Part 6

JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, VA
1330 Local

Mac walked to the outer office and Jen waved at her to go right in. Squaring her shoulders, she rapped once on the door and then entered, coming to attention in front of the Admiral's desk.

Chegwidden let her stand there for a good long minute before saying 'at ease' - not 'have a seat'. Mac kept her face expressionless while she tried to think of something she'd done that might have pissed him off this badly. Normally this type of mood required a joint effort by her and Harm.

The Admiral finally leaned back in his chair, his voice deceptively pleasant, "So Colonel, everything is running smoothly in the office?"

" Yes sir." For the life of her, she had no idea where he was going with this but she could sense the avalanche beginning to move.
" And you? You're all caught up on your cases? Finished all that pesky paperwork that comes with being Chief of Staff?"

" Sir?" What the hell was he talking about? The stack of paperwork she had to deal with each day could be compared to Jack's beanstalk, it just kept growing. At the moment, she was more confused than annoyed at the sarcastic tone he was taking but it wouldn't take long for her temper to catch up if the Admiral continued in this vein.

" Is it that you're bored, Colonel? There's just not enough to do in our little corner of the Navy? Is that it?"

Mac's posture grew more rigid as she hung on to her temper with both hands. Jaws clenched, she ground out, "Admiral, I... "

Chegwidden cut her off as he suddenly stood and leaned over his desk, his voice growing in volume, "Explain to me, Colonel, why it is that whenever some other agency wants a lawyer or a Marine officer, they always ask for you? What the hell are you doing, advertising?!"

Astonishment warred with absolute fury. Not trusting herself to speak, she stared at him silently until he had the grace to look embarrassed. Chegwidden sank down in his chair and waved a hand at her, "Sit down, Mac." Stiffly, she lowered herself onto a chair. He folded his hands and looked down at the desktop for a few moments. Finally, he looked up with a sigh, "I apologize, Colonel, my remarks were uncalled for."

" Yes sir."

Mac's precise, clipped response told him how seriously pissed-off she was. With good reason, he had no business blaming her for things that were beyond her control.This betrayal by Meredith was wreaking havoc with his temper. How could she do that to him... to them? Shaking his head, AJ pushed those thoughts aside, "I just got off the phone with the SecNav's office. A Congresswoman Elbert has requested that you assist her with an official investigation of violence against women. You're to look into the Navy and Marines' handling of domestic abuse." Leaning back in his chair, Chegwidden pinched the bridge of his nose, "Considering our workload, this is miserable timing. I'll have to see about bringing in some JAGs from outside offices to help out. The problem is that we're short-handed everywhere."

Mac unbent a little. Goddammit, she thought she had made it clear to the Congresswoman that her help was conditional on the Admiral's approval. What the hell was Elbert doing making an end-run by going through the SecNav's office? She cleared her throat, "Sir, if this is voluntary, I can decline."

Chegwidden dropped his hand and shook his head, "It's not that simple. The SecNav wants someone with Elbert to make sure the Navy isn't made into a scapegoat over this. You know our record with spousal abuse isn't very good. You're stuck, Colonel."
" Yes sir." Mac replied reluctantly. Ordinarily, she'd be happy to sink her teeth into something like this. Establishing clear-cut policy would make it easier to get after base commanders who didn't want to get involved with service members' messy domestic lives or, God forbid, thought that smacking a spouse around was normal and saw no reason to interfere. She leaned forward a little, "Sir, it's possible that I could limit my hours with this. That way, I could still get some work done here." It was going to be that way, as soon as she had a few choice words with the Congresswoman.

" That would help, Mac, thank you. You're to report to Congresswoman Elbert's office tomorrow at 0900."

Mac rose from her chair, "Yes, sir. If that's all...?"

" Yes. Dismissed, Colonel." Chegwidden rubbed his chin for a moment as she started out of the office, "Mac?"

She turned around, "Sir?"

He stared at her for a long moment and then shook his head, "Never mind. Do what you can with the Congresswoman."

" Yes sir." She quietly closed the door to his office and headed back to her own. Head down, she strode quickly across the bullpen, thinking about how to handle Elbert. You had to careful how you addressed a member of Congress but, by God, she would find some way to blister that woman's hide. She was halfway to her desk before she realized that someone was in her office. She couldn't completely shut down the surprised jump as she turned back and then recognized Agent Todd.

Kate raised a hand, unconsciously mimicking Harm's gesture earlier, "I'm sorry Colonel, I didn't mean to startle you. One of the ensigns out there said it was all right to wait for you in here."

Mac braced against her desk with a hand to her chest and shook her head, "Not your fault, Agent Todd..."

" Kate, please" Kate interrupted.

Mac nodded, "Kate... It's just... well... I wasn't expecting anyone in my office." That sounded lame but it would have to do. She moved around the desk and sat down. Her eyes widened when she finally got a good look at the NCIS agent, "Good grief, what happened to you?"

Kate looked down at her hands and shrugged uncomfortably, "There was an explosion. I was too far away to stop it and too close to avoid it."

" You were lucky you weren't killed." Mac stared at the agent for a moment. The woman was clearly on edge. Despite her animosity towards NCIS in general, Mac hadn't found any reason to dislike Agent Todd. As a matter of fact, she could see a little of herself in the woman. They both shared a common ground of battling through male-dominated fields. It seemed obvious that the brunette somehow blamed herself for what had happened. If nothing else, Mac could empathize. She came to a quick decision and stood up, "Listen, I haven't had time for lunch yet and it seems pretty warm today. I wouldn't mind getting out of the office for a little bit. Why don't you come along? We can talk and eat."

" That's fine, Colonel," Kate stood up as well. They went down to the mess, picked up their food and went outside in search of a table. Mac balanced her tray and absently returned salutes until they found a spot away from the main traffic areas.

Settling down, Mac started to dig into her lunch and glanced up to find Kate watching her, "Before you ask, yes, I normally eat this much. I burn off calories quickly."

Kate shook her head and smiled as she started on her salad, "I think I hate you. That stuff goes right to my thighs."

They ate quietly for a few minutes before Mac looked over at the NCIS agent, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Surprised, Kate glanced up from the crouton she'd been pushing around her plate. She looked at Mac for a few long seconds, "Not really but I'll make you a deal, Colonel. I'll tell you what's bothering me if you'll tell me why you're so jumpy. Frankly, you didn't strike me as someone who's afraid of their own shadow." She wasn't really sure why she was making the offer. The last thing she wanted to do was rehash her lapse of judgment. On the other hand, the Colonel and her classified service record had piqued Kate's curiosity.

Mac eyed her back, thinking it over, "Is this off the record?" Maybe it wouldn't hurt to get the NCIS agent's opinion about Van Dyne and Sadik Fahd. They did deal with terrorists after all. God knew the CIA wouldn't be all that forthcoming if she asked them.

Kate nodded, "Whatever's said here, stays here. Fair enough?"

" Fair enough. So, why do you think the explosion was your fault?" Mac figured she might as well jump right in. She carried enough guilt around with her these days that she recognized when someone else was carrying the same load.

Kate pushed her salad away, her appetite completely gone, "It started with a woman digging herself out of a shallow grave... "

Mac leaned back in her chair as Kate finished her story. Somewhere, the woman had learned to give verbal reports - her account was concise without sacrificing the nuances. She regarded the NCIS agent thoughtfully, "I don't think there was any way in hell for you to have stopped that woman. She was on a vendetta."

Kate snorted, "I could have listened to Gibbs."

" And done what? He didn't figure it out any sooner than you did. The woman betrayed your trust, but you didn't do anything wrong."

" I got close to a potential suspect. I let my personal feelings cloud my judgment."

" That's hindsight. At the time, she wasn't a suspect so much as she was a victim. It wasn't until the very end that all the pieces came together and then it was too late. Give yourself a break, Kate. There are enough heartless bastards in the world - don't join them." Mac tilted her head to one side, "How long have you been with NCIS?"

" About four months, before that I was with the Secret Service." Kate was surprised to find that she did feel better after talking about it. It helped to have someone understand her point of view. She leaned forward and rested her elbows on the table, "Your turn, Colonel. What's going on?"

Mac involuntarily tensed and then forced herself to relax. She gave Kate a slight smile, "Seeing how we're exchanging confidences, you may as well call me Mac." Sighing a little, she began, "This started about eight months ago when I accepted a CIA mission to South America... " She kept her story brief as well, partly because a lot of it was still classified and partly because it was just painful to talk about it. Mostly she concentrated on the more recent events and her internal warning bells that were telling her that Sadik had reappeared on the scene.

When she finished, Kate leaned back with a frown, "I don't think you're being paranoid. That whole episode with Van Dyne was little weird. We're tied in with the FBI's terrorist databank, I'll see if I can find out anything for you."

" Thank you, I'd appreciate that." Both women fell silent, absorbed in their own thoughts. Finally, Mac looked over at Kate, "Why did you come to see me today?"

Kate gave Mac a sheepish look. Damn, talk about going off on a tangent. Where was her head these days? "Another Marine sergeant was murdered yesterday. Shot to death outside one of those rent-by-the-hour motels. It seemed odd to have two Marines killed so close together so I started reviewing records... " She paused for a moment in thought.

" You think this is a serial killer? Have there been others?" Mac frowned slightly. Why would Kate come to see her about this? These murders definitely fell within the NCIS baliwick - at least until they arrested someone.

Kate shook her head. "No, I haven't found any others... in this area, anyway," she clarified. "Neither of these men were what you'd consider stellar examples of the Marine Corps. The best that could be said about their service records is that they probably would have finished out their twenty. Mallory, as you know, was never charged with anything while the latest victim, Hilliard, actually did some brig time when he beat the hell out of his wife after they came home from a party. He was stupid enough, and drunk enough, to start in on her in the carport. The neighbors called the police. He told the MPs that she was coming on to the other men and deserved what she got. His JAG attorney managed to get his sentence reduced by combining the 'extreme provocation' defense with an offer to go into anger management counseling." Kate was hard put to keep the disdain out of her voice as she relayed that last bit of information.

Mac heard the faint disgust and let it slide. She felt much the same when she wound up defending these worthless examples of manhood. It didn't stop her from fulfilling her responsibilities, of course, anymore than it stopped her from taking overly long showers whenever she finished one of these cases. "It sounds like you already know quite a bit about both victims so I'm afraid I still don't know why you came to see me."

" These guys had two things in common: they abused their wives and they were investigated by JAG."

" And?" Mac's eyebrows rose and then lowered, "You're not suggesting that one of our people killed those Marines, are you?"

" No, but then there's not enough here for a pattern. Your database is tied in with all the JAG offices, isn't it?" Mac nodded and Kate leaned forward a little, "I have the NCIS records of unsolved murders for the last five years. I'd like to cross-reference with your records and see if anything else ties these men together. I can't imagine that they managed to stay out of trouble entirely. Maybe it will give me a better idea of what I'm looking for." Kate looked at Mac hopefully, "Will you help?"

Looking down at the table for a long moment while she thought it over, Mac finally raised her head and said, "Yes." Both women understood that NCIS would get those files regardless and what Kate was asking for was Mac's cooperation in sifting the wheat from the chaff. She stood up, gathering her tray, "Let's go, it's 1422 and I need to get back." They walked back to the building and Mac glanced over at Kate, "I'll have to clear this with the Admiral and then I'll see if Lt. Simms can give you a hand retrieving the files." She paused and then asked, "Was Hilliard still married when he was killed?"

" No. She divorced him right after he landed in the brig. I have to go interview her tomorrow morning."

Mac nodded and didn't say anything else as the two women entered JAG headquarters. She had the uneasy feeling that this was just the beginning. Kate was feeling the same way.

JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, VA
1530 Local

Mac stepped into the conference room where Kate had set up shop, gesturing 'As you were' to Harriet. She walked up to the table that had stacks of files scattered all over, "Is all of this for those two cases? I didn't think there was that much to go through."

Kate looked up from her laptop, "I widened my search parameters and came up with three more victims. Two were from Lejune and one was in Norfolk."

" All Marine non-coms?" Harriet nodded as Mac settled down in a chair, "So it's looking more and more like a serial killer."

" Or some sort of vigilante." Kate threw out as she continued typing.

" What's the time frame?"

" Four years, ma'am," Harriet handed over a sheet of legal paper with her notes on them. "All of them had incidents of domestic disputes and all came to the attention of the local JAG officers at one time or another."

Mac frowned, "Not the same JAG officer was it?"

Kate shook her head and grinned suddenly, "Oh damn, that lets you guys off the hook. I guess I'll have to go to Plan B."

Mac eyed the NCIS agent for a moment while Harriet held her breath, the Commander's arrest still fresh in her mind. Finally, Mac turned to the Lieutenant and raised an eyebrow, "I suppose you should tell Gunny Walters to remove the bullseye from the roof of Agent Todd's car and circulate a memo that today's grenade-lobbing contest is off."

Harriet stared at her for a split second and then nodded primly, "Yes ma'am. And the office pool?"

Mac waved a languid hand, "Keep it. There's always tomorrow."

Kate leaned back in her chair, chuckling. "Do you two rehearse often?"

" I prefer to think of it as a sterling example of intra-service cooperation." Mac shared a smile with Harriet before growing serious once more. "These three other victims - any reason why no one connected them before?"

" Time, distance and what looks like local politics," Kate answered, picking up a file folder. "The first was in Atlantic Beach, North Carolina - about an hour from Lejune. It's a popular getaway spot in the area for Marines. The police decided it was a robbery gone sour." She opened the folder, "It happened around 1 a.m., no witnesses and, get this... he still had his wallet and cash."

Mac stared at her, "And they called it a robbery? How did they manage that?"

" A robbery with an accidental shooting sounds a little better than outright murder, ma'am, " Harriet spoke up. "That's a resort area that caters to families. I doubt they'd want to scare off their livelihood."

Kate looked over at the Lieutenant, the blonde was a surprising fount of information, "Are you familiar with the area?

" Somewhat, ma'am," Harriet glanced at Mac as she answered. Ever since the debacle of Lt. Singer's murder, she'd been leery of anything that had to do with NCIS. It was certainly easy enough to dislike Special Agent GIbbs. It felt odd to be assisting them. It was quite obvious, however, that the Colonel had no reservations about helping. She looked back at Kate, "My father was thinking about investing in the area a few years ago. He rented a house on the ocean for a month so he could check out the details. My husband and I joined him for a week. It's not as built up as Florida. Not many hotels and most of the beachfront rentals are single houses or duplexes. During the tourist season, it gets crowded. Off-season, the locals say you can take a nap on the main highway and not get run over."

" When was the Marine killed?" Mac asked.

" September 23rd, 2000," Kate consulted the file. "There aren't a lot of details. He'd been drinking at a cocktail lounge along the main drag - alone - and then left. The parking lot was around back and that's where he was found. No one saw anything or heard anything or, at least, bothered to come forward if they did."

" When was the next murder?" Mac rested her chin on her hand. Considering the shake-up throughout the Corps after 9/11 and now with the Iraq war, chances were that none of the Marines that were at Lejune during the first killing were there now. Kate would have fun tracking them all down.

" May 16th, 2001," Kate picked up a folder from another stack. "This one was just outside Lejune on the outskirts of Jacksonville. Sergeant Ferris was found in the parking lot of a strip joint around 2:30 a.m. near his car. Again, no witnesses, no shell casings or any kind of lead, for that matter. It wound up in the cold case file after a year."

" Where was NCIS through all this?" Mac wasn't trying to be obnoxious about it, but it was apparent to her that someone had dropped the ball on these investigations.

Kate frowned, "That's the million dollar question. The NCIS agent who investigated both murders was killed in a car accident about 18 months or so ago. I don't know if he was incompetent, overworked or somehow a part of it. The notes he entered on the system are pretty sparse."

" Well, at least you know he wasn't involved with these last two murders." Mac pointed out. If she hadn't had so many things on her plate right now, she wouldn't have minded jumping into this investigation. Puzzles always fascinated her. As it was, she really should be back in her office finishing up what she could before her meeting with the Congresswoman tomorrow morning. Still... "What about the one in Norfolk?"

" Happened in November 2003. That one is still an open investigation. He was found outside a bar... " Kate was interrupted by the conference door opening and Harm putting his head in.

" There you are. Mac, I need... " he broke off when he realized she wasn't alone. His expression grew colder as he recognized Kate as the NCIS agent from several weeks ago. "Excuse me, Colonel, I didn't realize you were busy. I need the memo on Garcia."

" It's on top of the second stack on the right-hand... never mind, I'll get it." Mac stood up and nodded to Kate and Harriet, "Excuse me, I'll be back later to see how things are going." She smiled at Harm as she stepped out into the hallway, "How's the Delaney case going? Sturgis cutting you any slack?"

" It's going fine."

Harm's curt tone had her looking at him in surprise. "What?"

" Who's NCIS trying to railroad now?"

Mac took a deep breath, Harm had every reason to be angry with NCIS but she wasn't the enemy. "As far as I know, Kate isn't railroading anyone. A number of Marine non-coms have been murdered in the last four years and she's looking for some sort of connection." The increasing stiffness in her posture told him it would be wise to moderate his tone.

Unfortunately, Harm sailed right past the warning. The feelings of anger and abandonment he'd had during his trial had risen up and overwhelmed the pitiful little barriers he'd erected around them, not to mention any modicum of common sense. The way he was feeling, it could have happened yesterday instead of nearly a year ago, "Kate, is it? Bad enough you're in bed with the CIA, now you're getting chummy with NCIS? You used to be more careful of the company you kept."

Mac stopped dead in the hallway, her expression thunderstruck. For a few long seconds, she didn't say anything at all. When she finally spoke, the polar ice caps would have been warmer. "You're quite right, Commander. Thank you for setting me straight." With that, she resumed her march towards her office.