Disclaimer: JAG belongs to DPB, Paramount, CBS et al. This is for fun, no copyright infringement is intended.
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- Unknown location, outside
'AJ, if you can get out and have a chance to... Run. Get help. I'll manage here.'
Webb's words kept echoing through AJ's head as he watched three cars approaching the building. Just a few steps away he heard voices and the large entrance door of the factory building rumbling open. He stepped back from the corner and pressed his body against the wall.
'I'm a SEAL, Clayton.'
AJ turned and hurried back to the small door he had discovered during his quick reconnaissance of the surroundings and reached for the handle.
'But I'm not. So I'm more pragmatically about that.'
A split second AJ hesitated. He knew escape would be easy. The factory site was fenced in with wire netting but it was old and he had found at least three possibilities where it should be no problem to slip out under it after a short dig. The growing darkness was an additional help because the sun was just setting. But until his return with help Webb could be dead ... or worse.
"Not going to happen, Clayton," AJ muttered under his breath. The well-known rush of adrenalin set in. He pushed the handle down and peered through the gap. Slipping in, he dove quickly into the shadow of a big machine. Voices called and the sound of the cars filled the high room then engines were switched off. Doors slammed shut and Chegwidden risked a glance around his cover.
A rather multicultural group had exited the vehicles. Men altogether, some white, some obviously from the Middle East, a few Asians. Most of them started immediately unloading the cars. Business-suit had approached them and was talking to a medium build man with Arabian features. Chegwidden inched a little bit closer and made out some words.
"... Webb?"
"... change of ... early flight and ..."
"Chegwidden? ... doesn't ... we ... wasn't available yet ... soon ..."
Then business-suit nodded two or three times, motioned his helper from the airport and another man and started walking in the direction of the row of offices and storerooms more at the back of the building. Towards Webb's prison.
AJ ducked deeper, carefully moved back and ran without a sound from cover to cover. In the same direction. Remembering clearly the fear on Webb's face no matter how much the younger man had tried to hide it.
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- Unknown location, the storeroom
Webb disentangled his clenched fingers with the firm intention to keep them still but soon found himself fiddling around again. He muttered a curse and pulled his knees higher up to his chest so he could wrap his arms around them.
"Stop, stop, stop it! You're behaving like a rookie!"
But scolding didn't help much. The roller-coaster ride of emotions was driving him crazy and the memory was too close - too close. Webb cradled his head in his arms. He knew the new sweat pouring down his face had little to do with whatever poison was still in his system. In fact he had recovered from the last effort to hold Chegwidden's weight much faster than the first time - and that was a good thing because he had been thoroughly fed up with being in a horizontal position. No, he couldn't deny that it was fear that had him soaked again. He couldn't help it.
The last time he had at least SEEN his surroundings but now he was seeing NOTHING but darkness that seemed to be filled with lightning in wild patterns. One moment he felt like the world spread endlessly in this darkness, leaving him more alone than ever ... and the next it felt like the walls were closing in on him, crushing him, choking him, choking... Webb knocked his head a few times lightly against his knees then forced himself upright again and took deep calming breaths.
"Darn it, AJ, hurry, please, please, hurry, get help, get me out of here," he whispered hoarsely.
Getting help was the sensible thing to do, he KNEW it was the sensible thing to do but he hadn't known that waiting would be so hard... Since AJ was gone the waves of panic washing over him had got worse. To distract himself he had tried to think of Mac but that only led him to Harm. He had tried to think about his horses but he had only remembered that his mother thought he was dead. He didn't dare to think about work because he was sure he was sitting here because of his job just as he had done in - no, no, no, he wouldn't think about Paraguay!
It was better to think about AJ ... only that it wasn't really better at the moment. Not after... The former SEAL couldn't have actually APOLOGIZED, now could he? He had never apologized before. Not to him anyway.
AJ Chegwidden had always been so strong ... sure of himself and his position ... anytime a worthy opponent in their verbal sparring over the years. A man to respect and no one to confuse with normally successful tactics like intimidation or to ingratiate yourself - Webb hadn't met too many of that kind. He had learned how to deal with AJ's threats of bodily harm and although they had reached a mutual understanding in the end he would have never expected to hear any type of APOLOGY from the other man. Heck, even when he had asked him to get Harm fired from the Agency it had come out more like an order than a question... And AJ had known what he was asking for, had known that Harm, being Harm, could never forgive that additional blow to his pride.
Not that the mess with Harm was AJ's fault but he had really said the words "I'm sorry" ... shocking Webb completely. And that wasn't everything.
There ... had been something unusual in Chegwidden's voice as he had talked about his retirement. Something tired and ... yes, almost defeated. Maybe the pressure SecNav Sheffield had been putting on had finally got to him. Webb had been out of the country too often to know any detail but he was sure any other man would have given up months ago.
Should he have mentioned to Sarah what had been going on behind the scenes? Maybe, but he had told himself that if Chegwidden didn't do it himself he had no right to intervene. It had been AJ's fight and responsibility and if he had wanted to keep his staff out of it ... well, probably it had saved some careers. Hopefully. Admiral Miller was known to run a tight ship - JAG headquarters was in for a big surprise. Not that AJ hadn't ... but there was running a tight ship and running a tight ship and to be honest he would have preferred AJ's style anytime.
Webb sighed. He wished he could have seen Chegwidden's face but what he had heard in his voice... Of course a man like AJ would feel that to offer retirement had meant to surrender. To him it didn't matter that he hadn't stood a chance against the new SecNav ... and he had really put up more than a brave fight. But putting up a brave fight was one thing, running against windmills the other. On the other hand ... he HAD surrendered in the end. There was nothing to say or do to make this better.
And maybe his so suddenly and for unknown reasons canceled wedding was still adding to AJ's depression. According to Mac no one at JAG headquarters knew exactly why it had been off so abruptly. Of course there where many speculations but ... really not more than that.
Muffled voices outside threw Webb's stomach for a loop.
For a second he couldn't move overwhelmed by the memory. But then he gritted his teeth and struggled to his feet. No, not like that. Not like that. Quickly he wiped his wet hands on his crumpled suit and tried to appear calm although his heart was pounding in his chest. He heard the door being unlocked and lifted his chin, turning towards the sound as it was pushed open.
"Ah, Mister Webb, nice to see you on your own feet again," a polite, male voice remarked and an image flashed through Webb's mind: A face, a light-colored suit, he especially remembered the suit because he had held the man's briefcase for a moment so he could finally put on his jacket and stop blocking the aisle of the plane as they were about to disembark...
"But that's very stupid, Chegwidden," the voice continued amused.
A short silence. Then Webb almost smiled grimly as the man started shouting.
"What-? The windows! You: Outside! Call the others! Find him! Heck, shoot the bastard! And get Amal...!"
Webb heard steps running away while the voice approached him fast and prepared for a blow. Instead he was grabbed and violently propelled forward. He hit the door frame, gasped, regained his footing and nevertheless landed on his knees after a hard shove at his neck. A moment he stayed down to catch his breath.
"Get up, Webb- What?!"
Business-suit's command ended in a surprised yelp just as Webb felt another presence storming past him. He stumbled up to the sound of a door slamming shut and the next second a grip of steel closed around his elbow. Adrenalin surged through him and he jerked back, raised his free fist in a useless gesture but it was pushed down followed by AJ's voice barking in his ear...
"Run, Clay!"
Shouts and screams in different languages. Chegwidden dragged Webb behind the machines, tried to keep solid metal between them and their hunters as he aimed for the next exit. Business-suit hammered at the door of their former prison AJ had locked in a flash and hollered to be let out. A shot was fired.
Someone shouted: "Not Webb, you idiots!"
Then they were behind another cover and Chegwidden hissed: "Door!"
For a moment Webb felt the hard frame under his hand before he was jerked around and did his best to run as fast as possible at AJ's side. He stumbled as the other man abruptly changed direction. Pain shot through his arm. More shots and he thought he heard bullets over their heads. Another abrupt turn and he cursed breathlessly as Chegwidden skidded to a halt, this time nearly dislocating his shoulder.
Panting hard AJ tried the small door in the side of the second factory building. Locked. He hissed and dragged Webb towards the next corner. Now luck was on their side: one of the main doors was open. Chegwidden blinked rapidly to adjust his eyes to the deeper darkness of the building as they stormed inside. His gaze flickered over old crates and forgotten container and an industrial shelf-system ... then a row of two-storey offices or storerooms, the upper floor accessible by a steel gallery.
Webb was nearly pulled off his feet as he was whirled around once more and the next second AJ shouted "Stairs!"... A tiny bit too late, Webb already stumbled, barely avoided a fall with his free hand and grazed his shins. Now he was cursing AJ - in four languages.
Chegwidden ignored him and ran down the gallery, hectically searching for a place to hide. The offices were too obvious, empty too, they would be found immediately. Shouts were coming from different directions but some large container - any of them more than a man high - were shielding them at the moment.
The container! A plan formed in AJ's head and he stopped abruptly almost hurling Webb on his back. He pushed him against the rail. Right across from them was only a single container standing on the ground between piles of two or three. The top of the single container was hidden in shadows. AJ grabbed Webb's shoulders and turned him so they were face to face.
"Webb, listen to me, listen! We've got to jump! About ... five feet forward and six down. You can do that?"
Webb looked terrified but nodded. AJ gave his shoulder a short reassuring squeeze and helped him climb over the rail then followed carefully.
"Wait a second. Don't move. I'll go first and catch you."
Webb nodded again. AJ aimed, jumped and landed with a thud. Clapping dirt of his hands he got in position.
"All right, jump!" he called out as loud as he dared.
Webb didn't move.
"Webb! Jump!"
AJ looked around nervously. The shouts were getting closer but for the moment they seemed to be searching between the crates on the factory floor. And the agent still didn't move.
"Darn it, Clayton!"
Webb wanted to but he couldn't. His hands seemed to be glued to the rail he felt in his back and no matter how much he tried they didn't open. On the stairs they had run up more than just six feet and the height he wasn't able to see turned his stomach. He heard fear and anger in AJ's voice but there was NOTHING in front of him. Nothing but moving darkness and involuntarily his grip tightened even more.
"Jesus, Clay ... TRUST me!"
Webb almost laughed hysterically.
"AJ - trust kills you in my line of business!"
Chegwidden looked at the younger man frozen in place and cursed helplessly. Understandable as it was but it could not have happened anytime worse ... and he had no possibility to get back up to the spy. Then he heard steps pounding upwards on the stairs. And in this split second Webb forced his hands off the rail and jumped into his darkness.
AJ started forward, realized his mistake, hopped backwards, Webb slammed into his arms and the impact knocked him right off his feet... Causing the world to make a strange wobble, shake itself like a dog and land back in its normal place. Huffing.
Blinking slowly AJ mused idly over the stars he saw sparkling, absolutely sure he had no intact rib left let alone the ability to breathe, not with Webb on top of him. Like in a dream he watched a man running over the gallery, followed by another and for a second that man seemed to look directly at him, directly into his eyes... Webb's dark suit, blending into the shadows, saved them. The man's gaze swept over them and returned to the gallery. Then the next container blocked AJ's view.
There was more running around for some time and shouts for flashlights because the electric in this building didn't seemed to work anymore. Regardless of this they simply stayed down like they had fallen, clinging to each other and catching their breath. One shaking as badly as the other. Finally, as the hunt seemed to go back outside temporarily, Webb stirred for the first time. His voice was muffled against AJ's shirt.
"That I DON'T want to do EVER again."
"I'll sign that," mumbled AJ tiredly.
Some more minutes passed then Webb suddenly giggled. "Well, at least I'm on top this time."
AJ groaned and slapped his shoulder.