Title: Simoom
Author: Willow
Summary: A helicopter crash in The Middle East and the CCTV documentary keep the staff busy.
Spoilers/Episode: Set in an a/u that leaves the show's timeline after season 5, Memorial Day. This chapter takes place a month after chapter 10.
Characters: Ensemble and Danny
Rating: PG
Part II
Thursday
CJ returned from her morning briefing, to find Danny stood leaning in her office doorway talking to Carol.
"Daniel, can't keep away I see," CJ commented.
"I was just catching up with Carol." Danny replied and followed CJ into the office. "I missed you all."
"You can't just wander in here you know."
"I have a pass and credentials," Danny replied and crouched down to say hello to the goldfish. "Gail looks well."
"She's possibly the oldest goldfish in existence," CJ smiled.
"She likes the dove I bought her then?"
"She does, I told her her uncle Danny sent it."
"You think she understood?" Danny asked with a grin.
"She's a very intelligent goldfish," CJ replied. "This isn't a social visit is it?"
"Have dinner with me and find out."
"You know I can't...." CJ began.
"Yeah I know," Danny said with a mock sigh. "That was just for old time's sake. It isn't entirely a social visit."
"As long as you don't want to talk about helicopters."
"Ah, that could be a problem."
CJ sighed. "Go on."
"There's a growing feeling that we have a problem with the helicopters in use by the military."
"You need to contact the Pentagon."
"I have, they won't comment. Don't you wonder why they're all so riled up the pressroom? No one will comment on the Families For Peace statement and now you've got the dead servicemen's families coming to the White House, you don't think they're going to want something more than being referred to the Pentagon?"
"What do you know?" CJ sighed.
"What makes you think I know anything?"
"Because you wouldn't be hassling me if you knew nothing."
"I only do this because I like you."
"Not because you're a roving reporter who's campaigning for justice and truth?" CJ asked.
"That as well, but I don't need the White House to do that."
"What do you know?"
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"So what has Danny found out?" Leo asked CJ.
"He's been researching a story for Families for Peace for a few weeks. It was originally a general report on accidental fatalities caused by faulty equipment. But after what happened on Tuesday, he's been focusing on helicopters," CJ told them and looked down at her notes. "Between 2001 and 2003 there were 67 fatalities due to military helicopter crashes, 60 of which are thought to be accidents, only seven have been confirmed as enemy fire. Last year, Class A accidents -- those in which damage exceeds $1 million or results in a fatality -- were up 60 percent over the previous year."
"We already knew that," Josh said.
"Yes, but according to Danny's sources and the FFP, sand isn't the only problem. In recent years accidental crashes and hard landings while on exercise have become more common place. Fatal training accidents have also increased."
"What do the DoD say?" Toby asked.
"The number of accidents didn't seem unusually high," CJ replied. "Helicopters are delicate machines that can react badly to sudden changes in weather."
"That's reassuring," Josh commented. "Why hasn't this been a problem before?"
"The age of the helicopters," Sam guessed.
"Partly," CJ agreed. "Although it has been a problem in the past, it's increased enormously in the last couple of years."
"Partly?" Sam asked. "What else?"
"The helicopters are being asked to fly for longer distances and time than previously and on more difficult missions over unsuitable terrain."
"Like sand?" Sam asked.
"Yeah," CJ agreed. "It's also been suggested that repairs are being done hastily."
"There's nothing to suggest that poor maintenance, age or even mechanical failure had anything to do with Tuesday's crash," Leo said. "It was an accident caused by the sand storm."
"Then the DoD need to tell the press that and someone at the Pentagon needs to respond to the FFP's statement, because this isn't going to go away," CJ told him.
"What's Danny going to do?"
"He's ready to publish, but he'll wait 24 hours and give us chance to respond," CJ replied.
"I'll talk to Hutchinson," Leo said.
"But this isn't just about Tuesday," Toby pointed out. "Someone is going to have to comment on the general state of the helicopters."
"Yeah," Leo agreed. "The DoD aren't going to be happy about anyone suggesting that they don't maintain their equipment properly."
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Friday
"You happy now?" CJ asked Danny.
"Yeah," Danny replied. "Because that was a comprehensive answer we got there, CJ. Helicopters are machines and some are bound to fail, that was a well thought out argument. Even better was, the rate of failures of all aircraft was in no way out of the ordinary."
"That wasn't all they said."
"No," Danny agreed. "Most of the FFP's members have lost loved ones to military accidents and friendly fire. They're going to make the most of their time in the spotlight and I can't say I blame them."
CJ nodded, "Off the record, neither can I."
"I'm glad to hear that, I'd hate to think you'd become on of them."
"Them?"
"The cronies, the yes men and women. You lot are the good guys, or at least you're suppose to be."
"Thanks, I think," CJ replied. "You're still running your story though."
"I've toned it down. But Families For Peace need support and publicity."
"And you're going to make sure they get it."
"Yes," Danny agreed.
Once Danny had left, Josh walked through the bullpen to CJ's office. "How's Danny?" he asked.
"I'd forgotten how annoying he can be."
"You know you don't mean that," Josh smiled.
"Yes I do. He gets hold of something and he won't let it go."
"That's why he's so good," Josh commented. "You don't win a Pulitzer for nothing."
"How many does he want?" CJ complained. "He won't leave this FFP thing alone, says they deserve publicity."
"They do."
"I'm not disputing that, but he latches onto a cause..."
"His brother was killed on a training exercise," Josh told her.
CJ stopped what she was doing and looked at Josh. "When?"
"Twenty years ago, longer in fact. We were at Yale, I don't know the details, just that he was parachuting and something went wrong."
"Shit," CJ said. "I had no idea."
"Don't say anything to him, I probably shouldn't have told you," Josh realized.
"No I won't. I've been pissed at him since yesterday, I had no idea."
CJ found Danny in the press area, typing into his notebook. "Hey, Claudia Jean," he smiled. "Come to berate me some more?"
"I think you enjoy it too much," CJ replied. "Will you let us see the article before you publish it?"
"No," he replied, then grinned. "I'll let you see it a minute or two before I upload it, if you'll have dinner with me."
"See, I was going to agree to having dinner, but now you've made it a bribe so I can't."
"Always looking for a get out clause," he smiled. "I'll show it you anyway."
Part III >>>