Sorry I didn't get this up sooner but the site for uploading files was off-line for repairs.
Part 10
JAG Headquarters Falls Church, VA 2105 Local
Mac walked into JAG HQ and smiled when she saw Gunny Walters. He was at the CP talking to a fresh-faced PFC. Hearing footsteps, he turned around. She wasn't in uniform, so he didn't come to attention but habit made him straighten up anyway, "Colonel, I thought you were gone for the day."
"There is chaos and calamity within the Corps, Gunny. I've come to watch you apply your legendary skills to the problem." She kept her expression serious, enjoying the confused look on the PFC's face as she signed in on the log.
"You forgot to mention my sterling qualities, ma'am," Walters chided her gently, keeping his expression serious as well.
"I suppose I did." Mac raised an eyebrow, "Will I have to sacrifice a 2nd Lieutenant to make amends?"
Gunny shook his head, "That would hardly be considered a sacrifice, ma'am. We are talking about 2nd Lieutenants."
"True... true," Mac agreed. She glanced down the hallway, "It's dark out, so there's no chance of finding a Squid... " She glanced at the PFC and tilted her head in his direction, "What about him?"
Gunny stared at the now nervous young man and finally shook his head, "Wrong season." He affected a heavy sigh, "I'll just have to let it go this time, ma'am."
"You're a gentleman and a scholar, Gunny." She said gravely and then reverted back to her normal manner, "I need to pick up some files from Lt. O'Dowd."
"Yes ma'am." He fell in beside her as she headed towards the elevators, gesturing for the Private to follow. Mac didn't say anything about the escort. Ever since 'Archangel', whenever she showed up after hours at JAG, if Walters was on duty - he went where she did. Considering the number of scrapes he'd gotten her out of, she was sometimes surprised he didn't think it necessary to babysit her 24/7.
PFC Gunther trailed after the two, feeling mystified. It was only the second day of his first tour out of boot camp. In his limited experience, he hadn't thought that officers were allowed to have a sense of humor.
Ten minutes later, Mac had the files she needed and was headed back down. She looked over at Walters as they walked down the corridor, "How's Robyn?" While it wasn't that common for non-coms and officers to interact socially, Mac looked upon the Gunny as a special case. The man had saved her life on more than one occasion. She admired and respected him as a Marine and, lately, had gotten to know he and his family on a more social level. Last year, Gunny had asked if he and his wife, Robyn, could visit with her while she was on medical leave. His excuse had been a shared interest in the Civil War era. They discovered that they had more in common and the friendship grew from there.
"Doing fine, ma'am. She's already making plans for Carlie's graduation from the Academy next year." He threw out his barrel chest a little further, "Did I tell you I'm about to become a grandfather again?"
The Walters had three grown daughters. The two eldest were married, one had stayed in the Washington area, the other lived in Ohio. His youngest was in her third year at the Naval Academy. She was following her father's footsteps into the Marine Corps. Carlie Walters was a lot like her dad. Mac had met the young woman while visiting Mo Dzurick and been surprised to learn that Carlie and Mo were friends. There wasn't that much time to mingle outside of the class you were in and Mo was just finished with her plebe year. It turned out that they were both on the Academy fencing team. Carlie's weapon was sabre.
Mac grinned, "That's wonderful, is it Della or Jackie?"
"Della. She's due in early November."
"Does she know if it's a boy or a girl yet?" Gunny's other two grandchildren were girls and although Mac knew he loved them dearly, she correctly assumed that he would be thrilled with a grandson.
Walters shook his head, "She and Colby want to be surprised." They'd reached the CP and Mac was signing out on the log. Walters was pleased to see that she seemed to be back to normal... Closer to normal, anyway. This had been a tough year for the Colonel... hell, for most of the JAG staff but he didn't know them as well. He felt a proprietary interest in Colonel MacKenzie. Gunny had taken on the proper education of a number of officers over the years. Some because they needed the help desperately, whether they knew it or not, and others because they were on their way to becoming exceptional officers. Mac was already well on her way towards the latter, something he formerly believed was impossible for women in the Corps. She still needed some seasoning and eventually would need someone to watch her back with the bureaucrats. For a while, he'd thought Galindez would fill that role but that was before he got tapped to go terrorist hunting. Walters had talked it over with his wife and they had agreed when Mac earned her first star, he would make his case for joining her staff. Now all he had to do was make sure she survived long enough for that to happen.
That was easier said than done given her penchant for getting caught up in dangerous missions. God knew he owed more than a few gray hairs to some of the situations she'd found herself in. If he'd had half a clue that Commander Rabb was going to ditch everything to bring the Colonel back from South America, he'd have found a way to have gotten down there as well. Galindez had done a good job but two Gunnies would have been better. Last week, when he'd heard through the rumor mill that she'd taken on a damn terrorist by herself, he'd been torn between pride and anger at her audacity.
As Gunny watched the Colonel leave the building, he couldn't help wondering what kind of trouble she was about to get into now. She'd had that look in her eye that said she was about to sink her teeth into something. He swallowed a sigh as he turned back to resume his duties. Somehow he would have to find a way to keep a closer eye on her. Carlie was planning to come up from Annapolis next weekend, maybe he should have Robyn invite Mac over for dinner.
NCIS Washington, D.C. 2135 Local
Kate smiled when she saw Mac in the lobby, "I really appreciate this, Mac. I'm sorry about interrupting your evening though."
Mac shook her head, "It's okay, this is important. We need to get this guy off the streets."
Kate leafed through the files as they rode up in the elevator. She'd made the arbitrary decision to ask if Mac wanted in on the investigation. The Colonel had provisionally agreed - she would need to get her CO's permission. When Kate suggested that she talk to Chegwidden about it, the woman had looked positively horrified and hastily gotten Kate's assurances that she would let Mac handle it. There was obviously a story in there somewhere. At any rate, Kate figured she could use all the help she could get and, thankfully, Mac was familiar with the case. She'd square it with Gibbs somehow and smack Tony if she had to. She looked over at the Colonel, "Well, he fit the profile and then some. Sgt. Alvaro was a busy man."
Mac nodded, "Quite a temper, judging from the reports." The elevator doors opened and Mac followed Kate over to her desk. She glanced around the floor, "You're the only one here tonight?"
Kate shrugged, "It's my case. Ducky's in the morgue doing the autopsy. Ordinarily, he'd wait until morning but I think he wants this nut as much as we do."
"Ducky?" Mac's eyebrows rose questioningly.
"Our M.E., Dr. Donald Mallard," Kate grinned. That the dapper and well-respected Doctor should have that sort of nickname always seemed as inevitable as it was incongruous. "He doesn't seem to mind."
Mac shook her head and then tapped the Alvaro file, "Where was he found?"
"Parking lot of a package liquor store - our perp took a chance with this one. Alvaro had just gotten off duty and apparently stopped at the closest place for a six-pack. He was shot when he returned to his car."
"Witnesses?" Mac asked hopefully.
"Not yet, I'll go back tomorrow and re-canvass the area." Kate frowned, "It's hard to believe that no one saw or heard anything. Hell, this time the Sergeant was shot in broad daylight."
Mac frowned as well, "Are you sure it's the same shooter? Doesn't this guy usually strike in the early morning hours?"
"That seems to be the pattern, so this might be something entirely unrelated. Ducky will be able to confirm if it's the same caliber as the others. The ballistics will have to wait for Abby to check them in the morning." Kate ran a hand through her hair and looked over at Mac, "I've got a gut feeling, though, that this is our guy."
"If it is, then what's setting him off?" Mac looked exasperated. "This will be the third killing in a month. Why the escalation?" She gestured towards the file on Kate's desk, "Is there anything that ties these guys together other than their rank and JAG?"
Kate shook her head, "Not that I can find. They never met each other, never served in the same area, didn't even have friends in common." She eyed Mac, "Right now, all we have to go on is JAG as a common denominator. I'm assuming it's their rank that makes them a target, this jerk isn't going after officers or other enlisted who abuse their wives."
Mac stared at her, the beginnings of an idea starting to niggle its way forward. She was interrupted by the arrival of Dr. Mallard. Turning around, she saw an older man coming towards them. Gentleman was the best way to describe him, perhaps the only way. Although he was impeccably turned out, he could have been wearing a sack and she still would have known he was a gentleman. Some people were like that.
"Oh good, Kate, you're still here," Ducky said as he stopped at her desk. He smiled and nodded to the beautiful brunette sitting beside Kate while he waited patiently for an introduction.
Kate hid a small grin, Ducky was definitely old school when it came to ladies. She gestured towards Mac, "Ducky, this is Lt. Colonel Sarah MacKenzie. She's the Chief of Staff for the Navy JAG." Kate looked over at Mac, "May I present Dr. Donald Mallard? He's our top Medical Examiner."
Mac offered her hand, "It's a pleasure, Doctor. Please call me Mac."
Ducky raised an eyebrow as he took her hand, it was a pleasant surprise that she knew the proper etiquette for introductions. So many young people used terms like 'old-fashioned' or 'politically incorrect' to cover an appalling lack of manners. He felt a pang of regret that he wasn't a tad younger and gave the Marine Colonel his best smile, "Might I call you Sarah, instead? Mac reminds me of an old schoolmate that I used to oppose on the rugby field."
"Sarah is fine," Mac assured him with a smile of her own. This one could charm the birds out of the trees. A killer smile and that delightful British accent - he must have been quite a heartbreaker in his youth.
The two of them continued to grin at each other until Kate finally cleared her throat, "What did you find, Ducky?" Was every male at NCIS going to have this reaction to Mac?
"Hmmm?" Ducky automatically turned towards Kate and then blinked, "What? Oh, yes..." He dug into his coat pocket and pulled out an evidence envelope, "I need to drop this off in the lab for Abby to check. It's the same caliber as the others, I'm afraid."
Kate grimaced, "I was hoping I was wrong."
Mac looked equally grim, "Something must have happened to make this guy change his pattern. If he's gone over the edge, there's no telling what's going to happen next."
Ducky held up a hand, "Ladies, as much as I concur with your opinions, until we have confirmation that this came from the same gun, such speculation is useless." He gestured towards the lab, "It's getting late, let me drop the bullet off and then I'll escort the two of you out. There's no use in overtaxing yourselves until it's necessary."
Sighing, Kate acknowledged the truth of what Ducky was saying. The two women watched as the Doctor made his way to the lab. She looked over at Mac, "I guess we should call it a night. I'll phone you as soon as I know anything."
Mac nodded and got up from her chair. She paused for a moment and then looked over at Kate, "You have all the victims' personnel records, don't you?" At Kate's nod, she paused again. Did she really want to delve into these men's lives? Abuse cases were always tough on her. That little wisp of an idea re-appeared and gave her a kick, forcing her decision, "Could I have a copy of them?"
Kate eyed her curiously, "Sure." She pulled up the files and hit 'print'. Looking back over at Mac, she raised an eyebrow, "Got an idea?"
"I'm not really sure," Mac shrugged uncomfortably. What the hell was she thinking? More than likely, all that would happen is that she would add old nightmares to the new ones that kept her from sleeping through the night. She watched Kate pull the pages from the printer and put them in an envelope. Accepting it gingerly from the NCIS agent, she was struck by the irreverent thought that all the misery these six men had inflicted in their lives came down to about a 1/4 lb. of paper. How much would her father's have weighed? Mac snorted softly to herself as she tucked the envelope under her arm. The deeds themselves might not have weighed so much but the consequences felt like the weight of the whole damn planet.
JAG Headquarters Falls Church, VA 1015 Local
Harm sat back, rubbed his eyes and then checked his watch. He'd been in court since first thing this morning. There had finally been a recess and it was high time for a break. He hadn't had been able to do more than flash a quick smile at Mac in passing and he wanted to make sure things were still okay between the two of them. He also wanted to talk to her about Mattie. When he got back to the apartment last night, his ward's problems with physics were almost miraculously resolved. Harm knew he wasn't always the brightest bulb on the tree when it came to teenagers but even he could put two and two together.
The problem was he didn't know quite what to do about it. He was pretty sure his first instinct (which was to give Mattie a dressing down that would rival some of his own) would be a disaster. He needed advice and he was certain that Mac was already ahead of him on this particular curve. Harm strode to her office and rapped on the doorframe. He waited a moment and then rapped a little harder. She was totally immersed in whatever she was reading. "Mac?"
Her head shot up in surprise and then she smiled when she saw it was Harm, "Hey, how did court go?"
"No surprises so far," he smiled back. Mac looked on edge, her smile notwithstanding. Deciding that the 'Mattie' problem could be put on hold for a bit, Harm walked in and settled in one of her chairs. "What's going on?"
She leaned back in her chair, eyeing him a trifle warily, "Kate asked if I could assist in her investigation. I said yes."
Harm gave Mac an exasperated look. What was she doing? Abuse cases were always hard for her and she was already up to her elbows in it because of that Congressional whateveritwas. Hell, she'd barely had time to recover from the stress Sadik had caused. Was she trying to see how much crap she could take before she broke?
Fortunately, he managed to clamp his jaws around any comment in that particular vein. God knew he could be a slow learner about the stupid things he'd said to Mac over the years but this particular lesson was finally beginning to sink in. He supposed he had Mattie to thank for that. She gave him daily practice in biting his tongue. Teenagers seemed to be able to go from Niagara Falls to Mt. St. Helens and back again in the blink of an eye. Harm had another thought, "What did the Admiral say?"
Mac looked away for a moment. Getting reamed by the Admiral wasn't the best way to start the day - especially after the night she'd had. She sighed and looked back at Harm, "He finally said that what I do on my own time is my own business."
"You're kidding," Harm stared at her, "You're going to work a full day here and then go work on that case? For godsakes, Mac, are you trying to kill yourself?"
"You don't understand... "
"You bet I don't," Harm interrupted her, his agitation growing. "Mac, NCIS has been solving cases for years. Let them solve this one. You don't need to do this to yourself. Dammit, it's been less than a week..."
"Harm!"
He shut up. The intensity of her voice told him he was perilously close to pushing her in the opposite direction that he wanted her to go.
Mac took a deep breath, reminding herself that he was only worried about her. God knew he had every right to be. She made an effort to moderate her tone although she was gripping her pen so tightly that her knuckles were white. "Harm," she repeated, "Last night I went over the personnel files of the six Marine sergeants that have been murdered so far." She took another breath, "It was like reading about my childhood. Any one of those men could have been my father."
He stared at her for a moment, "Mac... " How to say this without upsetting her even more? She was really rattled. He leaned forward and spoke gently, "Mac, you could say that about almost any man who abused his wife."
She shot a quick glare at him, "I know that! It's not just the abuse." She stared at her desk, "They were all career Marines; they were all sergeants. All of them became abusive after they drank... and all of them had one daughter." She rubbed her eyes, still not looking at Harm, "I didn't see it at first because I knew the Mallorys didn't have any kids. If I'd looked a little deeper I would have seen that they didn't have any kids NOW. Their daughter was three when she drown in a swimming pool accident." Mac laughed mirthlessly, "You know, it's a good thing I have alibis for these killings, I'd be my number one suspect."
"It's probably a coincidence... "
She gave him an incredulous look, "Six times?"
Harm shot her a look, "That's not what I meant. C'mon, Mac, think about it. You might have made a good suspect but it's a bit much to think that you're somehow inspiring this lunatic. He's probably pursuing his own agenda."
"And just happens to be targeting men who fit my family's profile? You really think it's a coincidence?"
"Yes, I do. There must be a ton of people who've been in abusive family relationships." Harm spoke firmly. He had to stop this. Ordinarily, Mac was one of the most sensible people he knew but the circumstances lately had been anything but ordinary. Given even a ghost of a reason and she would tear herself apart over this. "Besides, how many people know about your background?"
"That's just it, Harm. The CIA has my whole damn life history on file! Anybody with enough clearance could access it." She looked down at her desk and scowled, "There are days when I could just strangle Uncle Matt. If he hadn't gotten a wild hair and played into Webb's hands, the CIA would probably never have heard of me... and I'd still have my Uncle." Mac added the last part quietly, half to herself.
Harm reached across the desk and covered her hand, "Mac, I am sorry I wasn't able to keep the Colonel out of Leavenworth."
She looked up at him, "Don't blame yourself for that. I certainly don't." Mac gave him a half-smile, "You know, that might have been the first time I seriously started thinking about Dress Whites and Gold Wings."
He grinned back, "Then forgive me for wanting to thank your Uncle every day for that massive screw-up. Otherwise, we might never have met." Harm stopped smiling as he watched her expression grow pensive again. Damn, he really needed to hammer his point home. Mac was nothing if not tenacious, "Look, why would someone need you as an inspiration for killing these guys? You survived. Hell, you've done more than survive. You're a well-respected, successful Marine officer. Why would someone want to play Masked Avenger for you at this late date? And if they were, wouldn't they contact you so you could appreciate what they've done? No, this is a coincidence, nothing more."
Mac looked at him, desperate for any little sliver of hope that she wasn't somehow responsible for this killing spree. Maybe she still wasn't thinking all that clearly, although last night, it had seemed so obvious. After seeing her life replayed six times, she'd taken an uneasy look at the crimes as a whole. Comparing the timeline of the killings with her own life had yielded a disturbing pattern, Even though she wasn't a target, the circumstances were beginning to feel like a stalking. That had brought Coster to mind. It didn't take much to recall the lengths he had gone to because of his obsession and that had scared the holy hell out of her.
On the other hand, Harm's arguments were persuasive. What he was telling her, in the nicest possible way, was to get over herself - the world didn't revolve around Sarah MacKenzie. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, slowly releasing the death grip she had on her pen and trying to force herself to relax. Harm was right, he had to be right.
Her eyes flew open in surprise and then she looked up gratefully. Harm had silently gotten up and come around behind her. His hands were beginning to knead her shoulders, working on the knot that seemed to have taken up permanent residence between her shoulder blades. Mac dropped her head forward, letting his fingers do their work. He had the best hands... God, how she'd missed him! She closed her eyes again, murmuring a soft 'thank you'. ...Harm was right, he had to be right.
Part 10
JAG Headquarters Falls Church, VA 2105 Local
Mac walked into JAG HQ and smiled when she saw Gunny Walters. He was at the CP talking to a fresh-faced PFC. Hearing footsteps, he turned around. She wasn't in uniform, so he didn't come to attention but habit made him straighten up anyway, "Colonel, I thought you were gone for the day."
"There is chaos and calamity within the Corps, Gunny. I've come to watch you apply your legendary skills to the problem." She kept her expression serious, enjoying the confused look on the PFC's face as she signed in on the log.
"You forgot to mention my sterling qualities, ma'am," Walters chided her gently, keeping his expression serious as well.
"I suppose I did." Mac raised an eyebrow, "Will I have to sacrifice a 2nd Lieutenant to make amends?"
Gunny shook his head, "That would hardly be considered a sacrifice, ma'am. We are talking about 2nd Lieutenants."
"True... true," Mac agreed. She glanced down the hallway, "It's dark out, so there's no chance of finding a Squid... " She glanced at the PFC and tilted her head in his direction, "What about him?"
Gunny stared at the now nervous young man and finally shook his head, "Wrong season." He affected a heavy sigh, "I'll just have to let it go this time, ma'am."
"You're a gentleman and a scholar, Gunny." She said gravely and then reverted back to her normal manner, "I need to pick up some files from Lt. O'Dowd."
"Yes ma'am." He fell in beside her as she headed towards the elevators, gesturing for the Private to follow. Mac didn't say anything about the escort. Ever since 'Archangel', whenever she showed up after hours at JAG, if Walters was on duty - he went where she did. Considering the number of scrapes he'd gotten her out of, she was sometimes surprised he didn't think it necessary to babysit her 24/7.
PFC Gunther trailed after the two, feeling mystified. It was only the second day of his first tour out of boot camp. In his limited experience, he hadn't thought that officers were allowed to have a sense of humor.
Ten minutes later, Mac had the files she needed and was headed back down. She looked over at Walters as they walked down the corridor, "How's Robyn?" While it wasn't that common for non-coms and officers to interact socially, Mac looked upon the Gunny as a special case. The man had saved her life on more than one occasion. She admired and respected him as a Marine and, lately, had gotten to know he and his family on a more social level. Last year, Gunny had asked if he and his wife, Robyn, could visit with her while she was on medical leave. His excuse had been a shared interest in the Civil War era. They discovered that they had more in common and the friendship grew from there.
"Doing fine, ma'am. She's already making plans for Carlie's graduation from the Academy next year." He threw out his barrel chest a little further, "Did I tell you I'm about to become a grandfather again?"
The Walters had three grown daughters. The two eldest were married, one had stayed in the Washington area, the other lived in Ohio. His youngest was in her third year at the Naval Academy. She was following her father's footsteps into the Marine Corps. Carlie Walters was a lot like her dad. Mac had met the young woman while visiting Mo Dzurick and been surprised to learn that Carlie and Mo were friends. There wasn't that much time to mingle outside of the class you were in and Mo was just finished with her plebe year. It turned out that they were both on the Academy fencing team. Carlie's weapon was sabre.
Mac grinned, "That's wonderful, is it Della or Jackie?"
"Della. She's due in early November."
"Does she know if it's a boy or a girl yet?" Gunny's other two grandchildren were girls and although Mac knew he loved them dearly, she correctly assumed that he would be thrilled with a grandson.
Walters shook his head, "She and Colby want to be surprised." They'd reached the CP and Mac was signing out on the log. Walters was pleased to see that she seemed to be back to normal... Closer to normal, anyway. This had been a tough year for the Colonel... hell, for most of the JAG staff but he didn't know them as well. He felt a proprietary interest in Colonel MacKenzie. Gunny had taken on the proper education of a number of officers over the years. Some because they needed the help desperately, whether they knew it or not, and others because they were on their way to becoming exceptional officers. Mac was already well on her way towards the latter, something he formerly believed was impossible for women in the Corps. She still needed some seasoning and eventually would need someone to watch her back with the bureaucrats. For a while, he'd thought Galindez would fill that role but that was before he got tapped to go terrorist hunting. Walters had talked it over with his wife and they had agreed when Mac earned her first star, he would make his case for joining her staff. Now all he had to do was make sure she survived long enough for that to happen.
That was easier said than done given her penchant for getting caught up in dangerous missions. God knew he owed more than a few gray hairs to some of the situations she'd found herself in. If he'd had half a clue that Commander Rabb was going to ditch everything to bring the Colonel back from South America, he'd have found a way to have gotten down there as well. Galindez had done a good job but two Gunnies would have been better. Last week, when he'd heard through the rumor mill that she'd taken on a damn terrorist by herself, he'd been torn between pride and anger at her audacity.
As Gunny watched the Colonel leave the building, he couldn't help wondering what kind of trouble she was about to get into now. She'd had that look in her eye that said she was about to sink her teeth into something. He swallowed a sigh as he turned back to resume his duties. Somehow he would have to find a way to keep a closer eye on her. Carlie was planning to come up from Annapolis next weekend, maybe he should have Robyn invite Mac over for dinner.
NCIS Washington, D.C. 2135 Local
Kate smiled when she saw Mac in the lobby, "I really appreciate this, Mac. I'm sorry about interrupting your evening though."
Mac shook her head, "It's okay, this is important. We need to get this guy off the streets."
Kate leafed through the files as they rode up in the elevator. She'd made the arbitrary decision to ask if Mac wanted in on the investigation. The Colonel had provisionally agreed - she would need to get her CO's permission. When Kate suggested that she talk to Chegwidden about it, the woman had looked positively horrified and hastily gotten Kate's assurances that she would let Mac handle it. There was obviously a story in there somewhere. At any rate, Kate figured she could use all the help she could get and, thankfully, Mac was familiar with the case. She'd square it with Gibbs somehow and smack Tony if she had to. She looked over at the Colonel, "Well, he fit the profile and then some. Sgt. Alvaro was a busy man."
Mac nodded, "Quite a temper, judging from the reports." The elevator doors opened and Mac followed Kate over to her desk. She glanced around the floor, "You're the only one here tonight?"
Kate shrugged, "It's my case. Ducky's in the morgue doing the autopsy. Ordinarily, he'd wait until morning but I think he wants this nut as much as we do."
"Ducky?" Mac's eyebrows rose questioningly.
"Our M.E., Dr. Donald Mallard," Kate grinned. That the dapper and well-respected Doctor should have that sort of nickname always seemed as inevitable as it was incongruous. "He doesn't seem to mind."
Mac shook her head and then tapped the Alvaro file, "Where was he found?"
"Parking lot of a package liquor store - our perp took a chance with this one. Alvaro had just gotten off duty and apparently stopped at the closest place for a six-pack. He was shot when he returned to his car."
"Witnesses?" Mac asked hopefully.
"Not yet, I'll go back tomorrow and re-canvass the area." Kate frowned, "It's hard to believe that no one saw or heard anything. Hell, this time the Sergeant was shot in broad daylight."
Mac frowned as well, "Are you sure it's the same shooter? Doesn't this guy usually strike in the early morning hours?"
"That seems to be the pattern, so this might be something entirely unrelated. Ducky will be able to confirm if it's the same caliber as the others. The ballistics will have to wait for Abby to check them in the morning." Kate ran a hand through her hair and looked over at Mac, "I've got a gut feeling, though, that this is our guy."
"If it is, then what's setting him off?" Mac looked exasperated. "This will be the third killing in a month. Why the escalation?" She gestured towards the file on Kate's desk, "Is there anything that ties these guys together other than their rank and JAG?"
Kate shook her head, "Not that I can find. They never met each other, never served in the same area, didn't even have friends in common." She eyed Mac, "Right now, all we have to go on is JAG as a common denominator. I'm assuming it's their rank that makes them a target, this jerk isn't going after officers or other enlisted who abuse their wives."
Mac stared at her, the beginnings of an idea starting to niggle its way forward. She was interrupted by the arrival of Dr. Mallard. Turning around, she saw an older man coming towards them. Gentleman was the best way to describe him, perhaps the only way. Although he was impeccably turned out, he could have been wearing a sack and she still would have known he was a gentleman. Some people were like that.
"Oh good, Kate, you're still here," Ducky said as he stopped at her desk. He smiled and nodded to the beautiful brunette sitting beside Kate while he waited patiently for an introduction.
Kate hid a small grin, Ducky was definitely old school when it came to ladies. She gestured towards Mac, "Ducky, this is Lt. Colonel Sarah MacKenzie. She's the Chief of Staff for the Navy JAG." Kate looked over at Mac, "May I present Dr. Donald Mallard? He's our top Medical Examiner."
Mac offered her hand, "It's a pleasure, Doctor. Please call me Mac."
Ducky raised an eyebrow as he took her hand, it was a pleasant surprise that she knew the proper etiquette for introductions. So many young people used terms like 'old-fashioned' or 'politically incorrect' to cover an appalling lack of manners. He felt a pang of regret that he wasn't a tad younger and gave the Marine Colonel his best smile, "Might I call you Sarah, instead? Mac reminds me of an old schoolmate that I used to oppose on the rugby field."
"Sarah is fine," Mac assured him with a smile of her own. This one could charm the birds out of the trees. A killer smile and that delightful British accent - he must have been quite a heartbreaker in his youth.
The two of them continued to grin at each other until Kate finally cleared her throat, "What did you find, Ducky?" Was every male at NCIS going to have this reaction to Mac?
"Hmmm?" Ducky automatically turned towards Kate and then blinked, "What? Oh, yes..." He dug into his coat pocket and pulled out an evidence envelope, "I need to drop this off in the lab for Abby to check. It's the same caliber as the others, I'm afraid."
Kate grimaced, "I was hoping I was wrong."
Mac looked equally grim, "Something must have happened to make this guy change his pattern. If he's gone over the edge, there's no telling what's going to happen next."
Ducky held up a hand, "Ladies, as much as I concur with your opinions, until we have confirmation that this came from the same gun, such speculation is useless." He gestured towards the lab, "It's getting late, let me drop the bullet off and then I'll escort the two of you out. There's no use in overtaxing yourselves until it's necessary."
Sighing, Kate acknowledged the truth of what Ducky was saying. The two women watched as the Doctor made his way to the lab. She looked over at Mac, "I guess we should call it a night. I'll phone you as soon as I know anything."
Mac nodded and got up from her chair. She paused for a moment and then looked over at Kate, "You have all the victims' personnel records, don't you?" At Kate's nod, she paused again. Did she really want to delve into these men's lives? Abuse cases were always tough on her. That little wisp of an idea re-appeared and gave her a kick, forcing her decision, "Could I have a copy of them?"
Kate eyed her curiously, "Sure." She pulled up the files and hit 'print'. Looking back over at Mac, she raised an eyebrow, "Got an idea?"
"I'm not really sure," Mac shrugged uncomfortably. What the hell was she thinking? More than likely, all that would happen is that she would add old nightmares to the new ones that kept her from sleeping through the night. She watched Kate pull the pages from the printer and put them in an envelope. Accepting it gingerly from the NCIS agent, she was struck by the irreverent thought that all the misery these six men had inflicted in their lives came down to about a 1/4 lb. of paper. How much would her father's have weighed? Mac snorted softly to herself as she tucked the envelope under her arm. The deeds themselves might not have weighed so much but the consequences felt like the weight of the whole damn planet.
JAG Headquarters Falls Church, VA 1015 Local
Harm sat back, rubbed his eyes and then checked his watch. He'd been in court since first thing this morning. There had finally been a recess and it was high time for a break. He hadn't had been able to do more than flash a quick smile at Mac in passing and he wanted to make sure things were still okay between the two of them. He also wanted to talk to her about Mattie. When he got back to the apartment last night, his ward's problems with physics were almost miraculously resolved. Harm knew he wasn't always the brightest bulb on the tree when it came to teenagers but even he could put two and two together.
The problem was he didn't know quite what to do about it. He was pretty sure his first instinct (which was to give Mattie a dressing down that would rival some of his own) would be a disaster. He needed advice and he was certain that Mac was already ahead of him on this particular curve. Harm strode to her office and rapped on the doorframe. He waited a moment and then rapped a little harder. She was totally immersed in whatever she was reading. "Mac?"
Her head shot up in surprise and then she smiled when she saw it was Harm, "Hey, how did court go?"
"No surprises so far," he smiled back. Mac looked on edge, her smile notwithstanding. Deciding that the 'Mattie' problem could be put on hold for a bit, Harm walked in and settled in one of her chairs. "What's going on?"
She leaned back in her chair, eyeing him a trifle warily, "Kate asked if I could assist in her investigation. I said yes."
Harm gave Mac an exasperated look. What was she doing? Abuse cases were always hard for her and she was already up to her elbows in it because of that Congressional whateveritwas. Hell, she'd barely had time to recover from the stress Sadik had caused. Was she trying to see how much crap she could take before she broke?
Fortunately, he managed to clamp his jaws around any comment in that particular vein. God knew he could be a slow learner about the stupid things he'd said to Mac over the years but this particular lesson was finally beginning to sink in. He supposed he had Mattie to thank for that. She gave him daily practice in biting his tongue. Teenagers seemed to be able to go from Niagara Falls to Mt. St. Helens and back again in the blink of an eye. Harm had another thought, "What did the Admiral say?"
Mac looked away for a moment. Getting reamed by the Admiral wasn't the best way to start the day - especially after the night she'd had. She sighed and looked back at Harm, "He finally said that what I do on my own time is my own business."
"You're kidding," Harm stared at her, "You're going to work a full day here and then go work on that case? For godsakes, Mac, are you trying to kill yourself?"
"You don't understand... "
"You bet I don't," Harm interrupted her, his agitation growing. "Mac, NCIS has been solving cases for years. Let them solve this one. You don't need to do this to yourself. Dammit, it's been less than a week..."
"Harm!"
He shut up. The intensity of her voice told him he was perilously close to pushing her in the opposite direction that he wanted her to go.
Mac took a deep breath, reminding herself that he was only worried about her. God knew he had every right to be. She made an effort to moderate her tone although she was gripping her pen so tightly that her knuckles were white. "Harm," she repeated, "Last night I went over the personnel files of the six Marine sergeants that have been murdered so far." She took another breath, "It was like reading about my childhood. Any one of those men could have been my father."
He stared at her for a moment, "Mac... " How to say this without upsetting her even more? She was really rattled. He leaned forward and spoke gently, "Mac, you could say that about almost any man who abused his wife."
She shot a quick glare at him, "I know that! It's not just the abuse." She stared at her desk, "They were all career Marines; they were all sergeants. All of them became abusive after they drank... and all of them had one daughter." She rubbed her eyes, still not looking at Harm, "I didn't see it at first because I knew the Mallorys didn't have any kids. If I'd looked a little deeper I would have seen that they didn't have any kids NOW. Their daughter was three when she drown in a swimming pool accident." Mac laughed mirthlessly, "You know, it's a good thing I have alibis for these killings, I'd be my number one suspect."
"It's probably a coincidence... "
She gave him an incredulous look, "Six times?"
Harm shot her a look, "That's not what I meant. C'mon, Mac, think about it. You might have made a good suspect but it's a bit much to think that you're somehow inspiring this lunatic. He's probably pursuing his own agenda."
"And just happens to be targeting men who fit my family's profile? You really think it's a coincidence?"
"Yes, I do. There must be a ton of people who've been in abusive family relationships." Harm spoke firmly. He had to stop this. Ordinarily, Mac was one of the most sensible people he knew but the circumstances lately had been anything but ordinary. Given even a ghost of a reason and she would tear herself apart over this. "Besides, how many people know about your background?"
"That's just it, Harm. The CIA has my whole damn life history on file! Anybody with enough clearance could access it." She looked down at her desk and scowled, "There are days when I could just strangle Uncle Matt. If he hadn't gotten a wild hair and played into Webb's hands, the CIA would probably never have heard of me... and I'd still have my Uncle." Mac added the last part quietly, half to herself.
Harm reached across the desk and covered her hand, "Mac, I am sorry I wasn't able to keep the Colonel out of Leavenworth."
She looked up at him, "Don't blame yourself for that. I certainly don't." Mac gave him a half-smile, "You know, that might have been the first time I seriously started thinking about Dress Whites and Gold Wings."
He grinned back, "Then forgive me for wanting to thank your Uncle every day for that massive screw-up. Otherwise, we might never have met." Harm stopped smiling as he watched her expression grow pensive again. Damn, he really needed to hammer his point home. Mac was nothing if not tenacious, "Look, why would someone need you as an inspiration for killing these guys? You survived. Hell, you've done more than survive. You're a well-respected, successful Marine officer. Why would someone want to play Masked Avenger for you at this late date? And if they were, wouldn't they contact you so you could appreciate what they've done? No, this is a coincidence, nothing more."
Mac looked at him, desperate for any little sliver of hope that she wasn't somehow responsible for this killing spree. Maybe she still wasn't thinking all that clearly, although last night, it had seemed so obvious. After seeing her life replayed six times, she'd taken an uneasy look at the crimes as a whole. Comparing the timeline of the killings with her own life had yielded a disturbing pattern, Even though she wasn't a target, the circumstances were beginning to feel like a stalking. That had brought Coster to mind. It didn't take much to recall the lengths he had gone to because of his obsession and that had scared the holy hell out of her.
On the other hand, Harm's arguments were persuasive. What he was telling her, in the nicest possible way, was to get over herself - the world didn't revolve around Sarah MacKenzie. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, slowly releasing the death grip she had on her pen and trying to force herself to relax. Harm was right, he had to be right.
Her eyes flew open in surprise and then she looked up gratefully. Harm had silently gotten up and come around behind her. His hands were beginning to knead her shoulders, working on the knot that seemed to have taken up permanent residence between her shoulder blades. Mac dropped her head forward, letting his fingers do their work. He had the best hands... God, how she'd missed him! She closed her eyes again, murmuring a soft 'thank you'. ...Harm was right, he had to be right.
