couldn't help but shine brightly seeing her awake and alert. When he had left only an hour before she was still sleeping. "Hey, Marine." He grabbed a seat next to her bed and sat down next to her. "Feeling better?"
Mac nodded, sitting up to talk to him better. "I feel ok."
Harm glanced around quickly before reaching his hand over to hers, squeezing it. "You had me a little scared," he whispered, smirking a bit.
Mac squeezed back, replying with confidence, "I'm your lean, green, fighting Marine, remember?"
Harm suddenly became very serious, edging a bit closer to her. "I should've been there." He knew he should've been and he knew he shouldn't have let the argument get to him. Knowing that the idea that both Marines murdered were women should have hinted to him to stay with Mac as much as possible.
Mac replied, "It's ok, Harm. Both of us should've suspected this, knowing that both victims were women." Honestly, she hadn't thought of it much before their discussion before she was attacked. In many cases, Bobbi Latham had been right; Mac had fit the profile perfectly.
"I went to Colonel Madison," Harm replied bluntly, chancing a quick glance at Mac to see her reaction. Only confusion answered. "I think he finally agrees this is very serious."
Mac knew how difficult it had been to convince the Colonel that the women had been murdered. Hearing the sudden cooperation of Madison worried her. "What did you say to him, Harm?" she asked, very concerned. If anything, she certainly didn't want Harm to make such a high stir because of this incident. The last thing they wanted was to irritate the Colonel more than they already had. Getting in his face wasn't the solution.
Harm shrugged sheepishly, taking his eyes away from hers, apparently unwilling to describe exactly what was said. "I just told him that the incident last night should be more than enough reason to help us find who is behind all of this."
Mac smirked back, unable to hide her surprise at Harm's lack of control because of her. She could easily tell that Harm had said much more than he was letting on and he had made quite an impression. However, that's not what she wanted from him. Protecting her as he was trying to do was sweet in it's own way, yet the real need was to find the attacker and to find him quickly. "So what do you think now?"
Harm grabbed both of her hands now in his. "You tell me."
Mac sighed, realizing she had suddenly become the main witness in the case. All she really remembered was trying desperately to get the man off of her, trying to pin him, trying to keep the rope off of her neck. Her thoughts were flooded with quick movements, the blurry shadows, her instinctive reactions. If the attack had taken place in the daytime the odds of her possibly seeing his face, or anything distinctive, were certainly better. However, this was not the case. "I wish I could tell you."
Harm only vaguely sensed her frustration, some with the case and some with herself. "Don't worry if you can't remember much." Such a quick event in someone's life would be difficult to remember, difficult to define. Everything had happened with such intensity.
Mac shook her head, sitting up even further. "Just give me some time to think about it." Frustration, yes, but also determination flooded her thoughts. "Right now we need to get back to work," Mac replied, beginning to stand.
Harm immediately stood with her, grabbing a hold of her arms. "Mac, no. The doctor hasn't cleared you yet." Harm knew better than to let her go, especially when she was so upset. He needed to take the main hold of this case, knowing that Mac's involvement had almost cost her life. Of course, Harm knew Mac's strength and determination, and trying to tame them wouldn't be wise. Those characteristics were apart of who she was.
Mac pushed him away slightly. "Really, Harm, I'm fine. I want to get back to work," she insisted, looking up into eyes with an amazing confidence. It was time to finish this case, and her experience with the attacker was the key to doing so. They had to begin thinking of ways to trap the attacker and reveal his identity. Whether it was Major Hanson or not, it had to be done now and quickly. As Bobbi Latham has said, Mac fits the profile and her ability to get back on the case as if nothing had fazed her would certainly help bring her attacker out once again.
Harm backed away, knowing he wouldn't be able to do much. "Ok, fine. But on one condition."
Mac looked to him, very intrigued. "What's that?" she asked, humoring him a bit, the intensity of the situation beginning to drain away.
Yet Harm remained somewhat serious. "I'm not leaving you anywhere by yourself."
Mac felt herself smiling, again realizing she will never be able to escape Harm's protectiveness of her. "That might get annoying," she remarked, finally breaking the seriousness of the man before her as a smile crossed his features.
Harm and Mac's temporary office
United States Naval Base, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
1000 EST
Major Hanson couldn't believe he was sitting here. The room was very hot, the fans in the windows barely letting off a breeze. It was a breeze he desperately needed, not only feeling hot because of the weather, but also because of the situation he was suddenly in. The tension was extremely high as the two JAG lawyers from before began to question him. This time the Lieutenant Colonel was standing a bit away from the situation, hardly seeming like she was in the conversation. Yet, Hanson thought to himself, her expression was infallible. In fact, her eyes had remained on him the entire time. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but the stare was beginning to unnerve him. Such ability made him rethink his reservations about the Lieutenant Colonel's status as a true Marine. After hearing about last night's events, he sensed he would not mind having the Colonel in battle with him. Such an admission was strange to him.
"Where were you last night, Major?" Rabb asked, sitting across from the Major, making a small note on his report.
Hanson only shrugged, desperately trying to find his nerve. "Sleeping."
Rabb put his hands in front, together, on the table. His eyes immediately displayed contempt and disbelief. Hanson was not in a friendly place at all. "Anyone to confirm that, Major?"
Hanson glanced to the Colonel, who had suddenly moved away from the wall and a bit closer to them. Part of him hoped that despite his lack of alibi and his apparent ill feelings towards women in the Marines, his reputation would aid him. He knew he had one, his work in the Persian Gulf War and recently in Afghanistan displaying his commitment to the Marine Corp. Despite any beliefs he may have towards women or anything else for that matter, the Marine Corp. and his unit came first. "I don't believe so, sir."
Rabb nodded slightly, making another note. The Commander glanced quickly to the Lieutenant Colonel, waiting for a response. Being that she was suddenly an important witness and one who actually encountered the attacker, any questions she had would be quite important. The Colonel didn't say a word at first, instead sighing deeply and crossing her arms over her chest. Finally, she ordered, "Would you mind standing up for a second, Major?"
Hanson stood slowly, rather rigid, unsure of what the Colonel was looking for. "Would you like me to dance, too, Colonel?" Hanson replied, ever keeping the hard stone exterior. He was determined to hide his nervousness. However, the look that met his made him regret his retort.
Mackenzie replied quickly, "Be lucky you're not in the brink, Major." Hanson looked away from the Colonel, trying to remember he was in the presence of two officers that outranked him. He needed to be quite careful. Rabb only leaned back in his chair, observing the actions in front of him. "Where were you the night Private Miller was killed? Or Knight?"
Hanson knew it was coming now. There was no escaping it. The problem was, Hanson thought, he was out and about that night. He liked to walk the base at night to clear his head. "After Marine training is finished, ma'am, I then go to dinner. After that I proceed to Colonel Madison's office to give my daily report and to receive orders. From there I like to take a walk through the base." He glanced to Rabb, treating his description of events as a normal day in his life, because it was.
Rabb leaned forward becoming very intrigued. "Time frame?" he asked quietly. Hanson only noticed Mackenzie motioning him to sit down again, which he followed.
Hanson immediately answered, "About 1900 hours, sir. I usually start eating dinner around then after everything is settled, then report to my CO. Sometimes we have night drills. That night we didn't. My meetings with the Colonel last about an hour, sir."
Mackenzie shot back, "What do you talk about? Specifically?"
Hanson looked away from her, a bit irritated at the question. He knew he had already answered it enough and didn't wish to go further into what he and his CO discussed at the end of the day. It wasn't any of her business, Hanson said to himself. Replying with disdain, the Major said, "What happened during the day, ma'am."
Rabb pressed further, "And then you go for a walk?"
Hanson hated being asked the same question twice. "Yes, sir."
"This happened both nights? And last night?" Mackenzie asked eagerly.
Hanson knew they were trying to trip him up, confuse him. He couldn't give them any more reason to suspect him than was already there "I told you, last night I was sleeping."
Mackenzie nodded, feeling they were beginning to get to the Major. The idea was to test his nerves, see if his stories stayed straight throughout the interview. So far they had, except for having no witnesses to where he was on those three nights. "How long do you usually walk for?"
Hanson replied quickly, "An hour or so."
Rabb asked, "And you went back to the barracks right after the walk?"
Hanson nodded, "Yes, sir." He could tell both Rabb and Mackenzie had been watching him, staring at him constantly throughout the interview. What they might be thinking he can only speculate, and part of him really didn't care. He couldn't necessarily control their feelings, and whether they believed him or not, he knew the truth. Knowing he should've kept his feelings about women in the Marines to himself, it was a lesson to keep his mouth shut. Especially when JAG lawyers were strutting about.
Mackenzie chanced a quick glance at Rabb, nonverbal communication evident in their stare. Hanson only prayed that it would all be over soon and he could return to his unit. The clock told him he had been here for about a half hour total, way too long in a room with two JAG lawyers all by himself. It was then that Rabb addressed him. "We're finished for now, Major. But don't be surprised if we want to talk to you again."
Hanson nodded. "Yes, sir." He stood, saluted, and quickly left.
Harm and Mac looked to each other again, the obvious question floating in Harm's eyes. "Well?"
Mac shrugged and sat down across from him. "I don't know."
Harm knew it was difficult for her, difficult for any star witness to label someone as the attacker. He pushed slightly, "First instinct?"
Mac's eyes darted to the windows, staring at the sun shining brightly through the glass. The fan's propellers left interesting shadows across her face as well as the floor and the walls. They were the same shadows that converged on her heart right now, unwilling to label a person who may be innocent as the attacker. In reality, she had no real way of knowing for sure. It had been very dark that night. Asking Hanson to stand helped Mac compare his height to that of her attacker. Hanson seemed about 6 foot, as was the estimated height of her attacker. However, she couldn't let herself do this, just blame someone when she wasn't 100 percent sure. "I don't think it's him." That answer would have to be good enough for now.
Harm nodded, continuing to offer support to her, allowing his hand to reach over to hers, clasping it. It was obvious the experience was still so new that it was affecting her judgment. Even though he had allowed her to help him, Harm now saw it may not have been a good idea. She was now way too close to the case to be objective. Maybe she didn't feel he was the assailant, even after that attack, but Harm couldn't let him go. There was too much there, too many opportunities for the Major. Not only did he not have any true alibis, he also had quite a motive. It all seemed to fit. "Maybe you should get some rest, Mac. Get away from the case for awhile."
Mac looked to him, aggravated at his immediate acceptance of the Major as the one and only attacker, despite, in her opinion, the lack of a smoking gun. Knowing this made her even more determined to stick with the case, to find the real killer once and for all. Having such a close encounter with the assailant, Mac knew she had to step up and make the claim. Forcing herself to remember what happened during those 2 or 3 short minutes of the encounter was essential. It was up to her and she needed to take hold of the responsibility, despite her confusion and feelings. It had to be done. "No, Harm. I can't. Especially when you're so ready to convict Major Hanson without looking at anyone else." Her irritation with him overflowed.
Harm pulled away, standing up. "I knew it," he muttered.
Mac stood up to meet him. "What?"
Harm put his papers back into the folder, wishing he hadn't said such a statement under his breath. If anything, Mac sensed everything about him. Especially since their relationship started, it often amazed him as to how much Mac suddenly knew about him. She was an observer and above all his confidante. Telling her his feelings and problems had become second nature, and he found himself slipping such small statements to her portraying his real feelings quickly without a fight. "You're too close to this, Mac. If it was any other case, that interview should have given you even more reason to suspect Hanson."
Mac shook her head and moved away from the table and closer to Harm. "I would be careful, Commander, of what you're implying. I am always professional when I need to be, and I'm the last person to let my experiences hinder my objectivity." She knew why he was feeling this way. Harm was concerned for her. He had reason to be concerned, Mac knew that, but at the same time Harm knew her better than anyone has ever known her. If she felt unable to perform her duties as a JAG officer or Marine she would step down. At this moment, she didn't feel this way at all.
Harm sighed deeply, realizing he had opened a can of worms. This case was not really helping their relationship at all, Harm mused. "I'm not sure you can make that distinction right now, Mac, as to whether you're suitable to continue the investigation under the circumstances." Even though Mac had gone formal on him, he wouldn't do so with her. Unfortunately, these feelings were personal and it was difficult for them to be anything else.
Mac stepped towards the door and opened it, suddenly feeling slightly alone. Harm of all people should be the person she could count on in these difficult times. Right now Mac was having trouble believing that. In a way, it almost scared her. She looked away a bit from him, thinking of the words to leave him with. Being too upset and angry with him was not the way to be to continue this conversation if they had any hope of accomplishing anything. There were many subjects to fix in their relationship, but right now wouldn't be the time to do so. "I really thought you had faith in me, Harm."
Watching Mac leave, Harm felt his world crash down upon him. Indeed many things between them had suddenly gone wrong, and Harm wished he could fix them. However, this case was still looming and he only hoped there was a relationship left to save when it was all over. Glancing out the window, he felt his soul ache a bit. Of all the people in the world, Mac was the person he trusted the most. Why was he convincing himself that her opinion was definitely wrong? He knew she was professional, knew that her assessment of situations was highly important. Why did it seem like he didn't have any faith in her? He had faith in her before the relationship. Trusting her with his life was easy. As he reached the door and began to open it, the problem suddenly arose inside of him. Relationships were different. The intimacy was different. Suddenly not having faith in her in these types of situations was only a symptom. Trusting her with his life was easy, he thought again, but now he had to trust her with his soul. He realized then that such a concept frightened him, because he had never done such a thing before.
... To Be Continued ...
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