Author's Note; this is coming in so late. It covers 'People vs. SECNAV'
and 'Crash'. Now that aside, I'd like to thanks those who've been sending
reviews either though this site or your own personal e-mails. It truly
means a lot to me and I can't thank you enough. Now if you want to join
in, drop me a line and tell me what you think. Even you roast me for this
or other chapters, I'll still thank you for your opinion so don't hesitate
to do so.
2031 ZULU PRAIRIE HILL HIGH SCHOOL WASHINGTON D.C.
"I'll review them and hand them back to you Ms. Grace on Monday."
"Thank you Mrs. Johnson. I'm ready to go Harm."
"Okay. Mrs. Drabowski." I acknowledge her on our way out.
"Mr. Rabb." She's still mad about our living arrangements. If that realtor would get off her ass and find us a place, this wouldn't be so difficult.
As soon as I shut the door behind us, Mattie turns to face me. "You were great in there Harm, I probably would have just yelled at her again."
"I'm just sorry I wasn't here the first time." I could tell her how I wanted to stay, but the Admiral ordered me out to the carrier. Then again, I didn't exactly put up a fight or even tell him why I wanted to push the investigation back did I? Mattie doesn't say anything in response, confirming what I already knew; she's a little mad at me too. "Hey, do you want to get something to eat? Maybe go to a movie or something afterwards?"
"Nothing really good is playing in the theaters." Well at least she's considering it. "I wouldn't mind getting something to eat though."
"Name the place and we'll go."
"Can I drive?" I may be feeling guilty right now, but not that guilty.
"Do you have your license on you?" Mattie rolls her eyes, but gamely leads us out to the parking lot where the Lexus awaits. Twenty minutes later Mattie has me pulling up to what is quite possibly the seediest restaurant in all of Virginia. "The public health inspector who gave this place their license needs to have their head examined."
"Oh stop, this place has the best barbequed chicken for miles around."
"If you say so."
Mattie hops out, walks over to my side, and pulls me inside by my hand. "Come and see."
Twenty minutes later, our waitress hands us two heaping platters, one of them is nothing, but boneless, deep-fried, white meat chicken strips and the other a pile of chicken legs. Then she makes a return trip with a huge plate of corn on the cob. The barbeque sauce is just dripping off the meat and the corn looks like it was soaking in butter. "Here you are, enjoy your meal."
I think if I enjoyed a meal like this too much it'd be my last. "Thank you."
Mattie watches me as I take a tentative bite into my first chicken strip. There's no silver wear here, just napkins, lots of them. It feels like a real southern meal. "So what do you think?"
"Its good, its very good."
"Told ya."
"How did you find this place anyway?"
"Jen took me here after we went shopping one day. She said she came here occasionally before she joined the Navy."
"Oh, okay."
Mattie takes a moment to lick a dollop of sauce off the palm of her hand. "What did she do?"
"Jen?"
"Yeah, what is it that she did that she needed your help?"
"Mattie..." How exactly am I supposed to answer this? I don't want to hand out information Jen doesn't feel comfortable enough giving herself. "I think it'd be best if she told you when she feels comfortable enough to do so."
"She really looks up to you, you know."
That's the main reason I feel like such a shit for using her like I have been. I don't know how, but I'm going to make it up to her. "Sometimes I'm not sure I'm worthy of that kind of praise."
Mattie watches and waits until I finish my chicken leg before she fires away again. "What would make you say that?"
"Well lately I've been using her a lot. I don't like it."
"Harm if this is what I said about wondering who my guardian..."
"Its not."
"Well then what is it?"
"I don't know, all I wanted was you and a house we could be a family in. I don't have the house, I have you, but I don't at the same time you know?"
Mattie nods, taking a drink of her soda. "You sound more frustrated than anything else."
"Well if I am, it's all directed at me. I don't think I did a good enough job of explaining to you what it is I do."
"You're a JAG lawyer and fighter pilot." No, it's pilot then lawyer. I never call myself a lawyer first; flying is my passion, being a lawyer is what I do.
"What I mean is I didn't explain my dedication to my job. When I went back out onto that carrier, all I could think about was keeping a man I believed to be innocent out of jail. Sometimes I get so target fixated that I lose sight of everything else and I'm sorry about that."
"Is that the real reason you're not married?"
"It could be, I know it's the reason things didn't work out between Jordie and me. I should have told her I wanted to fly long before I was ready to leave." I've always regretted that. Jordan was ten times the girlfriend Renee was or at least she could have been.
"What about Renee?"
"Well I was still carrying the torch for Mac at the time, so I don't think work was our biggest problem."
Mattie looks at me with the most intense look on her face, running her tongue along her lips, catching stray smudges of sauce doing so. "You don't tell anyone these things do you."
"No, but I'm trying real hard to be open and honest with you."
"Why don't we rent some movies? I wouldn't mind hearing more about your teenage years."
"I hope you enjoyed your meal, oh and here's your take home order, come again soon."
"Thank you." Mattie's carrying the doggy bag from our unfinished meal. The take out order is for Jen, it was Mattie's idea and I only wish I'd thought of it first. "So what exactly do you want to rent?"
"I'm thinking about that right now, I'll see when we get there." It only takes us about ten minutes to get to the Hollywood Video closest to our building. Damn it, it is really pissing me off that I can't even say our place, our home yet. Mattie looks uneasy, glancing over at me every now and then. "Harm?"
Shutting off the engine, I turn to face her. "Yeah?"
"If, if I don't want to be a Naval Aviator anymore are you going to be upset or disappointed in me?" You could prove to me that the sky was actually red, not blue and I still couldn't be more shocked than I am right now at her question.
"Mattie... of course not. Why would you think something like that?" Mattie shrugs and looks away, I think she's too embarrassed to look at me. "Mattie if you need to say something to me..." That's where I'll leave it; I don't want to make it a command as much as I might want to.
"Its just that I've been learning so much about your family history, I know how important flying was to your dad and Grandpa and how much it still is to you. I guess I'm worried that you'll be disappointed in me if I don't chose the same path the three of you did." I'm flattered that she still thinks that highly of me after all the times I've been called away overseas.
"Mattie", I reach over and take her hand for emphasis at this point. "You have to live your own life, don't be afraid or ashamed of any path you chose that might be different than mine."
"Harm I still don't have any misgivings about being a Naval pilot yet, I just don't want to be a disappointment to you if I never make it or I didn't want it."
"Mattie I'm not doing all this in the hope that you'll want to get into the family business. You're a young, intelligent woman who has her whole life ahead of you. Don't ever let me dictate what path should lay before your feet."
Mattie leans over from her seat and hugs me. "Thank you Harm."
"Hey that's what I'm here for." Mattie unbuckles her seat belt, but I stop her before she opens the door. I want her to hear this from me. "Mattie?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for sticking up for me."
Mattie's eyebrow rises in question. "You mean that?"
"Yeah, I do. I still think you shouldn't have done it, but I can't ignore the fact that your intentions were noble. I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate what you did for me."
"Really?"
"Uh, huh. Nobody's done anything like that for me in a long time."
"Even Mac?"
"Especially Mac." I would have expected some kind of loyalty out of her after saving her life, but instead she let me twist in the wind in the Admiral's office after we got back from Paraguay. In fact, I haven't had anyone publicly defend me in front of others since Meg.
Mattie looks confused. "But she talked to my dad for you, testified in front of a judge for you."
"That doesn't mean she was standing up for me against someone who was bad mouthing me. She was just doing me a huge favor, friends do favors for one another all the time."
"Not like that they don't."
"True, she's a good friend and she did something wonderful for me. I'll never forget that either, but she wasn't defending me when she did it." Getting Mattie is just one more to add to the list of things she's done for me. "Now, you ready to get some movies?"
"Dang right I am. We're going to get 'Under World'."
I've never heard of it before. "What's it about?"
"Werewolves and Vampires."
"In the same movie?"
"Uh, huh. A friend of mine told me its kinda like Romeo and Juliet, with Werewolves and Vampires as the Montagues and Capulets."
"This is all in one movie? Is it any good?"
"I don't know, we'll find out." Well this is going to be interesting.
"I'm gonna quick shower and change, I'll be right back."
"Mattie if Jen's home ask her to come over here for a second would you?"
"Sure".
I've stripped out of my uniform and thrown on the closest shorts and t- shirt I could find by the time Jen knocks on my door. "Its open."
"Hey, thanks for the chicken."
"You're welcome, it was Mattie's idea actually."
"What did you think?" Depends on whether we're talking about the food or the building.
"The food was good, but the building, in my opinion could have used a big sign out front saying 'condemned'."
Jen laughs, "Don't you dare, I love that place."
"Look Jen, about Mattie, I want to make it up to you. I never meant to use you as a surrogate mother...guardian...whatever. However, as you're well aware I can't give you thank you gifts or anything."
She looks mildly amused at my predicament. "That is a dilemma."
Walking over to my desk, I pick up my wallet and hand her a business card I keep there. "So I'm giving you this instead." This idea came to me during the drive home.
"A business card? Sir, you shouldn't have."
"Just read it smart ass."
"'The Abby.' What is this?"
"'The Abby' is Victorian style bed and breakfast, three meals a day, free laundry and room service. I thought that the next time you wanted a romantic weekend away with any future boyfriend you might have, you might like to stay there."
Jen looks a little bit skeptical. "And how much does a room run per night?"
"Three hundred."
Jen hands the card back, "Thanks sir, but there's no way I could afford something like that."
"Jen that's not why I've giving you the card, I've got tons of them. Now pay attention, when you get there tell them you want to see the owner. I know him, he's always there, and when you meet him, give him your name and he'll give you the room at 50% off."
Jen's eyes look like they're nearly going to bug out of her head. "Sir I couldn't possibly..."
"Don't you dare say you can't accept this. You can and you will. This is my gift to you and I've already called to inform him about you."
Jen stares at me open mouthed until she shakes her head and wraps her arms around my neck, pressing a kiss to my cheek. "Thank you Harm."
"I wanted you to have something I thought you'd love and only you could use."
"I do love it, thank you."
"I do mean full service, they practically have their own spa right there for you to enjoy at will. Prepare to be pampered when you go."
Jen waves the card in front of me. "How did you manage this?"
"Lets just say that the owner owes me for life."
"I probably don't want to hear the story behind that one do I?"
"No you don't and I'm not about to tell you either. Just be assured that everything is above board okay?"
"Okay." I'm glad she isn't pressing the issue. I couldn't tell her the owner's real name anyway. When I was still in the CIA, I was on standby in Crete for an aerial strike in a Stealth on a suspected research facility in Egypt, a hundred miles north of Al Bawiti. At the last minute, command changed the mission profile. Instead of a surgical strike with bomb, we managed to turn an Italian scientist with a boatload of American greenbacks and revised the mission to extract him a few days later. He specializes in nanotechnology; at the time, he was working on developing their potential as a chemical or biological warfare delivery system. He told me a container of chemically loaded nanoprobes put into the water supply of a guarded facility wouldn't show up on any of the chemical detector scans leading into a particular building. From what I understand, there would have been a slight elevation of iron or other trace metals, but nothing that would have alarmed any tech monitoring the system. The nanoprobes from there could release their cargos and kill anyone who drank the water. I didn't have a reason to not believe his story and apparently neither did DCI Watts who approved the whole thing. We did destroy the facility of course, but there was a long firefight and we lost a good agent trying to get him out. We piled on top of a couple humvees and hauled ass out there. Beth picked us up in Sea Stallion helicopter about fifty miles from the Med and took us all the way back to Crete. Surprised the hell out of me when I saw her, she never told me she was rated for helos. Anyhow, during the drive to the Med he told me that if he hadn't become a nano-tech engineer he would've wanted to become the owner of a hotel or a restaurant. When we brought him into the U.S. I told him, he might want to put that desire to use as his cover here in the states. He finished his work for us and then step up shop in Martha's Vineyard. CIA pays him, and pays him well to stay put and stay low. Of course, he's still used as an advisor to our chem weapons and nanotechnology development programs. He owes me for life because I shot the two soldiers who were about to execute him when they realized we gained entry to the facility using his access code.
"Jen, one more thing."
"Yeah?"
"Does Mattie ask about my past?"
"Sometimes, I imagine she's asked you about mine."
"What do you tell her?"
"Only the basics, of course I don't know much more than the basics about you either sir and with your little adventures with the CIA I know even less."
"Well if she ever asks, could you tell her to ask me?"
"Will do and thanks for the gift."
"What gift?" Jen just smiles and heads out the door.
1340 ZULU
JAG HEADQUARTERS
FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA
"Bud what are you doing here on a Saturday?"
Bud looks at me in shock; he obviously didn't see my car out front. "Ah..." Bud quickly glances at the sheets of paper in his hand. "Oh, I came to get my opening statement for my case against Colonel MacKenzie. I wanted to go over it before Monday morning."
"Fun beating her isn't it?" Bud's trying to suppress a smile, I can tell. "I'm not going to tell her if you say yes or no Bud."
Bud offers a small smile like he's trying not to feel to guilty. "Well it normally is, but sometimes she gets so mad after she loses."
"That's what makes it fun."
"Making her mad sir?" Did I say that? Maybe that's why we're always on the verge of our next fight.
"Well she takes everything so personally."
"Don't you sir? Don't you hate losing?"
"Of course I do Bud. I feel bad about losing any case, but it's not going to change who I am. Mac walks into that courtroom like she's got something to prove to herself."
"Why does she do that?"
"I don't know Bud, I've been trying to figure that out for years. Mac's a great lawyer, she has nothing to prove to anyone."
"Speaking of Commander Stanich's case sir, I need you to sign off on a couple things."
"Sure thing Bud, lead the way." Watching Bud move around his desk, I'm even more impressed with the way he managed to get around the ship so quickly. "I guess that software paid off."
"Sir?"
"That Soldier Billy program on your computer. The skipper told me you talked him down from the other side of the railing. I guess that program really works."
Bud has this sheepish look about him, he's not telling me something. "Actually sir, I used your approach."
"You told him, 'Don't be a fool'?
"I couldn't think of anything, so I said the first thing that popped into my head." I can't help but laugh; its good to know my crude sense of counseling is actually effective.
"Well it was still good work on your part Bud."
Bud manages to finally locate the right file and hand it over to me with a smile on his face. "Thank you sir."
Peering over the file, I can see Bud still looking at me, chewing on his bottom lip. "Something else on your mind Bud?"
"Its nothing sir I don't want to take up more of your Saturday than I am already am. I'm sure Mattie's waiting for you to come home."
"Mattie currently watching movies at home with a friend of hers. I'm sure they're raiding the frig as we speak." Those were her conditions; if I come here, she gets a friend to spend the day with. "What's up?"
"I was just wondering sir, how did you get me authorized to board the Bennington in the first place?"
"I had to clear it with the Admiral."
"And what was your reasoning for requesting me?"
"I told him I needed a computer expert who wasn't a part of the crew and someone who could follow my lead. You were the obvious choice."
"Thank you for that sir. It was great to be on a ship. It almost felt like..." Bud trails off there and I let him gather his thoughts and perhaps his emotions as well. "It felt like I'd never left."
"Bud you don't have to answer this if you don't want to, but I was wondering did Harriet ever ask you to get any help like Lieutenant Ross's wife did."
Bud shifts in his chair, this is probably too personal, but after he told me what he did, I'd like to know just how bad it was. "Once, I got mad at her for suggesting it and we had a huge fight. She never asked again." Bud drums a rhythm on the desk with his fingers. "Why do you ask sir?"
"I was just admiring your courage and fortitude Bud."
"Really sir?"
"Absolutely, because between you and me, if I'd lost my leg like you did..." God this is hard to admit. "I would've eaten a bullet." Bud's expression looks torn. Yeah he understands what that's like, but I can't imagine he holds a lot of sympathy for me, because I still have my leg. "I know its not saying the same thing because I wasn't in your position, but..." Forget it, there's no way I'm going to be able to put myself on an even playing field in his mind or mine for that matter. I thought about it when we were first dealing with Bud's new reality. What if that had been me? I've prided myself on my physical abilities for so long that to lose that would have devastated me. I can't even begin to count the number of cases I've resolved due to my active physical involvement on a case. Losing a leg would've made that Beretta look awfully friendly after a while. "Do you think you would have done it if you hadn't been married and had a little boy?"
"Yes." That's what I thought and I'm ashamed to know that a friend of mine was hurting that badly and I was completely unaware of it.
"This one too sir." After ten minutes of reviewing the file, I'm finally signing the necessary paperwork to close it.
Midway through the process I look up to see Bud staring at a picture of his family. "How are the kids?"
"They're good sir."
"How's A.J.?" That scared the hell out of Mac and I. I can't imagine what it was like for them.
"I don't think he'll try something like that again."
And now for the hard part. "How's Mikey?"
"Sir?"
"Bud." The look on my face should tell him I know all about it. I don't, but he doesn't need to know that. I only over heard him talking to what I assumed was his brother's answering machine. I know that he's mad as hell at Bud."
"He's still mad at me."
"Should he be?"
"I don't think so, but apparently he does."
"Do you want me to talk to him?"
"No, that's not necessary sir I'm..."
"I'm headed up to Annapolis tomorrow anyway. I wouldn't mind." I wasn't, but I am now. That is if he agrees to this, although I wouldn't mind if he didn't either, on the other hand I can think of a clear benefit to going. I could take Mattie with me and show her the Academy. It might help her with her decision.
"Well if you could just get him to call me... I think I could handle it from there."
There, I've signed the last one. Closing the file, I hand it back to him. "Before I go, why don't you tell me everything that happened from the time when you got back till now? That way I'm not missing anything or say something stupid." It only takes Bud roughly ten minutes to tell me the entire story. In actuality, not a whole lot of time had passed by from the time Bud arrived back home to the time Mikey brought A.J. back home and then stormed out. "I was so wrapped up in the moment that I wasn't even thinking about what I was saying."
"Did you mean it?"
Bud looks at me in complete shock. "Of course not sir."
"So you weren't the least bit angry that he lost A.J." I've effectively backed him into a corner and he knows it. He can't answer without incriminating himself no matter which way he chooses to do so. If he says no, then he's admitted that he doesn't care about his son's welfare. We both know that's not true so his only other recourse is to acknowledge the fact that he meant every word he said to Mikey.
"I was upset."
Bullshit, he was more than that. "Don't lie to me, he lost your eldest son."
"I was mad."
"Was he right?"
"No he's a capable young man." Young man? Shit Mikey's twenty-three, twenty four years old. He's a man. "Sir, if I may why are you asking me all this? You're supposed to be talking to Mikey not me."
"Look Bud I don't presume to know everything that goes on between you and your brother, but every time I've seen the two of you together you're either defending him or mad at him for some reason or another. It just seems that lately you're always trying to impart a lesson."
"Is that so bad?"
"Not always, but at some point you have to stand back and let him make his own mistakes."
"I guess. I just don't want him making the unnecessary mistakes."
What are you doing Rabb, would you let someone come in and dictate your relationship with Sergei? "I'm sorry Bud, I shouldn't being telling you what to do when it comes to your brother."
"You just want to help sir. I understand."
"Any thing else I should know?"
"I think as long as you don't call him Mikey you'll be fine." I have no intention of calling him Mike either. I'm going to Annapolis to talk to midshipman Roberts. Standing up I say good-bye before heading to my own office to pick up my next case. Lieutenant Tara Bradford maced another officer, Lieutenant j.g. Jack Paulson when she thought he was about to attack her outside the Naval Research Laboratory in the parking lot. She knew me by reputation and insisted that I act as her attorney. Its nice to be needed, but I'm tired of this word of mouth crap that keeps getting thrown in my lap. While Petty Officer Moritz was certainly the most memorable example, it certainly wasn't the first nor will it be the last case I get via this manner. Usually all I get are the idiots who've done something so completely insane that all I can do for them is plead it out. This case however, actually has the potential to go somewhere besides the bargaining table.
I've just pasted the gate guard on my way out when my cell rings. "Hello?"
"Harm, its Mattie."
"Hey there what's going on?"
"Just wondering when you're coming home?"
"I'm on my way as we speak. Do you want me to pick up anything?"
"Root beer and Vanilla ice cream. Rachel and I want to make some root beer floats."
"Okay. Hey, how who you feel about taking a little road trip tomorrow?"
"Depends where would we be going?"
"Well I know we didn't get around to talking about my teenage years, but I thought I might take you up to Annapolis and tour the Naval Academy."
"Really?"
"Sure, we can look around and I can tell you about the time I spent there. Who knows, it might help you decided whether or not the Navy's right for you. Its not that far of a drive."
"That sounds great, let's do it."
"Good, I'll be home in a bit."
1433 ZULU
UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND
"Midshipman Roberts!" Mike and two other middies with him freeze at attention, offering salutes as soon as I call out to them. God I remember those years well. At least this is his second year; he's not in the doghouse like those first year maggots running around here. I certainly did like being an upper classmen. Keeter and I were pretty vicious as upperclassmen and its not surprising how easy it is to slip back into that train of thought.
"Good Afternoon sir!" They chorus together with perfect timing.
"At ease. Midshipman Roberts are you busy for lunch?" This isn't a request and they all know it. The Admiral does this to us at JAG all the time. Its nice being on the other side of this for once.
"No sir."
"Good then join me. The rest of you are dismissed."
The other two come attention and we trade salutes. "Aye, aye sir."
"Let's head to the O club." As I lead the way there, I wonder how Mattie's doing. We wandered around while we talked. I pointed out a few things, told her of a few experiences I had on campus and the like. I thought it would be best if she got a tour from female middie without me there to pressure or influence her either way. When we walked into the Admissions department, I requested and got a third year female midshipman to give Mattie a tour of the place. She's going to bring Mattie to the officer's club at twelve thirty. There is one problem with my rank right now, because he's the standard two steps to my six I can't talk to Mikey on the way there. Walking into the club, I can see that it's filling up. Classes resume on Monday and I imagine most of the faculty members have been here since yesterday.
When the hostess notices us, she walks over. "How many with you today Commander?"
"Just the two of us. How long before we have a table?"
"Ten to Fifteen minutes or so."
"We'll be at the bar."
Okay, I'll come and get you when a table opens up."
"Come on let's get a drink first." As we belly up to the bar I pull out my wallet and one of the bartenders wanders over. "I'll buy the first round, what are you having?"
"I'll have a Miller Lite."
"Two".
Beer in hand Mikey takes a good hard swallow before finally speaking up. "Sir?"
"Yes?"
"Permission to speak freely?"
"Sure".
"I don't appreciate you being here on Bud's behalf. He has no right to involve you in family affairs."
I can't help the smirk on my face, I'm sure its pissing him off, but I don't care and there's not a damn thing he can do about it either. "I'm not here for you Midshipman Roberts."
"Sure you aren't sir. I don't need Bud asking you and Colonel MacKenzie to help me out every time there's a problem over here." When have I ever done this before?
"What the hell are you talking about?"
His expression softens as he realizes I don't know what he's referring to. "I keep forgetting you weren't at JAG for those five months."
"Why don't you tell me what happened."
"Last fall, Colonel MacKenzie came out here to help out a friend of mine because Bud asked her to. He was accused of plagiarism by Captain Tally."
"Was he guilty?"
"Yes, he wasn't expelled, but he was given a year's honor remediation."
"What does Mac have to do with that?"
"She was investigating the accusation to see if it was racially motivated."
"Was it?"
Mikey manages a small laugh. "Captain Tally is African American, I don't see how that's possible." Oh its possible, it just doesn't happen very often. "Sir, if you're not here for me, then why are you here?"
"You heard that I became the guardian of a teenage girl right?"
"Harriet mentioned it to me."
"She's considering becoming a Naval Aviator. I thought I'd bring her up here and show her around. Let her get a feel for the Academy. I've got a female midshipman giving her a tour right now."
Mikey takes a slow drink of his beer. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you sir. I had no right to question your motives for being here."
Our server walks off with our menus as soon as we finish ordering our meals. "Now that you've mentioned it, you do realize why Bud was so pissed."
"Sir I really don't want to talk about..."
"No you opened this can of worms so now we're going to talk about it."
Mikey bites back a comment and answers my original question. "Yes of course I can see why he was mad. A.J. could have been kidnapped and killed."
"And when you include Sarah in that picture, that would have been two out of three." Mikey leans back in his seat and lets out a long sigh as he considers that. "I know it wasn't your fault."
"You do?"
"Hell yes I do. I've lost kids like that, you turn around for a second, and they're gone. Those kids have a five second attention span and they run off at drop of a hat towards whatever has their attention."
"I wasn't expecting you to be this understanding sir. A.J.'s your Godson."
"Don't let Bud fool you into thinking he's immune either. You know what a Tiger cruise is don't you?"
"Of course I do, dad used to take me and Bud on them all the time."
"I brought my girlfriend's... well ex-girlfriend's son along with me on one. I asked Bud to watch him and he lost him."
"Is this the one where a bunch of terrorists took over the boat and tried to kill Castro?"
That's classified information. "How did you know about that?"
"It was all over the news."
"No I mean the target package, how did you know about that?"
"Bud told me." I'm going to have to talk to him about his loose lips around family.
"The point is that a boat's a lot more dangerous than any arcade. Pretend there were no terrorists, what if he'd gotten next to a railing and fallen over board without his life jacket? There's a reason why those kids are supervised and Bud lost the one kid he was supposed to be watching." Mikey seems to be pleasantly amused by this story.
"Were you mad at him sir?"
"I was a little too busy to be mad and I didn't find out what happened until long after the fact."
"I've grown tired of Bud's company. He's either trying to pass judgment or give me advise I don't want."
"He just wants the best for you."
"No he wants me to be like him, and I have no interest in his life. Who the hell wants to join the Navy to become a lawyer as a first choice?" Mikey looks surprised at his words and he nervously smiles as he looks at me.
I smile back, but I'm semi-serious when I say this. "You're lucky you tacked that on at the end."
"Seriously sir. You, Commander Turner and Admiral Chegwidden were all in active duty combat positions before going to JAG. I believe it's your combat experiences that have shaped who the three of you are and have made you into better and more understanding lawyers because of it."
I lean back as the server brings us our order. Hamburger for him, a patty melt for me. "That's a double edged sword though. If we're on the prosecution, we know exactly how to go after them."
"How often does that happen?"
He's got a point there. "Not that often, we're usually jumping to defend one of our brothers in arms."
Mikey wraps both of his hands around his burger as he takes a big bite out of it and washes it down the last of his second beer. "Do you wonder sometimes what it would have been like if you wouldn't have had your eye problems. I don't mean right after, where do you think you'd be today?"
I think about that a lot more than he knows. "I think about it all the time. I'd probably be a Squadron Commander looking to get my Captain's eagles and a billet as a CAG somewhere. Of course, had I gone that route I might not have earned the three combat decorations I've received."
Mikey ignores that as he presses on. "What about personally? You know a wife, kids, that sort of thing."
"Well if I'd stayed on the Sea Hawk like I think I would have. My girlfriend would have joined up late during one of our cruises."
Mikey's eyes bug out slightly. "Wouldn't that be against..."
"No one knew we were." I've envisioned that future a million times in my head. Diane only needed one or two more cruises before she would have been able to be stationed stateside. She could have joined up with Naval Intelligence if she wanted. I've even seen the children we were destined to have together. I've held them in my dreams.
"So how come you don't have her now?" Well maybe Bud doesn't share everything. He's the one who found her body.
"She was murdered."
"I'm sorry sir, I had no..."
"It's not your fault, you know we actually met here."
"In here, here sir?"
"At the Academy. I was a year older. Mike, I can understand why Bud was so mad and I hope you do too." At his curious glance, I clarify, although I'm not sure if he's wondering about his name or the source of Bud's anger. "Bud told me. I may not know what its like to lose a child, but when I lost her, the love of my life. I was hell bent to find the bastard who did it. I didn't care who I had to step over or get around to do it either."
"You found the guy?"
"Eventually, but he died in a mishap before I bring him to justice."
His eyebrows have nearly gone through the roof with what he thinks I'm implying. "Mishap sir?"
"I didn't kill him, but I was there when it happened. He fell in between the dock and the hull of his ship in port."
"Yuck, bet that was an awful stain."
"Yeah, but I won't lie to you when I say it still felt good. Justice had been served even if it wasn't in a court room."
2136 ZULU, THE NEXT DAY
JAG HEADQUARTERS
FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA
"Mac you can't be serious, aggravated assault?"
"I am serious, she attacked an unarmed officer in the parking lot." Beside me is Lieutenant Bradford sitting in her chair with a look of rage written across her face.
"She was being stalked Mac."
"So she says."
"What would have happen if I'd held that attitude?" That's probably underhanded at best, but I'm not going to let her forget that she was in the same boat once.
Mac glares at me before looking at Lieutenant Bradford and then back to myself. "Where was his weapon? Lieutenant Paulson didn't have a knife, or a gun, or any thing else that could be construed as a weapon."
"Since when does a man need a weapon to harm a woman? I've seen pictures of Lieutenant Paulson Mac, the guy is plenty strong enough to subdue a woman with his bare hands."
"Plead guilty and we drop everything, she leaves the Navy with her dishonorable discharge."
"And a federal conviction following her for life." Mac turns her head as we both hear the knocking on conference room door. This is so unprofessional. "What!"
To my dismay, it's Jen poking her head through the opening. "Sir the SECNAV called the Admiral's line because he can't reach you on your cell or your office line. He wants you to call him back now." Damn it, they're rewiring the phone line in my section of the building. I'm one of the few who doesn't have a hard line at the moment. Mattie drained my cell on the ride back from Annapolis talking to a friend of hers and I forgot to replace the battery when we got home.
I have to do this before she disappears. "I'm sorry for the yelling Petty Officer. I didn't mean it."
"I know sir."
"Ah, Mac I need to take this." Mac's closing up her file, but I don't trust her not to ask questions while I'm gone. "Don't talk to her Lieutenant until I get back understood?"
"Not necessary Harm. We've said all that needs to be said."
"Then you're with me Lieutenant." Jen hands me the SECNAV's number as she starts to head off in another direction. "Jen?"
"Yes sir?"
"Feel free to raid my frig with Mattie tonight okay? I've got a feeling I'm not going to be home any time soon."
"Did you restock it when I wasn't looking?"
"Well I needed something to sedate the wolves living next door." Jen smiles at my nickname for her and Mattie and walks away.
Mac pulls even with me, Lieutenant Bradford two steps behind us as we make for the bullpen. "What did you do now Harm?"
"What makes you think I did anything?"
"Because people like the SECNAV don't call people like you with good news."
True enough. "People like me?" Mac doesn't respond, she only walks away with a smile on her face when we reach the bullpen. "Hey Sturgis?"
Sturgis is at the copier looking at some form or another and doesn't look up. "Yeah?" "Can I borrow your phone for a second?"
"Sure thing."
Lieutenant Bradford follows me into the office, but remains near the door as she looks about my old office. I miss my office. Hell, I'd even take Bud's if the Admiral ever offered it to me. Speaking of Bud, I'm curious if Mikey called him or not. "Hello, this Commander Rabb returning a call from Secretary Scheffield."
"One moment Commander."
The decor of Sturgis' office has apparently intrigued Lieutenant Bradford as she moves about his office. "Aren't any of you just lawyers?"
I cover up the mouthpiece before I respond. "Well Commander Turner and I moonlight when we can."
"I hear you do more than just moonlight, you two earn decorations doing it."
"We get lucky."
"I hope you're more than lucky Commander."
"Not to worry Lieutenant, I make my own luck."
Shit here we go. "Commander Rabb, so good of you to finally return my call."
"My apologies sir, they're rewiring the phone lines and my office is one of those being redone."
"I didn't catch you at a bad time did I?"
"No sir."
"Are you available for dinner later tonight?" This isn't a request either. Didn't I just do this to Mikey?
"Absolutely sir. Where should I meet you?"
"Meet me at my office at six, I trust that'll give you enough time to make it over here." This is irritating, he still hasn't told me what he wants, and he always wants something. "Yes sir, thank you sir."
"That didn't sound too bad sir."
Maybe not, but I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop. "We'll see about that when I finally see him."
"What's he like sir?"
"I don't think he likes me very much, but he's not the first and he won't be the last."
"I like you sir." Of course she does.
"You like me because I'm the only one standing between you and the brig."
"That's not true sir. I can't tell you how much I appreciate everything you did for Lieutenant O'Dell." That name should ring a bell; thankfully, she rings it for me. "He's dispersing officer aboard the Connally sir." Oh now I remember, Sturgis' missing nuke torpedo saved the Navy ten million and his career.
"How is he?"
"Good sir, thanks to you."
"How do you know him?"
"We went through the NROTC at Michigan together. He told me to look you up when he found out I was in trouble. He said you were the best."
"Well you'll get the same effort from me that he did. You're going to be okay Lieutenant, that's a promise."
2056 ZULU
THE PENTAGON
WASHINGTON D.C.
I'm nervous, I have no idea what the SECNAV wants, but it can't be anything good even if he's invited me to dinner. Currently I'm waiting outside his office waiting for him to see me. As the door opens, I come to attention as two Marine Brigadier Generals come out followed by the SECNAV. "Sirs."
The SECNAV's stopped in the door way as the Generals pass me by. "Come on in Commander."
"Thank you sir."
"Can I get you anything to drink Commander?" I glance over at his bar only for a moment. It looks like he's got Bourbon among other things over there and knowing the SECNAV he only has the best stuff. Still I can't start drinking, I'm going to have to drive home, and even though I have a good alcohol tolerance, I still want to be in complete control of all of my faculties for this dinner.
"No, thank you sir."
"I wanted to thank you for defending me in the International Criminal Court. You did a hell of a job over there."
It never should have happened in the first place. "Thank you sir."
"I hear a 'but' somewhere in there." Where did he hear that? He's right, but I didn't say it.
"Sir?"
"Commander I'm in politics. I know when someone's holding back. Do believe it was the right thing to do?"
"Sir, I stand by Admiral Chegwidden's appraisal of the situation. There was no need for you to subject yourself to the potential consequences of losing like that."
The SECNAV leans back in his chair, drink in hand and a smile on his face. "A.J. promised me his best and he delivered. So did you and Colonel MacKenzie."
"But that doesn't make us invincible Mr. Secretary."
"I'd say you're pretty close Commander." He rights himself and opens a file on my desk. I think it's my personnel file. "I've been reading through your file here. You've had quite a career thus far. Both in the Navy and... else where." I doubt he knows as much as he thinks he does about my CIA career and I'm not about to volunteer information.
"Yes sir."
"Where do you see that career taking you?"
"I'm not exactly sure sir. I've working under the assumption that due to my history of disobedience, recklessness and my short lived retirement that I'm capped at Commander." I've read that file, there's plenty of letters in there from superior officers whom I've managed to piss off during the course of my career.
"Yes the live fire drill in the court room makes for exciting reading. However, I wouldn't have agreed to reinstate your commission if you were just some lawyer. I can always get another JAG."
"Then may I ask sir why you did?"
"Because you are a man of many talents Commander. Decorated war hero, successful attorney... the Navy needs men like you." Wow, now that's a compliment. I wish I had that on tape to play for Mac. I'm about to respond when we hear the knock on the door and a smile appears on his face. "Enter." My jaw nearly drops when Tracy Manetti comes walking in. I should have seen this coming. "Commander, good to see you again."
"Thank you sir." I still can't get over that Southern drawl of hers. It sounds so out of place coming from her. "Commander Rabb good to see you too sir."
I shake her hand as she sits down next to me. "You too Commander."
"I've asked Tracy... Commander Manetti here to join us for dinner." Is he setting us up on a date? "Commander I'd like you to consider working directly for me."
No, this is not a date and that's not an order? "Consider sir?"
"That's correct, this is not an order. I'm going to be honest with you Commander. You impress the hell out of me, moreover, I trust your judgment." Dog robber, I'm already thinking about Tom Boone. That's what he's asking me to be for him.
"Sir there are more senior officers with equally impressive trial histories in the Navy with good judgment. Why me sir?"
"Because you're more than a lawyer. You have friends and in roads into the CIA, Naval Intelligence, the surface fleet, and I couldn't hope to find a lawyer with your experience in aviation. Commander Manetti has also told me of your previous exploits together and I think the two of you would make a damn fine team." Oh, so that's why he wants me. He wants the connections I've built up to use for his own purposes.
I can't believe I'm going to say this. "Sir if you're so sure about this, why are you giving me the option?"
"Because I want the people working directly for me to want to be there. I'm sure if I ordered you into this, I'd get your best effort, but I believe your passion would be lacking." I guess Secretary Sheffield is smarter than I give him credit for.
"I take it you need a decision now."
"I'll give you 24 hours, after that the offer's off the table."
"It's just a lot to consider."
"I understand, but take into consideration the fact that you'll rarely be traveling overseas." So what, my job description at JAG says the same thing. That doesn't mean that it happens. "You can spend more time with that little girl of yours." Yeah but no Tomcats or Hornets or anything else for that matter either. That's one of things I love about carrier investigations. I can usually find some reason that sounds halfway plausible to get myself up in a bird. His secretary comes in over the intercom, telling him that the Secretary of Defense is on the line. Well, that cuts anything else I might say off in hurry. "Will the two of you excuse me please?"
This not how I envisioned my evening. Well I'm not sure what I expected when he called, but this reality certainly didn't make the list. I found a couch not far from the SECNAV's office door. It's not long before Tracy joins me. "How are you doing Tracy?"
"Just fine Harm, just fine." The first name basis is something we've been doing since Naples. I had a really great time there with her afterwards. We went out, had dinner and a drink. She talked me into dancing and I struggled mightily to keep up with her on dance floor, but it was a good night out on the town.
"So what have you been up to?"
"Oh the SECNAV's been bouncing me around. I haven't been at any once place for more than a few months."
That reminds me a lot of what Kate used to do. "That must be hard."
"Very hard. I just want to build a life somewhere, but that's impossible to do right now with the way he's moving me around." This is just re- enforcing my instinct to turn the SECNAV's offer down.
"How long did take you to get him to call you by your rank?" I know a lot more about her history with him than most anyone else does. I know she hates it when he calls her Tracy. I also noticed his slip up back there in the office not too long ago.
She gives me a frustrated groan in reply. "I'm still working on that. He's not as bad as he used to be, but I still find it extremely unprofessional. I already work for the man I don't need everyone else knowing he's on a first name basis with me. I'd rather everyone think I'm just another officer to him."
"I think that ship has sailed Tracy."
"What else are you thinking about Harm?"
"The SECNAV's offer."
"Are you going to take it?"
"Do you want me to?"
Tracy gives me a small smile. "We do work well together." Things like that can change; Mac and I are proof enough of that. If that weren't enough, I find the fact that he's offering me Commander Lindsey's old post equally distasteful. Tracy's smile disappears as she figures it out for herself. "You're not going to take this position are you?"
"No I don't think so. I still think I'm making the biggest difference right where I am."
"It must be nice to have that kind of connection to a place." It is, or at least it was, I haven't felt it since my month's vacation in the Marine brig at Anacostia last spring. I can't believe it's almost been a year since then.
"You could always ask him to be permanently reassigned to JAG."
"After what the SECNAV told Admiral Chegwidden about me? Forget it, I'd always been regarded as some sort of spy."
"They wouldn't think that." That's a lie, yes they would.
Tracy gives me quick glance before looking away. "You did."
"I'm sorry about that. I should have cut you a break. Forgive me?"
"Well your instincts were right so I can't exactly fault you for them in the first place."
I return the smile that she gives me. "If you came back, I'd see to it that didn't happen again." I wouldn't mind having her there. At least she'd be one woman I could talk to at JAG without it getting back to Mac or Mattie. Everyone else there funnels information to those two.
"What I really need is to get some experience in the fleet. I'm a Lieutenant Commander and I've yet to serve aboard a Naval vessel. There are Lieutenants out there with more experience than me."
"What's stopping you from asking for a transfer?"
"I'm afraid of his reaction. He's had a lot to do with my advancement."
"Well maybe its time you separate yourself from him. Carrier duty or some overseas billet would go a long way towards your next promotion."
Tracy nods, I actually feel sorry for her. She's trapped by her 'relationship' to the SECNAV and she doesn't know how to free herself. "I know." After a moment, a smile comes to her face and I'm curious what's brought about her change of attitude. "So, what's it like having a little girl?"
"Well she's fifteen going on thirty so I don't know if you can call her little anymore."
"Ah, boyfriends, dates and dances. You really jumped into the thick of it didn't you?"
"I guess I did. Actually she's extremely mature and focused for her age, smart as a tack, but I'm afraid she's missing out on the fun of being a kid."
Tracy leans back in the couch and taps her chin. "Hmmm, hard charging teen bent on becoming an adult. Extremely responsible, doesn't enjoy being seen as a kid or incapable. Likes the command and respect adulthood offers."
I interrupt her before she can say anymore. "Profiling again?" I just have to give her a little shit about that every now and then. She actually much better than she gives herself credit for. Then again, I don't have a lot of experience in that regard either. All I know is she did a hell of a job in Naples and I'm glad to see it boosted her self-confidence.
Her cheeks flush and I don't know why. "Sorry".
"You don't do that to me do you?"
Tracy echoes my smile back. "You don't fit into any profile I know Harm." I'm not sure if that's good, bad or if she's just coming on to me. I'm proud to be individualistic enough to stand out, but that could also mean I'm so far out there that I've become an amusement, a curiosity to others. Here we have Harmon Rabb; an attractive, single, white male. Fighter pilot and a lawyer in the U.S. Navy who has gone about building a family in just about the most fucked up manner possible. Well its time to find out which.
"Is that good or bad?"
"Oh, its definitely a good thing. Its what make you who and what you are today."
This'll be interesting. "And what's that?"
"An outstanding Naval officer and a good man." Its too bad everyone doesn't share that opinion.
I briefly hear the SEVNAV talking to his secretary, a female Marine Corporal, through the intercom before turning my attention back to Tracy. "You don't think I should take this position do you."
She only shakes her head. "I'd love to work with you again on a permanent basis Harm, but I think you'd hate the job and I fear it would destroy our friendship as a result."
"I'm glad you felt confident enough in our friendship that you could tell me that."
"Well I did give you a ring didn't I?"
I can't help the laugh bubbling out of me. Now that takes me back. "Yeah you did."
We're both still laughing when the Corporal comes to attention before us. "Yes Corporal, what is it?"
"Sir, Ma'am. The SECNAV regrets to inform you that he won't be able to make it to dinner tonight. He's asking that you go on without him. Commander he asks that you give him a call regarding your decision as well."
"Thank you kindly Corporal."
"Well I suppose I should just tell him now and spare us all the trouble."
Tracy hooks her arm around mine as I get up and pulls me back down. "Leave that go until tomorrow. Let's go have dinner together."
"Do you know how expensive the meals are at the Embassy Row?" That's where we were going to eat, the Embassy Row Hotel. Prices there are through the roof, and now that the SECNAV's not coming, we'd be footing the bill.
She only cocks her head at my question and gives me a sly grin. "So what, this is still on the Navy's nickel and I'm hungry. Let's go out."
Let's go out? "People will say we are in love." I'm curious if she'll pick up on the movie quote, I tried my best with the impression.
Her smile tells me that she does. "Do I strike you as a Clarice Starling?"
Well she did take a profiling course with the FBI and worked with a serial killer. Two in fact, caught one, defended another. "A little."
Tracy smiles at me as straightens her uniform as we stand up. "If you order liver or lamb chops tonight, you're buying the drinks the next time we go out." I only laugh as we walk out, that's not going to be a problem. No the only problem on my horizon is how to tell the SECNAV no, that said I'm still not going to allow it to ruin our evening. I'm here to have a good time and any chance of good times with even better friends isn't something to be wasted.
2031 ZULU PRAIRIE HILL HIGH SCHOOL WASHINGTON D.C.
"I'll review them and hand them back to you Ms. Grace on Monday."
"Thank you Mrs. Johnson. I'm ready to go Harm."
"Okay. Mrs. Drabowski." I acknowledge her on our way out.
"Mr. Rabb." She's still mad about our living arrangements. If that realtor would get off her ass and find us a place, this wouldn't be so difficult.
As soon as I shut the door behind us, Mattie turns to face me. "You were great in there Harm, I probably would have just yelled at her again."
"I'm just sorry I wasn't here the first time." I could tell her how I wanted to stay, but the Admiral ordered me out to the carrier. Then again, I didn't exactly put up a fight or even tell him why I wanted to push the investigation back did I? Mattie doesn't say anything in response, confirming what I already knew; she's a little mad at me too. "Hey, do you want to get something to eat? Maybe go to a movie or something afterwards?"
"Nothing really good is playing in the theaters." Well at least she's considering it. "I wouldn't mind getting something to eat though."
"Name the place and we'll go."
"Can I drive?" I may be feeling guilty right now, but not that guilty.
"Do you have your license on you?" Mattie rolls her eyes, but gamely leads us out to the parking lot where the Lexus awaits. Twenty minutes later Mattie has me pulling up to what is quite possibly the seediest restaurant in all of Virginia. "The public health inspector who gave this place their license needs to have their head examined."
"Oh stop, this place has the best barbequed chicken for miles around."
"If you say so."
Mattie hops out, walks over to my side, and pulls me inside by my hand. "Come and see."
Twenty minutes later, our waitress hands us two heaping platters, one of them is nothing, but boneless, deep-fried, white meat chicken strips and the other a pile of chicken legs. Then she makes a return trip with a huge plate of corn on the cob. The barbeque sauce is just dripping off the meat and the corn looks like it was soaking in butter. "Here you are, enjoy your meal."
I think if I enjoyed a meal like this too much it'd be my last. "Thank you."
Mattie watches me as I take a tentative bite into my first chicken strip. There's no silver wear here, just napkins, lots of them. It feels like a real southern meal. "So what do you think?"
"Its good, its very good."
"Told ya."
"How did you find this place anyway?"
"Jen took me here after we went shopping one day. She said she came here occasionally before she joined the Navy."
"Oh, okay."
Mattie takes a moment to lick a dollop of sauce off the palm of her hand. "What did she do?"
"Jen?"
"Yeah, what is it that she did that she needed your help?"
"Mattie..." How exactly am I supposed to answer this? I don't want to hand out information Jen doesn't feel comfortable enough giving herself. "I think it'd be best if she told you when she feels comfortable enough to do so."
"She really looks up to you, you know."
That's the main reason I feel like such a shit for using her like I have been. I don't know how, but I'm going to make it up to her. "Sometimes I'm not sure I'm worthy of that kind of praise."
Mattie watches and waits until I finish my chicken leg before she fires away again. "What would make you say that?"
"Well lately I've been using her a lot. I don't like it."
"Harm if this is what I said about wondering who my guardian..."
"Its not."
"Well then what is it?"
"I don't know, all I wanted was you and a house we could be a family in. I don't have the house, I have you, but I don't at the same time you know?"
Mattie nods, taking a drink of her soda. "You sound more frustrated than anything else."
"Well if I am, it's all directed at me. I don't think I did a good enough job of explaining to you what it is I do."
"You're a JAG lawyer and fighter pilot." No, it's pilot then lawyer. I never call myself a lawyer first; flying is my passion, being a lawyer is what I do.
"What I mean is I didn't explain my dedication to my job. When I went back out onto that carrier, all I could think about was keeping a man I believed to be innocent out of jail. Sometimes I get so target fixated that I lose sight of everything else and I'm sorry about that."
"Is that the real reason you're not married?"
"It could be, I know it's the reason things didn't work out between Jordie and me. I should have told her I wanted to fly long before I was ready to leave." I've always regretted that. Jordan was ten times the girlfriend Renee was or at least she could have been.
"What about Renee?"
"Well I was still carrying the torch for Mac at the time, so I don't think work was our biggest problem."
Mattie looks at me with the most intense look on her face, running her tongue along her lips, catching stray smudges of sauce doing so. "You don't tell anyone these things do you."
"No, but I'm trying real hard to be open and honest with you."
"Why don't we rent some movies? I wouldn't mind hearing more about your teenage years."
"I hope you enjoyed your meal, oh and here's your take home order, come again soon."
"Thank you." Mattie's carrying the doggy bag from our unfinished meal. The take out order is for Jen, it was Mattie's idea and I only wish I'd thought of it first. "So what exactly do you want to rent?"
"I'm thinking about that right now, I'll see when we get there." It only takes us about ten minutes to get to the Hollywood Video closest to our building. Damn it, it is really pissing me off that I can't even say our place, our home yet. Mattie looks uneasy, glancing over at me every now and then. "Harm?"
Shutting off the engine, I turn to face her. "Yeah?"
"If, if I don't want to be a Naval Aviator anymore are you going to be upset or disappointed in me?" You could prove to me that the sky was actually red, not blue and I still couldn't be more shocked than I am right now at her question.
"Mattie... of course not. Why would you think something like that?" Mattie shrugs and looks away, I think she's too embarrassed to look at me. "Mattie if you need to say something to me..." That's where I'll leave it; I don't want to make it a command as much as I might want to.
"Its just that I've been learning so much about your family history, I know how important flying was to your dad and Grandpa and how much it still is to you. I guess I'm worried that you'll be disappointed in me if I don't chose the same path the three of you did." I'm flattered that she still thinks that highly of me after all the times I've been called away overseas.
"Mattie", I reach over and take her hand for emphasis at this point. "You have to live your own life, don't be afraid or ashamed of any path you chose that might be different than mine."
"Harm I still don't have any misgivings about being a Naval pilot yet, I just don't want to be a disappointment to you if I never make it or I didn't want it."
"Mattie I'm not doing all this in the hope that you'll want to get into the family business. You're a young, intelligent woman who has her whole life ahead of you. Don't ever let me dictate what path should lay before your feet."
Mattie leans over from her seat and hugs me. "Thank you Harm."
"Hey that's what I'm here for." Mattie unbuckles her seat belt, but I stop her before she opens the door. I want her to hear this from me. "Mattie?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for sticking up for me."
Mattie's eyebrow rises in question. "You mean that?"
"Yeah, I do. I still think you shouldn't have done it, but I can't ignore the fact that your intentions were noble. I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate what you did for me."
"Really?"
"Uh, huh. Nobody's done anything like that for me in a long time."
"Even Mac?"
"Especially Mac." I would have expected some kind of loyalty out of her after saving her life, but instead she let me twist in the wind in the Admiral's office after we got back from Paraguay. In fact, I haven't had anyone publicly defend me in front of others since Meg.
Mattie looks confused. "But she talked to my dad for you, testified in front of a judge for you."
"That doesn't mean she was standing up for me against someone who was bad mouthing me. She was just doing me a huge favor, friends do favors for one another all the time."
"Not like that they don't."
"True, she's a good friend and she did something wonderful for me. I'll never forget that either, but she wasn't defending me when she did it." Getting Mattie is just one more to add to the list of things she's done for me. "Now, you ready to get some movies?"
"Dang right I am. We're going to get 'Under World'."
I've never heard of it before. "What's it about?"
"Werewolves and Vampires."
"In the same movie?"
"Uh, huh. A friend of mine told me its kinda like Romeo and Juliet, with Werewolves and Vampires as the Montagues and Capulets."
"This is all in one movie? Is it any good?"
"I don't know, we'll find out." Well this is going to be interesting.
"I'm gonna quick shower and change, I'll be right back."
"Mattie if Jen's home ask her to come over here for a second would you?"
"Sure".
I've stripped out of my uniform and thrown on the closest shorts and t- shirt I could find by the time Jen knocks on my door. "Its open."
"Hey, thanks for the chicken."
"You're welcome, it was Mattie's idea actually."
"What did you think?" Depends on whether we're talking about the food or the building.
"The food was good, but the building, in my opinion could have used a big sign out front saying 'condemned'."
Jen laughs, "Don't you dare, I love that place."
"Look Jen, about Mattie, I want to make it up to you. I never meant to use you as a surrogate mother...guardian...whatever. However, as you're well aware I can't give you thank you gifts or anything."
She looks mildly amused at my predicament. "That is a dilemma."
Walking over to my desk, I pick up my wallet and hand her a business card I keep there. "So I'm giving you this instead." This idea came to me during the drive home.
"A business card? Sir, you shouldn't have."
"Just read it smart ass."
"'The Abby.' What is this?"
"'The Abby' is Victorian style bed and breakfast, three meals a day, free laundry and room service. I thought that the next time you wanted a romantic weekend away with any future boyfriend you might have, you might like to stay there."
Jen looks a little bit skeptical. "And how much does a room run per night?"
"Three hundred."
Jen hands the card back, "Thanks sir, but there's no way I could afford something like that."
"Jen that's not why I've giving you the card, I've got tons of them. Now pay attention, when you get there tell them you want to see the owner. I know him, he's always there, and when you meet him, give him your name and he'll give you the room at 50% off."
Jen's eyes look like they're nearly going to bug out of her head. "Sir I couldn't possibly..."
"Don't you dare say you can't accept this. You can and you will. This is my gift to you and I've already called to inform him about you."
Jen stares at me open mouthed until she shakes her head and wraps her arms around my neck, pressing a kiss to my cheek. "Thank you Harm."
"I wanted you to have something I thought you'd love and only you could use."
"I do love it, thank you."
"I do mean full service, they practically have their own spa right there for you to enjoy at will. Prepare to be pampered when you go."
Jen waves the card in front of me. "How did you manage this?"
"Lets just say that the owner owes me for life."
"I probably don't want to hear the story behind that one do I?"
"No you don't and I'm not about to tell you either. Just be assured that everything is above board okay?"
"Okay." I'm glad she isn't pressing the issue. I couldn't tell her the owner's real name anyway. When I was still in the CIA, I was on standby in Crete for an aerial strike in a Stealth on a suspected research facility in Egypt, a hundred miles north of Al Bawiti. At the last minute, command changed the mission profile. Instead of a surgical strike with bomb, we managed to turn an Italian scientist with a boatload of American greenbacks and revised the mission to extract him a few days later. He specializes in nanotechnology; at the time, he was working on developing their potential as a chemical or biological warfare delivery system. He told me a container of chemically loaded nanoprobes put into the water supply of a guarded facility wouldn't show up on any of the chemical detector scans leading into a particular building. From what I understand, there would have been a slight elevation of iron or other trace metals, but nothing that would have alarmed any tech monitoring the system. The nanoprobes from there could release their cargos and kill anyone who drank the water. I didn't have a reason to not believe his story and apparently neither did DCI Watts who approved the whole thing. We did destroy the facility of course, but there was a long firefight and we lost a good agent trying to get him out. We piled on top of a couple humvees and hauled ass out there. Beth picked us up in Sea Stallion helicopter about fifty miles from the Med and took us all the way back to Crete. Surprised the hell out of me when I saw her, she never told me she was rated for helos. Anyhow, during the drive to the Med he told me that if he hadn't become a nano-tech engineer he would've wanted to become the owner of a hotel or a restaurant. When we brought him into the U.S. I told him, he might want to put that desire to use as his cover here in the states. He finished his work for us and then step up shop in Martha's Vineyard. CIA pays him, and pays him well to stay put and stay low. Of course, he's still used as an advisor to our chem weapons and nanotechnology development programs. He owes me for life because I shot the two soldiers who were about to execute him when they realized we gained entry to the facility using his access code.
"Jen, one more thing."
"Yeah?"
"Does Mattie ask about my past?"
"Sometimes, I imagine she's asked you about mine."
"What do you tell her?"
"Only the basics, of course I don't know much more than the basics about you either sir and with your little adventures with the CIA I know even less."
"Well if she ever asks, could you tell her to ask me?"
"Will do and thanks for the gift."
"What gift?" Jen just smiles and heads out the door.
1340 ZULU
JAG HEADQUARTERS
FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA
"Bud what are you doing here on a Saturday?"
Bud looks at me in shock; he obviously didn't see my car out front. "Ah..." Bud quickly glances at the sheets of paper in his hand. "Oh, I came to get my opening statement for my case against Colonel MacKenzie. I wanted to go over it before Monday morning."
"Fun beating her isn't it?" Bud's trying to suppress a smile, I can tell. "I'm not going to tell her if you say yes or no Bud."
Bud offers a small smile like he's trying not to feel to guilty. "Well it normally is, but sometimes she gets so mad after she loses."
"That's what makes it fun."
"Making her mad sir?" Did I say that? Maybe that's why we're always on the verge of our next fight.
"Well she takes everything so personally."
"Don't you sir? Don't you hate losing?"
"Of course I do Bud. I feel bad about losing any case, but it's not going to change who I am. Mac walks into that courtroom like she's got something to prove to herself."
"Why does she do that?"
"I don't know Bud, I've been trying to figure that out for years. Mac's a great lawyer, she has nothing to prove to anyone."
"Speaking of Commander Stanich's case sir, I need you to sign off on a couple things."
"Sure thing Bud, lead the way." Watching Bud move around his desk, I'm even more impressed with the way he managed to get around the ship so quickly. "I guess that software paid off."
"Sir?"
"That Soldier Billy program on your computer. The skipper told me you talked him down from the other side of the railing. I guess that program really works."
Bud has this sheepish look about him, he's not telling me something. "Actually sir, I used your approach."
"You told him, 'Don't be a fool'?
"I couldn't think of anything, so I said the first thing that popped into my head." I can't help but laugh; its good to know my crude sense of counseling is actually effective.
"Well it was still good work on your part Bud."
Bud manages to finally locate the right file and hand it over to me with a smile on his face. "Thank you sir."
Peering over the file, I can see Bud still looking at me, chewing on his bottom lip. "Something else on your mind Bud?"
"Its nothing sir I don't want to take up more of your Saturday than I am already am. I'm sure Mattie's waiting for you to come home."
"Mattie currently watching movies at home with a friend of hers. I'm sure they're raiding the frig as we speak." Those were her conditions; if I come here, she gets a friend to spend the day with. "What's up?"
"I was just wondering sir, how did you get me authorized to board the Bennington in the first place?"
"I had to clear it with the Admiral."
"And what was your reasoning for requesting me?"
"I told him I needed a computer expert who wasn't a part of the crew and someone who could follow my lead. You were the obvious choice."
"Thank you for that sir. It was great to be on a ship. It almost felt like..." Bud trails off there and I let him gather his thoughts and perhaps his emotions as well. "It felt like I'd never left."
"Bud you don't have to answer this if you don't want to, but I was wondering did Harriet ever ask you to get any help like Lieutenant Ross's wife did."
Bud shifts in his chair, this is probably too personal, but after he told me what he did, I'd like to know just how bad it was. "Once, I got mad at her for suggesting it and we had a huge fight. She never asked again." Bud drums a rhythm on the desk with his fingers. "Why do you ask sir?"
"I was just admiring your courage and fortitude Bud."
"Really sir?"
"Absolutely, because between you and me, if I'd lost my leg like you did..." God this is hard to admit. "I would've eaten a bullet." Bud's expression looks torn. Yeah he understands what that's like, but I can't imagine he holds a lot of sympathy for me, because I still have my leg. "I know its not saying the same thing because I wasn't in your position, but..." Forget it, there's no way I'm going to be able to put myself on an even playing field in his mind or mine for that matter. I thought about it when we were first dealing with Bud's new reality. What if that had been me? I've prided myself on my physical abilities for so long that to lose that would have devastated me. I can't even begin to count the number of cases I've resolved due to my active physical involvement on a case. Losing a leg would've made that Beretta look awfully friendly after a while. "Do you think you would have done it if you hadn't been married and had a little boy?"
"Yes." That's what I thought and I'm ashamed to know that a friend of mine was hurting that badly and I was completely unaware of it.
"This one too sir." After ten minutes of reviewing the file, I'm finally signing the necessary paperwork to close it.
Midway through the process I look up to see Bud staring at a picture of his family. "How are the kids?"
"They're good sir."
"How's A.J.?" That scared the hell out of Mac and I. I can't imagine what it was like for them.
"I don't think he'll try something like that again."
And now for the hard part. "How's Mikey?"
"Sir?"
"Bud." The look on my face should tell him I know all about it. I don't, but he doesn't need to know that. I only over heard him talking to what I assumed was his brother's answering machine. I know that he's mad as hell at Bud."
"He's still mad at me."
"Should he be?"
"I don't think so, but apparently he does."
"Do you want me to talk to him?"
"No, that's not necessary sir I'm..."
"I'm headed up to Annapolis tomorrow anyway. I wouldn't mind." I wasn't, but I am now. That is if he agrees to this, although I wouldn't mind if he didn't either, on the other hand I can think of a clear benefit to going. I could take Mattie with me and show her the Academy. It might help her with her decision.
"Well if you could just get him to call me... I think I could handle it from there."
There, I've signed the last one. Closing the file, I hand it back to him. "Before I go, why don't you tell me everything that happened from the time when you got back till now? That way I'm not missing anything or say something stupid." It only takes Bud roughly ten minutes to tell me the entire story. In actuality, not a whole lot of time had passed by from the time Bud arrived back home to the time Mikey brought A.J. back home and then stormed out. "I was so wrapped up in the moment that I wasn't even thinking about what I was saying."
"Did you mean it?"
Bud looks at me in complete shock. "Of course not sir."
"So you weren't the least bit angry that he lost A.J." I've effectively backed him into a corner and he knows it. He can't answer without incriminating himself no matter which way he chooses to do so. If he says no, then he's admitted that he doesn't care about his son's welfare. We both know that's not true so his only other recourse is to acknowledge the fact that he meant every word he said to Mikey.
"I was upset."
Bullshit, he was more than that. "Don't lie to me, he lost your eldest son."
"I was mad."
"Was he right?"
"No he's a capable young man." Young man? Shit Mikey's twenty-three, twenty four years old. He's a man. "Sir, if I may why are you asking me all this? You're supposed to be talking to Mikey not me."
"Look Bud I don't presume to know everything that goes on between you and your brother, but every time I've seen the two of you together you're either defending him or mad at him for some reason or another. It just seems that lately you're always trying to impart a lesson."
"Is that so bad?"
"Not always, but at some point you have to stand back and let him make his own mistakes."
"I guess. I just don't want him making the unnecessary mistakes."
What are you doing Rabb, would you let someone come in and dictate your relationship with Sergei? "I'm sorry Bud, I shouldn't being telling you what to do when it comes to your brother."
"You just want to help sir. I understand."
"Any thing else I should know?"
"I think as long as you don't call him Mikey you'll be fine." I have no intention of calling him Mike either. I'm going to Annapolis to talk to midshipman Roberts. Standing up I say good-bye before heading to my own office to pick up my next case. Lieutenant Tara Bradford maced another officer, Lieutenant j.g. Jack Paulson when she thought he was about to attack her outside the Naval Research Laboratory in the parking lot. She knew me by reputation and insisted that I act as her attorney. Its nice to be needed, but I'm tired of this word of mouth crap that keeps getting thrown in my lap. While Petty Officer Moritz was certainly the most memorable example, it certainly wasn't the first nor will it be the last case I get via this manner. Usually all I get are the idiots who've done something so completely insane that all I can do for them is plead it out. This case however, actually has the potential to go somewhere besides the bargaining table.
I've just pasted the gate guard on my way out when my cell rings. "Hello?"
"Harm, its Mattie."
"Hey there what's going on?"
"Just wondering when you're coming home?"
"I'm on my way as we speak. Do you want me to pick up anything?"
"Root beer and Vanilla ice cream. Rachel and I want to make some root beer floats."
"Okay. Hey, how who you feel about taking a little road trip tomorrow?"
"Depends where would we be going?"
"Well I know we didn't get around to talking about my teenage years, but I thought I might take you up to Annapolis and tour the Naval Academy."
"Really?"
"Sure, we can look around and I can tell you about the time I spent there. Who knows, it might help you decided whether or not the Navy's right for you. Its not that far of a drive."
"That sounds great, let's do it."
"Good, I'll be home in a bit."
1433 ZULU
UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND
"Midshipman Roberts!" Mike and two other middies with him freeze at attention, offering salutes as soon as I call out to them. God I remember those years well. At least this is his second year; he's not in the doghouse like those first year maggots running around here. I certainly did like being an upper classmen. Keeter and I were pretty vicious as upperclassmen and its not surprising how easy it is to slip back into that train of thought.
"Good Afternoon sir!" They chorus together with perfect timing.
"At ease. Midshipman Roberts are you busy for lunch?" This isn't a request and they all know it. The Admiral does this to us at JAG all the time. Its nice being on the other side of this for once.
"No sir."
"Good then join me. The rest of you are dismissed."
The other two come attention and we trade salutes. "Aye, aye sir."
"Let's head to the O club." As I lead the way there, I wonder how Mattie's doing. We wandered around while we talked. I pointed out a few things, told her of a few experiences I had on campus and the like. I thought it would be best if she got a tour from female middie without me there to pressure or influence her either way. When we walked into the Admissions department, I requested and got a third year female midshipman to give Mattie a tour of the place. She's going to bring Mattie to the officer's club at twelve thirty. There is one problem with my rank right now, because he's the standard two steps to my six I can't talk to Mikey on the way there. Walking into the club, I can see that it's filling up. Classes resume on Monday and I imagine most of the faculty members have been here since yesterday.
When the hostess notices us, she walks over. "How many with you today Commander?"
"Just the two of us. How long before we have a table?"
"Ten to Fifteen minutes or so."
"We'll be at the bar."
Okay, I'll come and get you when a table opens up."
"Come on let's get a drink first." As we belly up to the bar I pull out my wallet and one of the bartenders wanders over. "I'll buy the first round, what are you having?"
"I'll have a Miller Lite."
"Two".
Beer in hand Mikey takes a good hard swallow before finally speaking up. "Sir?"
"Yes?"
"Permission to speak freely?"
"Sure".
"I don't appreciate you being here on Bud's behalf. He has no right to involve you in family affairs."
I can't help the smirk on my face, I'm sure its pissing him off, but I don't care and there's not a damn thing he can do about it either. "I'm not here for you Midshipman Roberts."
"Sure you aren't sir. I don't need Bud asking you and Colonel MacKenzie to help me out every time there's a problem over here." When have I ever done this before?
"What the hell are you talking about?"
His expression softens as he realizes I don't know what he's referring to. "I keep forgetting you weren't at JAG for those five months."
"Why don't you tell me what happened."
"Last fall, Colonel MacKenzie came out here to help out a friend of mine because Bud asked her to. He was accused of plagiarism by Captain Tally."
"Was he guilty?"
"Yes, he wasn't expelled, but he was given a year's honor remediation."
"What does Mac have to do with that?"
"She was investigating the accusation to see if it was racially motivated."
"Was it?"
Mikey manages a small laugh. "Captain Tally is African American, I don't see how that's possible." Oh its possible, it just doesn't happen very often. "Sir, if you're not here for me, then why are you here?"
"You heard that I became the guardian of a teenage girl right?"
"Harriet mentioned it to me."
"She's considering becoming a Naval Aviator. I thought I'd bring her up here and show her around. Let her get a feel for the Academy. I've got a female midshipman giving her a tour right now."
Mikey takes a slow drink of his beer. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you sir. I had no right to question your motives for being here."
Our server walks off with our menus as soon as we finish ordering our meals. "Now that you've mentioned it, you do realize why Bud was so pissed."
"Sir I really don't want to talk about..."
"No you opened this can of worms so now we're going to talk about it."
Mikey bites back a comment and answers my original question. "Yes of course I can see why he was mad. A.J. could have been kidnapped and killed."
"And when you include Sarah in that picture, that would have been two out of three." Mikey leans back in his seat and lets out a long sigh as he considers that. "I know it wasn't your fault."
"You do?"
"Hell yes I do. I've lost kids like that, you turn around for a second, and they're gone. Those kids have a five second attention span and they run off at drop of a hat towards whatever has their attention."
"I wasn't expecting you to be this understanding sir. A.J.'s your Godson."
"Don't let Bud fool you into thinking he's immune either. You know what a Tiger cruise is don't you?"
"Of course I do, dad used to take me and Bud on them all the time."
"I brought my girlfriend's... well ex-girlfriend's son along with me on one. I asked Bud to watch him and he lost him."
"Is this the one where a bunch of terrorists took over the boat and tried to kill Castro?"
That's classified information. "How did you know about that?"
"It was all over the news."
"No I mean the target package, how did you know about that?"
"Bud told me." I'm going to have to talk to him about his loose lips around family.
"The point is that a boat's a lot more dangerous than any arcade. Pretend there were no terrorists, what if he'd gotten next to a railing and fallen over board without his life jacket? There's a reason why those kids are supervised and Bud lost the one kid he was supposed to be watching." Mikey seems to be pleasantly amused by this story.
"Were you mad at him sir?"
"I was a little too busy to be mad and I didn't find out what happened until long after the fact."
"I've grown tired of Bud's company. He's either trying to pass judgment or give me advise I don't want."
"He just wants the best for you."
"No he wants me to be like him, and I have no interest in his life. Who the hell wants to join the Navy to become a lawyer as a first choice?" Mikey looks surprised at his words and he nervously smiles as he looks at me.
I smile back, but I'm semi-serious when I say this. "You're lucky you tacked that on at the end."
"Seriously sir. You, Commander Turner and Admiral Chegwidden were all in active duty combat positions before going to JAG. I believe it's your combat experiences that have shaped who the three of you are and have made you into better and more understanding lawyers because of it."
I lean back as the server brings us our order. Hamburger for him, a patty melt for me. "That's a double edged sword though. If we're on the prosecution, we know exactly how to go after them."
"How often does that happen?"
He's got a point there. "Not that often, we're usually jumping to defend one of our brothers in arms."
Mikey wraps both of his hands around his burger as he takes a big bite out of it and washes it down the last of his second beer. "Do you wonder sometimes what it would have been like if you wouldn't have had your eye problems. I don't mean right after, where do you think you'd be today?"
I think about that a lot more than he knows. "I think about it all the time. I'd probably be a Squadron Commander looking to get my Captain's eagles and a billet as a CAG somewhere. Of course, had I gone that route I might not have earned the three combat decorations I've received."
Mikey ignores that as he presses on. "What about personally? You know a wife, kids, that sort of thing."
"Well if I'd stayed on the Sea Hawk like I think I would have. My girlfriend would have joined up late during one of our cruises."
Mikey's eyes bug out slightly. "Wouldn't that be against..."
"No one knew we were." I've envisioned that future a million times in my head. Diane only needed one or two more cruises before she would have been able to be stationed stateside. She could have joined up with Naval Intelligence if she wanted. I've even seen the children we were destined to have together. I've held them in my dreams.
"So how come you don't have her now?" Well maybe Bud doesn't share everything. He's the one who found her body.
"She was murdered."
"I'm sorry sir, I had no..."
"It's not your fault, you know we actually met here."
"In here, here sir?"
"At the Academy. I was a year older. Mike, I can understand why Bud was so mad and I hope you do too." At his curious glance, I clarify, although I'm not sure if he's wondering about his name or the source of Bud's anger. "Bud told me. I may not know what its like to lose a child, but when I lost her, the love of my life. I was hell bent to find the bastard who did it. I didn't care who I had to step over or get around to do it either."
"You found the guy?"
"Eventually, but he died in a mishap before I bring him to justice."
His eyebrows have nearly gone through the roof with what he thinks I'm implying. "Mishap sir?"
"I didn't kill him, but I was there when it happened. He fell in between the dock and the hull of his ship in port."
"Yuck, bet that was an awful stain."
"Yeah, but I won't lie to you when I say it still felt good. Justice had been served even if it wasn't in a court room."
2136 ZULU, THE NEXT DAY
JAG HEADQUARTERS
FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA
"Mac you can't be serious, aggravated assault?"
"I am serious, she attacked an unarmed officer in the parking lot." Beside me is Lieutenant Bradford sitting in her chair with a look of rage written across her face.
"She was being stalked Mac."
"So she says."
"What would have happen if I'd held that attitude?" That's probably underhanded at best, but I'm not going to let her forget that she was in the same boat once.
Mac glares at me before looking at Lieutenant Bradford and then back to myself. "Where was his weapon? Lieutenant Paulson didn't have a knife, or a gun, or any thing else that could be construed as a weapon."
"Since when does a man need a weapon to harm a woman? I've seen pictures of Lieutenant Paulson Mac, the guy is plenty strong enough to subdue a woman with his bare hands."
"Plead guilty and we drop everything, she leaves the Navy with her dishonorable discharge."
"And a federal conviction following her for life." Mac turns her head as we both hear the knocking on conference room door. This is so unprofessional. "What!"
To my dismay, it's Jen poking her head through the opening. "Sir the SECNAV called the Admiral's line because he can't reach you on your cell or your office line. He wants you to call him back now." Damn it, they're rewiring the phone line in my section of the building. I'm one of the few who doesn't have a hard line at the moment. Mattie drained my cell on the ride back from Annapolis talking to a friend of hers and I forgot to replace the battery when we got home.
I have to do this before she disappears. "I'm sorry for the yelling Petty Officer. I didn't mean it."
"I know sir."
"Ah, Mac I need to take this." Mac's closing up her file, but I don't trust her not to ask questions while I'm gone. "Don't talk to her Lieutenant until I get back understood?"
"Not necessary Harm. We've said all that needs to be said."
"Then you're with me Lieutenant." Jen hands me the SECNAV's number as she starts to head off in another direction. "Jen?"
"Yes sir?"
"Feel free to raid my frig with Mattie tonight okay? I've got a feeling I'm not going to be home any time soon."
"Did you restock it when I wasn't looking?"
"Well I needed something to sedate the wolves living next door." Jen smiles at my nickname for her and Mattie and walks away.
Mac pulls even with me, Lieutenant Bradford two steps behind us as we make for the bullpen. "What did you do now Harm?"
"What makes you think I did anything?"
"Because people like the SECNAV don't call people like you with good news."
True enough. "People like me?" Mac doesn't respond, she only walks away with a smile on her face when we reach the bullpen. "Hey Sturgis?"
Sturgis is at the copier looking at some form or another and doesn't look up. "Yeah?" "Can I borrow your phone for a second?"
"Sure thing."
Lieutenant Bradford follows me into the office, but remains near the door as she looks about my old office. I miss my office. Hell, I'd even take Bud's if the Admiral ever offered it to me. Speaking of Bud, I'm curious if Mikey called him or not. "Hello, this Commander Rabb returning a call from Secretary Scheffield."
"One moment Commander."
The decor of Sturgis' office has apparently intrigued Lieutenant Bradford as she moves about his office. "Aren't any of you just lawyers?"
I cover up the mouthpiece before I respond. "Well Commander Turner and I moonlight when we can."
"I hear you do more than just moonlight, you two earn decorations doing it."
"We get lucky."
"I hope you're more than lucky Commander."
"Not to worry Lieutenant, I make my own luck."
Shit here we go. "Commander Rabb, so good of you to finally return my call."
"My apologies sir, they're rewiring the phone lines and my office is one of those being redone."
"I didn't catch you at a bad time did I?"
"No sir."
"Are you available for dinner later tonight?" This isn't a request either. Didn't I just do this to Mikey?
"Absolutely sir. Where should I meet you?"
"Meet me at my office at six, I trust that'll give you enough time to make it over here." This is irritating, he still hasn't told me what he wants, and he always wants something. "Yes sir, thank you sir."
"That didn't sound too bad sir."
Maybe not, but I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop. "We'll see about that when I finally see him."
"What's he like sir?"
"I don't think he likes me very much, but he's not the first and he won't be the last."
"I like you sir." Of course she does.
"You like me because I'm the only one standing between you and the brig."
"That's not true sir. I can't tell you how much I appreciate everything you did for Lieutenant O'Dell." That name should ring a bell; thankfully, she rings it for me. "He's dispersing officer aboard the Connally sir." Oh now I remember, Sturgis' missing nuke torpedo saved the Navy ten million and his career.
"How is he?"
"Good sir, thanks to you."
"How do you know him?"
"We went through the NROTC at Michigan together. He told me to look you up when he found out I was in trouble. He said you were the best."
"Well you'll get the same effort from me that he did. You're going to be okay Lieutenant, that's a promise."
2056 ZULU
THE PENTAGON
WASHINGTON D.C.
I'm nervous, I have no idea what the SECNAV wants, but it can't be anything good even if he's invited me to dinner. Currently I'm waiting outside his office waiting for him to see me. As the door opens, I come to attention as two Marine Brigadier Generals come out followed by the SECNAV. "Sirs."
The SECNAV's stopped in the door way as the Generals pass me by. "Come on in Commander."
"Thank you sir."
"Can I get you anything to drink Commander?" I glance over at his bar only for a moment. It looks like he's got Bourbon among other things over there and knowing the SECNAV he only has the best stuff. Still I can't start drinking, I'm going to have to drive home, and even though I have a good alcohol tolerance, I still want to be in complete control of all of my faculties for this dinner.
"No, thank you sir."
"I wanted to thank you for defending me in the International Criminal Court. You did a hell of a job over there."
It never should have happened in the first place. "Thank you sir."
"I hear a 'but' somewhere in there." Where did he hear that? He's right, but I didn't say it.
"Sir?"
"Commander I'm in politics. I know when someone's holding back. Do believe it was the right thing to do?"
"Sir, I stand by Admiral Chegwidden's appraisal of the situation. There was no need for you to subject yourself to the potential consequences of losing like that."
The SECNAV leans back in his chair, drink in hand and a smile on his face. "A.J. promised me his best and he delivered. So did you and Colonel MacKenzie."
"But that doesn't make us invincible Mr. Secretary."
"I'd say you're pretty close Commander." He rights himself and opens a file on my desk. I think it's my personnel file. "I've been reading through your file here. You've had quite a career thus far. Both in the Navy and... else where." I doubt he knows as much as he thinks he does about my CIA career and I'm not about to volunteer information.
"Yes sir."
"Where do you see that career taking you?"
"I'm not exactly sure sir. I've working under the assumption that due to my history of disobedience, recklessness and my short lived retirement that I'm capped at Commander." I've read that file, there's plenty of letters in there from superior officers whom I've managed to piss off during the course of my career.
"Yes the live fire drill in the court room makes for exciting reading. However, I wouldn't have agreed to reinstate your commission if you were just some lawyer. I can always get another JAG."
"Then may I ask sir why you did?"
"Because you are a man of many talents Commander. Decorated war hero, successful attorney... the Navy needs men like you." Wow, now that's a compliment. I wish I had that on tape to play for Mac. I'm about to respond when we hear the knock on the door and a smile appears on his face. "Enter." My jaw nearly drops when Tracy Manetti comes walking in. I should have seen this coming. "Commander, good to see you again."
"Thank you sir." I still can't get over that Southern drawl of hers. It sounds so out of place coming from her. "Commander Rabb good to see you too sir."
I shake her hand as she sits down next to me. "You too Commander."
"I've asked Tracy... Commander Manetti here to join us for dinner." Is he setting us up on a date? "Commander I'd like you to consider working directly for me."
No, this is not a date and that's not an order? "Consider sir?"
"That's correct, this is not an order. I'm going to be honest with you Commander. You impress the hell out of me, moreover, I trust your judgment." Dog robber, I'm already thinking about Tom Boone. That's what he's asking me to be for him.
"Sir there are more senior officers with equally impressive trial histories in the Navy with good judgment. Why me sir?"
"Because you're more than a lawyer. You have friends and in roads into the CIA, Naval Intelligence, the surface fleet, and I couldn't hope to find a lawyer with your experience in aviation. Commander Manetti has also told me of your previous exploits together and I think the two of you would make a damn fine team." Oh, so that's why he wants me. He wants the connections I've built up to use for his own purposes.
I can't believe I'm going to say this. "Sir if you're so sure about this, why are you giving me the option?"
"Because I want the people working directly for me to want to be there. I'm sure if I ordered you into this, I'd get your best effort, but I believe your passion would be lacking." I guess Secretary Sheffield is smarter than I give him credit for.
"I take it you need a decision now."
"I'll give you 24 hours, after that the offer's off the table."
"It's just a lot to consider."
"I understand, but take into consideration the fact that you'll rarely be traveling overseas." So what, my job description at JAG says the same thing. That doesn't mean that it happens. "You can spend more time with that little girl of yours." Yeah but no Tomcats or Hornets or anything else for that matter either. That's one of things I love about carrier investigations. I can usually find some reason that sounds halfway plausible to get myself up in a bird. His secretary comes in over the intercom, telling him that the Secretary of Defense is on the line. Well, that cuts anything else I might say off in hurry. "Will the two of you excuse me please?"
This not how I envisioned my evening. Well I'm not sure what I expected when he called, but this reality certainly didn't make the list. I found a couch not far from the SECNAV's office door. It's not long before Tracy joins me. "How are you doing Tracy?"
"Just fine Harm, just fine." The first name basis is something we've been doing since Naples. I had a really great time there with her afterwards. We went out, had dinner and a drink. She talked me into dancing and I struggled mightily to keep up with her on dance floor, but it was a good night out on the town.
"So what have you been up to?"
"Oh the SECNAV's been bouncing me around. I haven't been at any once place for more than a few months."
That reminds me a lot of what Kate used to do. "That must be hard."
"Very hard. I just want to build a life somewhere, but that's impossible to do right now with the way he's moving me around." This is just re- enforcing my instinct to turn the SECNAV's offer down.
"How long did take you to get him to call you by your rank?" I know a lot more about her history with him than most anyone else does. I know she hates it when he calls her Tracy. I also noticed his slip up back there in the office not too long ago.
She gives me a frustrated groan in reply. "I'm still working on that. He's not as bad as he used to be, but I still find it extremely unprofessional. I already work for the man I don't need everyone else knowing he's on a first name basis with me. I'd rather everyone think I'm just another officer to him."
"I think that ship has sailed Tracy."
"What else are you thinking about Harm?"
"The SECNAV's offer."
"Are you going to take it?"
"Do you want me to?"
Tracy gives me a small smile. "We do work well together." Things like that can change; Mac and I are proof enough of that. If that weren't enough, I find the fact that he's offering me Commander Lindsey's old post equally distasteful. Tracy's smile disappears as she figures it out for herself. "You're not going to take this position are you?"
"No I don't think so. I still think I'm making the biggest difference right where I am."
"It must be nice to have that kind of connection to a place." It is, or at least it was, I haven't felt it since my month's vacation in the Marine brig at Anacostia last spring. I can't believe it's almost been a year since then.
"You could always ask him to be permanently reassigned to JAG."
"After what the SECNAV told Admiral Chegwidden about me? Forget it, I'd always been regarded as some sort of spy."
"They wouldn't think that." That's a lie, yes they would.
Tracy gives me quick glance before looking away. "You did."
"I'm sorry about that. I should have cut you a break. Forgive me?"
"Well your instincts were right so I can't exactly fault you for them in the first place."
I return the smile that she gives me. "If you came back, I'd see to it that didn't happen again." I wouldn't mind having her there. At least she'd be one woman I could talk to at JAG without it getting back to Mac or Mattie. Everyone else there funnels information to those two.
"What I really need is to get some experience in the fleet. I'm a Lieutenant Commander and I've yet to serve aboard a Naval vessel. There are Lieutenants out there with more experience than me."
"What's stopping you from asking for a transfer?"
"I'm afraid of his reaction. He's had a lot to do with my advancement."
"Well maybe its time you separate yourself from him. Carrier duty or some overseas billet would go a long way towards your next promotion."
Tracy nods, I actually feel sorry for her. She's trapped by her 'relationship' to the SECNAV and she doesn't know how to free herself. "I know." After a moment, a smile comes to her face and I'm curious what's brought about her change of attitude. "So, what's it like having a little girl?"
"Well she's fifteen going on thirty so I don't know if you can call her little anymore."
"Ah, boyfriends, dates and dances. You really jumped into the thick of it didn't you?"
"I guess I did. Actually she's extremely mature and focused for her age, smart as a tack, but I'm afraid she's missing out on the fun of being a kid."
Tracy leans back in the couch and taps her chin. "Hmmm, hard charging teen bent on becoming an adult. Extremely responsible, doesn't enjoy being seen as a kid or incapable. Likes the command and respect adulthood offers."
I interrupt her before she can say anymore. "Profiling again?" I just have to give her a little shit about that every now and then. She actually much better than she gives herself credit for. Then again, I don't have a lot of experience in that regard either. All I know is she did a hell of a job in Naples and I'm glad to see it boosted her self-confidence.
Her cheeks flush and I don't know why. "Sorry".
"You don't do that to me do you?"
Tracy echoes my smile back. "You don't fit into any profile I know Harm." I'm not sure if that's good, bad or if she's just coming on to me. I'm proud to be individualistic enough to stand out, but that could also mean I'm so far out there that I've become an amusement, a curiosity to others. Here we have Harmon Rabb; an attractive, single, white male. Fighter pilot and a lawyer in the U.S. Navy who has gone about building a family in just about the most fucked up manner possible. Well its time to find out which.
"Is that good or bad?"
"Oh, its definitely a good thing. Its what make you who and what you are today."
This'll be interesting. "And what's that?"
"An outstanding Naval officer and a good man." Its too bad everyone doesn't share that opinion.
I briefly hear the SEVNAV talking to his secretary, a female Marine Corporal, through the intercom before turning my attention back to Tracy. "You don't think I should take this position do you."
She only shakes her head. "I'd love to work with you again on a permanent basis Harm, but I think you'd hate the job and I fear it would destroy our friendship as a result."
"I'm glad you felt confident enough in our friendship that you could tell me that."
"Well I did give you a ring didn't I?"
I can't help the laugh bubbling out of me. Now that takes me back. "Yeah you did."
We're both still laughing when the Corporal comes to attention before us. "Yes Corporal, what is it?"
"Sir, Ma'am. The SECNAV regrets to inform you that he won't be able to make it to dinner tonight. He's asking that you go on without him. Commander he asks that you give him a call regarding your decision as well."
"Thank you kindly Corporal."
"Well I suppose I should just tell him now and spare us all the trouble."
Tracy hooks her arm around mine as I get up and pulls me back down. "Leave that go until tomorrow. Let's go have dinner together."
"Do you know how expensive the meals are at the Embassy Row?" That's where we were going to eat, the Embassy Row Hotel. Prices there are through the roof, and now that the SECNAV's not coming, we'd be footing the bill.
She only cocks her head at my question and gives me a sly grin. "So what, this is still on the Navy's nickel and I'm hungry. Let's go out."
Let's go out? "People will say we are in love." I'm curious if she'll pick up on the movie quote, I tried my best with the impression.
Her smile tells me that she does. "Do I strike you as a Clarice Starling?"
Well she did take a profiling course with the FBI and worked with a serial killer. Two in fact, caught one, defended another. "A little."
Tracy smiles at me as straightens her uniform as we stand up. "If you order liver or lamb chops tonight, you're buying the drinks the next time we go out." I only laugh as we walk out, that's not going to be a problem. No the only problem on my horizon is how to tell the SECNAV no, that said I'm still not going to allow it to ruin our evening. I'm here to have a good time and any chance of good times with even better friends isn't something to be wasted.