A/N Just a quick note. This chapter was originally going to be from Mac's POV, but I think it works better from AJ's.
A/N 2: I have received a number of requests to lighten up on Harm and not make him such an ass. The whole point of this story is to portray him in this manner...have faith dear reader, all will become clear in time.
A/N 3: I would like to thank CK for volunteering her services as a beta reader.
A Man Called Ghost
Chapter 6
Admiral AJ Chegwidden didn't like feeling useless, but that's exactly how he'd been feeling since Harmon Rabb Jr. was thrust back into the lives of all the JAG personnel a week before. The initial shock and dismay he'd felt at Webb's confession that Harm had become a deep insertion black ops agent of the CIA, had been replaced by a slow burning anger. Anger at himself for letting Rabb go, for forcing Rabb into this. Anger at Kershaw for using his officer so badly. Anger at Mac for not having the presence of mind to see what was right in front of her, but mostly he was angry at Rabb for allowing himself to be used like this.
Stabbing his phone's intercom button, he waited for his yeoman to answer. "Admiral?" Coates' voice drifted through the speaker phone.
"Coates, has MacKenzie decided to grace us with her presence yet?"
"I haven't seen her yet sir." Coates answered hesitantly.
"DAMN THAT WOMAN!" Chegwidden roared as he stabbed the intercom button again to break the connection. Picking up his phone he dialed the familiar number quickly and waited for his wayward officer to pick up.
"MacKenzie." Mac's voice echoed from the speakerphone.
"Are you alright Colonel?" Chegwidden asked in a deceptively calm tone.
He heard Mac take a deep breath before answering. "Honestly sir, I'm not too sure."
"Then may I ask you this Colonel? Where the hell is my chief of staff? She certainly isn't in the office."
"Admiral...sir...I'm at Harm's." Mac answered hesitantly. "At his apartment sir."
"Is he there with you?" Chegwidden asked.
"No sir...he left when I refused to."
"What do you mean he left?"
"He got on a motorcycle and drove off sir. He left, he's gone again." Mac answered testily.
What the hell was she saying? Rabb didn't run away from a fight...if anything he ran headlong into trouble every chance he got. "Do you know where he was going Mac?"
"No sir." Mac answered after a moment's hesitation.
Taking off his glasses the Admiral rubbed the bridge of his nose briefly. Had senior officers always been this much trouble? "Here's what you're going to do Mac. You're going to get into your car, and then you're going to drive to the office. When you get to the office you will report to me immediately. Do I make myself clear?"
"But sir..." Mac began to protest.
"What part of my order did you not understand Colonel?"
"Sir...I need to speak to him..."
"Colonel, allow me to remind you of the consequences of disobeying a direct order. The next words I want to hear out of your craw better be aye aye, sir."
"Aye aye, sir." Mac said trying to mask the sarcasm.
"Good. This conversation is over." Chegwidden said and then pounded the cancel button on his phone. Punching the intercom button again, he simply said "Get me Roberts."
A couple of minutes later, as he was going over some papers the intercom buzzed. "What?" he asked.
"Lieutenant Commander Roberts is here sir."
"Send him in." Chegwidden said, returning to his paperwork. Having come to attention in front of the admiral's desk, Chegwidden looked up at Bud Roberts expectantly.
"Lieutenant Commander Roberts reporting as ordered sir."
"I am in need of your uncanny ability to ferret information out quickly Commander."
"Sir?"
"I understand when Rabb went...off the radar almost a year ago, you conducted a little investigation to see if you could locate him."
"Ah...yes sir. I...that is, we were worried about him sir." Bud said with a slight blush to his cheeks.
"Ah, and you felt that because I was the one who chased Rabb away I wouldn't be interested in knowing what you found out, is that it Commander?" Chegwidden asked harshly. The very idea that he wouldn't care about Harm struck him as ludicrous.
"Not exactly sir. It's just...well, you've been preoccupied Admiral." Bud said hurriedly.
"Well...now I need that information Commander. Do you have any ideas where I might find Mr. Rabb?" Chegwidden asked.
"It's true then sir?"
"What's true Mr. Roberts?"
"That the Colonel and Commander Turner...they were rescued by the Com...by Harm sir?"
Shaking his head the Admiral cursed to himself silently. He should have known that scuttlebutt would race ahead of anything he might say about the matter. "Between us Commander, it's true. It appears that Harm is working for the CIA now and his talents were required for the mission that Colonel MacKenzie and Commander Turner undertook. Now then...do you know where I might find him?"
"Ummm...not really, sir." Bud said hesitantly. When he saw the look the Admiral was giving him he continued quickly "But I have a thought as to a place he might have been at some point sir."
"Well Mr. Roberts? What is it? I don't have all day."
"Sarah sir...his plane, not the Colonel. Last we heard, he was keeping it out near Blacksburg with a guy named Pops. I can't imagine the Commander not going out to fly once in awhile sir." Bud said, not even noticing having referred to Harm as 'the Commander'.
Rubbing the bridge of his nose again the Admiral nodded. "You may be right Commander. Good work."
"Thank you sir." Bud said with a rush of joy. It had been far too long since the Admiral had praised anyone.
"Dismissed." Chegwidden said. After Bud came to attention and walked out, the Admiral hit his intercom button again.
"Sir?" Coates asked timidly.
"Clear my schedule for the day Coates. And get Colonel MacKenzie in here as soon as she shows up."
"Aye aye, sir." Coates replied.
Packing up the paperwork on his desk, Chegwidden barely looked up at Mac's knock on his door. "Enter!" he called out.
"Colonel MacKenzie reporting as ordered sir." Mac said anxiously.
Looking up the Admiral almost fell out of his chair at what he saw. Normally Mac was one of the most squared away Marines he had ever seen, but right now her uniform looked like something pulled out of a dirty laundry basket. "Good lord Colonel. Did you get dressed in the dark?"
Mac took a quick look down at her uniform and blushed. Quickly she tried to come up with an explanation that didn't include the phrase 'I spent the night sleeping on Harm's doorstep'. "No excuse sir."
"Damn right there's no excuse." Chegwidden said unsympathetically and then sighed. "What am I going to do with you Colonel? You've been a mess for the last two days since you returned from Iraq."
Wisely Mac held her tongue and simply stood there looking past the Admiral at a point on the wall waiting for him to continue.
"Colonel, I am going to be out of the office for the rest of the day. If you can get yourself squared away, I expect you to run things while I am gone."
"May I inquire as to where the Admiral will be going in case we need to get a hold of you sir?"
"No you may not. I will have my cell, but don't call unless it's an emergency. I'll be checking in regularly." Chegwidden said as he stood and grabbed his cover. "That will be all Colonel."
"Aye aye, sir." Mac said hesitantly.
"You wish to add something else Colonel?"
"Permission to speak freely."
"When in the past have you ever not, Mac. Speak."
"Sir...I'm worried about Harm."
"Mr. Rabb is not your concern at this time Colonel."
Shocked, Mac just stared at her commanding officer. "How can you say that sir?"
"Colonel, right now your concern is running the office while I am away. I believe you are also due in court this afternoon, so I suggest you set your mind on the tasks at hand. Pining for Harmon Rabb won't solve anything today Colonel."
"Yes sir." Mac said stiffly, coming to attention once more.
As Mac marched out of his office the Admiral followed stopping at Coates' desk. "Petty Officer, I am going to be out of the office for the rest of the day. If you need anything, see Colonel MacKenzie."
"Aye aye, sir" Coates said with a quiver in her voice.
"Oh for God's sake Coates, I'm not going to bite you." Chegwidden said harshly then strode out of the office.
It wasn't much to go on, but hopefully Bud's information about Harm's plane was accurate. He didn't like what he'd heard about his one time officer, the man who had become something of a son to him. He needed to see him, to talk to him, to look into his eyes to see for himself what had happened. He needed to find the man they called Ghost.
A/N 2: I have received a number of requests to lighten up on Harm and not make him such an ass. The whole point of this story is to portray him in this manner...have faith dear reader, all will become clear in time.
A/N 3: I would like to thank CK for volunteering her services as a beta reader.
A Man Called Ghost
Chapter 6
Admiral AJ Chegwidden didn't like feeling useless, but that's exactly how he'd been feeling since Harmon Rabb Jr. was thrust back into the lives of all the JAG personnel a week before. The initial shock and dismay he'd felt at Webb's confession that Harm had become a deep insertion black ops agent of the CIA, had been replaced by a slow burning anger. Anger at himself for letting Rabb go, for forcing Rabb into this. Anger at Kershaw for using his officer so badly. Anger at Mac for not having the presence of mind to see what was right in front of her, but mostly he was angry at Rabb for allowing himself to be used like this.
Stabbing his phone's intercom button, he waited for his yeoman to answer. "Admiral?" Coates' voice drifted through the speaker phone.
"Coates, has MacKenzie decided to grace us with her presence yet?"
"I haven't seen her yet sir." Coates answered hesitantly.
"DAMN THAT WOMAN!" Chegwidden roared as he stabbed the intercom button again to break the connection. Picking up his phone he dialed the familiar number quickly and waited for his wayward officer to pick up.
"MacKenzie." Mac's voice echoed from the speakerphone.
"Are you alright Colonel?" Chegwidden asked in a deceptively calm tone.
He heard Mac take a deep breath before answering. "Honestly sir, I'm not too sure."
"Then may I ask you this Colonel? Where the hell is my chief of staff? She certainly isn't in the office."
"Admiral...sir...I'm at Harm's." Mac answered hesitantly. "At his apartment sir."
"Is he there with you?" Chegwidden asked.
"No sir...he left when I refused to."
"What do you mean he left?"
"He got on a motorcycle and drove off sir. He left, he's gone again." Mac answered testily.
What the hell was she saying? Rabb didn't run away from a fight...if anything he ran headlong into trouble every chance he got. "Do you know where he was going Mac?"
"No sir." Mac answered after a moment's hesitation.
Taking off his glasses the Admiral rubbed the bridge of his nose briefly. Had senior officers always been this much trouble? "Here's what you're going to do Mac. You're going to get into your car, and then you're going to drive to the office. When you get to the office you will report to me immediately. Do I make myself clear?"
"But sir..." Mac began to protest.
"What part of my order did you not understand Colonel?"
"Sir...I need to speak to him..."
"Colonel, allow me to remind you of the consequences of disobeying a direct order. The next words I want to hear out of your craw better be aye aye, sir."
"Aye aye, sir." Mac said trying to mask the sarcasm.
"Good. This conversation is over." Chegwidden said and then pounded the cancel button on his phone. Punching the intercom button again, he simply said "Get me Roberts."
A couple of minutes later, as he was going over some papers the intercom buzzed. "What?" he asked.
"Lieutenant Commander Roberts is here sir."
"Send him in." Chegwidden said, returning to his paperwork. Having come to attention in front of the admiral's desk, Chegwidden looked up at Bud Roberts expectantly.
"Lieutenant Commander Roberts reporting as ordered sir."
"I am in need of your uncanny ability to ferret information out quickly Commander."
"Sir?"
"I understand when Rabb went...off the radar almost a year ago, you conducted a little investigation to see if you could locate him."
"Ah...yes sir. I...that is, we were worried about him sir." Bud said with a slight blush to his cheeks.
"Ah, and you felt that because I was the one who chased Rabb away I wouldn't be interested in knowing what you found out, is that it Commander?" Chegwidden asked harshly. The very idea that he wouldn't care about Harm struck him as ludicrous.
"Not exactly sir. It's just...well, you've been preoccupied Admiral." Bud said hurriedly.
"Well...now I need that information Commander. Do you have any ideas where I might find Mr. Rabb?" Chegwidden asked.
"It's true then sir?"
"What's true Mr. Roberts?"
"That the Colonel and Commander Turner...they were rescued by the Com...by Harm sir?"
Shaking his head the Admiral cursed to himself silently. He should have known that scuttlebutt would race ahead of anything he might say about the matter. "Between us Commander, it's true. It appears that Harm is working for the CIA now and his talents were required for the mission that Colonel MacKenzie and Commander Turner undertook. Now then...do you know where I might find him?"
"Ummm...not really, sir." Bud said hesitantly. When he saw the look the Admiral was giving him he continued quickly "But I have a thought as to a place he might have been at some point sir."
"Well Mr. Roberts? What is it? I don't have all day."
"Sarah sir...his plane, not the Colonel. Last we heard, he was keeping it out near Blacksburg with a guy named Pops. I can't imagine the Commander not going out to fly once in awhile sir." Bud said, not even noticing having referred to Harm as 'the Commander'.
Rubbing the bridge of his nose again the Admiral nodded. "You may be right Commander. Good work."
"Thank you sir." Bud said with a rush of joy. It had been far too long since the Admiral had praised anyone.
"Dismissed." Chegwidden said. After Bud came to attention and walked out, the Admiral hit his intercom button again.
"Sir?" Coates asked timidly.
"Clear my schedule for the day Coates. And get Colonel MacKenzie in here as soon as she shows up."
"Aye aye, sir." Coates replied.
Packing up the paperwork on his desk, Chegwidden barely looked up at Mac's knock on his door. "Enter!" he called out.
"Colonel MacKenzie reporting as ordered sir." Mac said anxiously.
Looking up the Admiral almost fell out of his chair at what he saw. Normally Mac was one of the most squared away Marines he had ever seen, but right now her uniform looked like something pulled out of a dirty laundry basket. "Good lord Colonel. Did you get dressed in the dark?"
Mac took a quick look down at her uniform and blushed. Quickly she tried to come up with an explanation that didn't include the phrase 'I spent the night sleeping on Harm's doorstep'. "No excuse sir."
"Damn right there's no excuse." Chegwidden said unsympathetically and then sighed. "What am I going to do with you Colonel? You've been a mess for the last two days since you returned from Iraq."
Wisely Mac held her tongue and simply stood there looking past the Admiral at a point on the wall waiting for him to continue.
"Colonel, I am going to be out of the office for the rest of the day. If you can get yourself squared away, I expect you to run things while I am gone."
"May I inquire as to where the Admiral will be going in case we need to get a hold of you sir?"
"No you may not. I will have my cell, but don't call unless it's an emergency. I'll be checking in regularly." Chegwidden said as he stood and grabbed his cover. "That will be all Colonel."
"Aye aye, sir." Mac said hesitantly.
"You wish to add something else Colonel?"
"Permission to speak freely."
"When in the past have you ever not, Mac. Speak."
"Sir...I'm worried about Harm."
"Mr. Rabb is not your concern at this time Colonel."
Shocked, Mac just stared at her commanding officer. "How can you say that sir?"
"Colonel, right now your concern is running the office while I am away. I believe you are also due in court this afternoon, so I suggest you set your mind on the tasks at hand. Pining for Harmon Rabb won't solve anything today Colonel."
"Yes sir." Mac said stiffly, coming to attention once more.
As Mac marched out of his office the Admiral followed stopping at Coates' desk. "Petty Officer, I am going to be out of the office for the rest of the day. If you need anything, see Colonel MacKenzie."
"Aye aye, sir" Coates said with a quiver in her voice.
"Oh for God's sake Coates, I'm not going to bite you." Chegwidden said harshly then strode out of the office.
It wasn't much to go on, but hopefully Bud's information about Harm's plane was accurate. He didn't like what he'd heard about his one time officer, the man who had become something of a son to him. He needed to see him, to talk to him, to look into his eyes to see for himself what had happened. He needed to find the man they called Ghost.