-
Part 16
Saturday Harm's Apartment North of Union Station 0940 Local
Harm and Mac walked into his apartment. Mattie had headed for her own place to get cleaned up before breakfast. He looked over at Mac, "You want the shower first?"
She shook her head, "No, you go. You're the chef, remember?"
"We could save time and shower together." Harm kept his expression bland with an effort.
"Not today, Commander." Mac grinned widely, "I want breakfast, not dinner." She waved her hands at him, "Go, Mattie'll be here soon and then you'll have two hungry women to deal with."
"Fine, fine. I'm going." He stopped at the steps to his bedroom and tried looking pathetic, "I won't be able to get my back properly washed you know, and that will probably be just enough to throw off my cooking. I hope you'll be able to live with the consequences." He heaved a sigh and dove straight into pitiful, "You do realize that it's these little nuances that can keep a good meal from becoming a great meal? I'm sure you've heard the saying, 'For want of a back scrub, the egg was lost, for want of an egg, the omelet was lost... "
Mac rolled her eyes and then cut him off, giving him a beady-eyed stare, "If you don't get a move on, I'm taking Mattie to some fast-food joint where she'll fall madly in love with the skinny, sullen-faced kid who makes the french fries. You'll despise him which will make Mattie all the more determined. They'll elope, have five kids and then move back in with you. You'll have to take an early retirement so you can stay home and watch the kiddies, all of whom look and act like Mr. Wonderful. Meanwhile Mattie joins her upwardly-mobile beloved who's finally made the big time and is flipping burgers at McDonald's. She'll ride his coattails to success and become Queen of the Drive-Thru Orders but you'll never know because you'll never understand another word she says... And all of this could have been avoided if you'd just gotten your six into the shower!"
Harm's eyebrows had climbed higher and higher during her recitation. When she finally stopped, he leveled a finger at her, "Oh...dear...god, you read romance novels!" His eyes widened when she grabbed a pillow off the couch and brandished it at him. "Alright! I'm going, I'm going! Sheesh!" He held up both hands and scuttled up the steps, not an easy feat for a man 6'4".
Mac collapsed on the couch, hugging the pillow and chuckling quietly to herself. One of the aspects of their relationship that she'd missed was the fact that they made each other laugh. People who met Harm were usually impressed with his looks or his accomplishments, no one seemed to consider that he was also funny as hell. Thank god they were finally past Paraguay and its aftermath. Things were so much better now. Perhaps they had needed this last year to get past all the baggage and realize how much they truly needed each other.
Wednesday JAG Headquarters Falls Church, VA 1537 Local
Mac looked up at the tap on her doorframe and smiled in surprise, "Kate, hi, come in." She glanced down at the piles of papers scattered all over her desk, "I'm sorry. I meant to call this afternoon and see how things were going. This case has kept me pinned to the desk for the last couple of days. I've even had to beg off from working with Mike. How's the investigation going? Any new leads..." Mac looked up and broke off at the expression on the agent's face. "Kate? What's wrong? Sit down." She got up, shut her office door and then sat down next to the petite brunette.
Kate gave her a haunted look, "How did you do it? How did you go on with your life after Fahd escaped the first time? I mean I've thought about it... wondered, you know? What would I have done?" She lifted her hands and let them fall into her lap again. "How the hell did you handle it??"
Alarmed now, Mac put a hand on Kate's arm, "What happened?" She listened intently as Kate relayed the events of the previous day. Told her about the sweeper who had infiltrated NCIS and taken Ducky, Gerald and herself hostage. The 'rules' he'd imposed that had led to her inadvertently causing the man to shoot Gerald. The anger and helplessness she'd felt. The realization that he was toying with her and finally, the fear, frustration and guilt when he successfully eluded capture, shooting Gibbs in the process.
"Oh god, Gibbs... is he?" Mac had a feeling that Kate was beginning to look at Gibbs as more than a boss. It was something she was also sure that the brunette would vehemently deny.
Kate leaned forward and stared at the floor, resting her elbows on her knees, "No, he'll be fine. Gerald is in a lot worse shape. It's going to take months of therapy for him to regain the use of his arm. That son of a bitch..." Her hands clenched into fists, "I should have been able to do something. Dammit, I feel like such a failure."
"That's enough," Mac sat up straighter and gave Kate a hard stare. "Believe me, berating and second-guessing yourself doesn't do anything except keep you up at night. Been there, done that, got the scars. This guy was a professional and he obviously planned this extremely well. There was no way and no time for you to play catch-up. If you have to focus on something, focus on the fact that you're alive and that you still have a chance to catch him."
Kate was silent and Mac sat back a little, giving her some time to regroup. Finally, the NCIS agent looked over at her, "It gets better?"
"Eventually," Mac replied dryly. "You know, that stupid cliche is true: 'What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.'"
Kate snorted, "Hell, by the time this is over I'm going to qualify for Wonder Woman status."
Mac chuckled, "I'll let you borrow my cape sometime." She grew serious once again, thinking about Paraguay and its consequences, "It's hard and there's no way around it." She rubbed a hand across her forehead, "I'm not saying don't think about it. That would be damn near impossible. Just don't turn it into an obsession."
Nodding, Kate scrubbed at her face and sighed, "I'll try."
"Good," Mac gave her a smile, "And if you need to, call me." Her tone turned more brisk, "So, where are we on the investigation?"
Kate relaxed slightly, grateful for the change of subject, "Well, Romblin is still a good suspect. I had to do some digging to get information on his sister, Anna. She died of internal injuries at age ten. The story in the files is that she fell out of a tree she wasn't supposed to be climbing. Rather than get in trouble with her parents, she kept quiet until it became clear that something was really wrong. By then, it was too late."
Mac frowned, "That's plausible, I suppose, or it could be a very good cover story for child abuse. Have you talked to Romblin yet?"
"No, I was wondering if you could somehow ease into that conversation with him? I'd rather not let anyone in that office know that we're looking at them just yet." She was silent for a moment and then shook her head slightly, "I don't know. He still doesn't feel right for this. Like I told Gibbs... " She hesitated briefly and then went on determinedly, "I told Gibbs that this seems too... I don't know... too convenient, somehow. Why be so careful to leave no evidence at the scenes and then make sure everyone knows you'd be a prime suspect?"
"Well, he could be taunting us," Mac pointed out. "I've seen it before, it's an adrenalin rush. He's so confident that there's no way to connect him to the crimes that he'll do everything short of confessing to let us know how smart he is." She paused for a moment and then continued thoughtfully, "Although, to be honest, Romblin doesn't strike me as being overly confident about anything. Of course, that could be an act as well. Were you able to put him in Carolina for the first killings?"
Kate shook her head, "Not yet. There's a gap in his employment record that coincides with that time but I still can't put him near Lejeune. What's weird is that there's no financial activity either. It's like he fell off the earth."
"Or created a new identity for himself," Mac continued to play Devil's Advocate. She rubbed at her jaw in frustration, "If he used an alias, it would be practically impossible to know if he was there or not... Damn." She was silent for a few moments and then looked over at Kate, "Is there anyone else in that office who raises any flags?"
"Let me think..." Kate half-closed her eyes as she did a quick mental review. "Vicky Hamman moved to DC from Maine last year. She's got five brothers and sisters, no signs of any sort of abuse. Dave Russo lived in Jacksonville when his father was stationed at Lejeune so he's familiar with the area. He's been out in Idaho for the last four years. He was a smoke-jumper until he got married. He and his wife live in Cheverly now. Mark Garrick is an only child. He lives here in DC but his mother lives in New Bern, North Carolina. His father died a few years ago. It doesn't look like they were close. Congresswoman Elbert's parents died in a house fire when she was in college. The cause was attributed to her father. Apparently, he fell asleep while smoking." Kate leaned back, tapping her fingers on her leg, "I think that's it so far. I still have to check into Terschulte and Cleary's husbands." She paused and then looked over at Mac, "Oh yeah, you and Michelle Elbert share the same alma mater. She went to Duke too, graduated in '86."
"No kidding?" Mac grunted thoughtfully, "I figured she was only a couple of years older than me. We were there at almost the same time."
"I don't suppose you two ever met?" Kate didn't think it was all that likely. Duke wasn't a small university and Mac and Elbert would have been in different areas of study.
Mac shook her head, "No, I'm pretty sure I would have remembered someone like her."
"Yeah, I would think so." Kate stood up and Mac rose with her, "I guess I'd better get back to the office and let you get back to work." She looked down for a moment before focusing again on Mac, "Thank you. It helped to talk about things."
"Any time," Mac smiled at the agent, "I mean that. I know what you're going through so if you need to, call me. It doesn't matter what time it is."
Saturday Harm's Apartment North of Union Station 1013 Local
Mac leaned against the counter with her arms folded and rolled her eyes towards the ceiling. Usually it was the men who complained about women taking too much time to get ready, "Harm! We're supposed to be there at 11. We need to get going."
"Alright! Hold your horses, I'm coming." He stepped out of his bedroom wearing shorts and a Patrick Henry t-shirt.
Mac stared at him and whistled appreciatively, "Nice legs, Sailor."
Harm fluttered a hand at her, "Oh you Marines are all alike..." He minced carefully down the steps before half-turning, "You don't think this makes my butt look too big, do you?"
"Hmmm," Mac tapped a finger on her chin and then moved towards him, "I think I need a closer look... "
Harm backed away, "Oh no, I know what you're after. My mama warned me about women like you."
Mac gave him a leer as she quickened her pace, "I'm not like those other women. I only want to be friends. Trust me."
"Friends?" Harm gave a falsetto snort as he sidled around the couch, "You're not fooling me, you nasty Marine! Sex, sex, sex, that's all you women think about! I have a mind too, you know!"
"And I respect that," Mac feinted left and moved to the right. Harm barely evaded her grasp and gave her a taunting smile. Mac widened her eyes and pointed over his shoulder, "Oh, look! F-14s!"
"Oooo, where?!" Harm turned his head and then gave an 'oof' when Mac tackled him. They landed on the couch and Harm twisted around so he could envelop her in a hug, "Sneaky, Colonel." His voice dropped lower, "Are you going to have your way with me?"
Mac leaned up and kissed him, "You'd better believe it, Squid." She patted his chest and then pushed herself up, "But not now, we've got forty-two minutes."
Harm laid there for a moment before raising an arm towards her, "One day I'm going to find a way to short-circuit that clock of yours."
Grinning, Mac obligingly gave him a hand up. There was no way she was going to tell him he'd already found a pretty foolproof method. Besides, it always managed to reset itself afterwards.
There was a knock on the door and a few seconds later Mattie cautiously put her head, "Aren't you guys ready yet? We're going to be late."
Harm rolled his eyes and grumbled, "Just my luck to have two women obsessed with time. Don't you know it can be fashionable to be late?"
Mattie glared at him and crossed her arms, "You're the one who's been talking this up all week. Let's get moving!" She glanced over at Mac who had also folded her arms but looked more smug than annoyed. "I thought you military-types were more prompt than this."
Mac shrugged, "What can I say? He's not a Marine."
Southeast of D.C.
Travenna Home of Justin and Louise Trescott 1102 Local
"Wow." Mattie stared out the window as they drove slowly up the long, winding driveway. The large, two-story nineteenth century mansion sat nestled amidst tremendous oak trees. The grounds themselves were beautifully manicured. "It looks like something out of 'Gone With The Wind'."
Harm nodded in agreement and glanced at Mac, his question plain in his eyes. She reached over and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. Mac knew he'd had a hard time reconciling himself to what had happened to her on Massanutten Mountain over a year ago. To his credit, he'd also realized how hard it'd been for her to deal with the sudden loss of people to whom she'd grown close. He tended to worry whenever she ran into a reminder of the Civil War and Avis Payne.
He relaxed, glad that Mac wasn't thrown off by this place. It had been a while since they discussed anything about that period in their lives. In the meantime, Harm had run across an amazing coincidence. During his brief stint with the CIA, he'd spent whatever free time he'd had up at his grandmother's farm. It had been a damn sight easier to ignore his friends at JAG... and Mac... if he wasn't in DC. Grams had wisely refrained from questioning him about his sudden departure from the Navy. She'd kept the conversations light and innocuous, appearing not to notice that he never had much to say.
One evening, she'd fallen into reminiscing about her childhood and, on a whim, he'd brought up Josiah Rabb. That had led to the family Bible being brought out while Grams told him what she knew of the family ancestry. He'd kept his mouth shut, not telling her that he already knew a good deal about his great-great-great-grandfather because of the tapes Annabel Simpson had sent. It had been too hard to talk to Mac about it because he could never seem to contain the tiny flare of jealousy and that always made him feel stupid. He didn't like either feeling.
Harm had relaxed against the cushions and browsed through the Bible entries while he listened to his grandmother until he came to an entry that made him sit upright. He'd been absolutely floored to read that Avis Payne Simpson was his great-great-great grandmother. Grams had confirmed it. She'd met her great-grandmother once when she was nine years old. She remembered a little wisp of a woman with bright blue eyes and a merry smile who told her she would marry a tall, dark-haired man with sea-green eyes. Grams had laughed remembering how indignant she'd been, telling her great-grandmother that that wasn't possible - she didn't even like boys.
"Harm?" Mac's voice broke him out of his reverie. "I think we're supposed to park over there."
"Um? Oh yeah, right," Harm flushed slightly as he maneuvered the SUV alongside another car and turned off the ignition. He looked over his shoulder, "Mattie, you want to get the chairs? Mac and I will bring the cooler."
Mac waited until Mattie was out of the backseat before looking at Harm with concern, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, just got lost in thought for a moment." He cocked an eye at her, "No comments from the peanut gallery, thank you."
"Wouldn't think of it."
Mac gave Harm a patently insincere smile that told him he would be hearing the comments later. They got out and grabbed the cooler. Harm looked around the grounds, no one was visible, "Any idea where everyone is?" From the number of cars already here, he knew they weren't the first to arrive.
Mac started to shake her head and then chuckled, pointing to a cutout of Porky Pig near a garden path. He was pointing further up the path with a little word balloon that said, 'Th-th-th-this way, folks!' They walked up the path and around the corner of the house and stopped for a moment.
"Wow," This time it was Harm. If the front of the house was impressive, the back was gorgeous. There were wide expanses of flower gardens all around the house and interspersed with a multi-level stone patio. The lawn sloped gently away leading to a breathtaking view of the Maryland countryside.
"Mac! Welcome to Travenna."
Harm turned to see a tall redhead coming towards them. This couldn't be anyone but Congresswoman Michelle Elbert. Mac had been right. While not drop-dead gorgeous, she had a presence that commanded attention. Mac stepped forward with a smile, "Mike, hi." She turned a little, "Congresswoman Elbert, I'd like you to meet Commander Harmon Rabb, my colleague and a very dear friend." She gestured towards Mattie, "And this is Mattie Grace, Harm's ward."
Mike smiled warmly at them both, "Please, call me Mike."
She offered her hand to Harm who took it with a charming smile of his own, "Only if you'll call me Harm."
"It's a deal." She looked over at Mattie who gave a shy smile. "How old are you, Miss Grace?"
"Fifteen, ma'am," Mattie shot a look at Harm and Mac obviously wondering what that had to do with anything.
"Hmmm," Mike tapped her chin thoughtfully, "Polite but still too young to vote... I don't know." She grinned suddenly, "It is, however, a perfect age to hang out with the Trescott kids. They've been hoping this gathering wouldn't be entirely filled with boring adults." The Congresswoman turned with a follow-me gesture, "Come on, I'll introduce you to our hosts."
An hour later, Mac was sitting in a group along with Louise Trescott, Mike and Emma. She had a plate balanced on her knees and was happily working on a pile of barbecued pork. She could see Harm across the way. From the gestures he was making and the rapt attention of the group he was talking to, flying was the topic. Mattie was chatting animatedly with JP and Claire, the Trescott's 17 and 14 year old son and daughter. Mac looked over at Louise and Mike, "This is delicious, how long did you say it's been cooking?"
"Close to 18 hours," Louise smiled, "Justin's been supervising all night." She lowered her voice in a conspiratorial fashion, "He didn't have to, the Mitchell brothers have been doing these barbecues for years, but he loves this sort of thing. I don't know where he gets the energy."
"Beer," Mike said in a dry tone, making the rest of the women laugh. "Speaking of which, I'll think I'll go get one. Anybody else?" Louise and several others raised their hands. Mike looked over at Mac, "Soda or water?"
"Water's fine," Mac answered. Emma raised a hand, "I'll take water, too. Do you need a hand?"
"Nah," Mike grinned and jerked her head in the direction of the men, "I'm sure I can snag a volunteer or two."
As she left, Louise looked towards Mac and Emma and smiled, "Have you both known Mike for very long?"
Mac shook her head and nodded towards Emma, "No, I met her at Emma's birthday party about a month and a half ago."
Emma shook her head also, "I've known her for about 4 months. She was laying the groundwork for her current investigation and came to the shelter where I work. She made quite an impression."
"Have you known her long?" Mac asked, spreading butter on a hushpuppy and taking a bite.
Louise waved a hand, "Oh my, yes. We've known each other since high school. Grew up in Beaufort, North Carolina, a little town near the Cape Lookout lighthouse." She looked over to where Mike was laughing with some of the men, "She certainly has come into her own. What a difference."
Mac raised an eyebrow in polite inquiry, "Difference?"
Louise lowered her voice a little, "I probably shouldn't be telling tales out of school but I'm just so proud of how much she's accomplished. Her childhood was just awful." She sighed a little, "I know you shouldn't speak ill of the dead and it sounds just horrible, but her parents dying was probably the best thing to have happened for her. Dreadful people, it's amazing she turned out as well as she did."
Mike strolled back just then with several volunteer beer carriers in tow and the conversation shifted once again. After everyone was fairly well stuffed, the Trescott kids taunted their father into a volleyball game of adults vs. teenagers. He laughingly called for reinforcements to put the young whippersnappers in their place. Harm was dragged onto the court at the last minute which made Mattie run over and grab Mac.
"Hey, wait a minute," Harm protested, "Mac can't be on your side, she's too... OW."
Justin kept his foot firmly planted on top of Harm's and gave Mac a courtly bow, "Too beautiful to remain on the sidelines." He finally removed his foot and gave Harm a gentle push towards his position, saying softly, "Are you out of your mind? You never tell a woman she's too old, even if she's 103!"
Harm limped over to his spot, muttering, "Next time, just wave your arms. I think I'm maimed for life."
Justin grinned, unrepentant, "Drastic mistakes call for drastic measures, Commander."
Part 16
Saturday Harm's Apartment North of Union Station 0940 Local
Harm and Mac walked into his apartment. Mattie had headed for her own place to get cleaned up before breakfast. He looked over at Mac, "You want the shower first?"
She shook her head, "No, you go. You're the chef, remember?"
"We could save time and shower together." Harm kept his expression bland with an effort.
"Not today, Commander." Mac grinned widely, "I want breakfast, not dinner." She waved her hands at him, "Go, Mattie'll be here soon and then you'll have two hungry women to deal with."
"Fine, fine. I'm going." He stopped at the steps to his bedroom and tried looking pathetic, "I won't be able to get my back properly washed you know, and that will probably be just enough to throw off my cooking. I hope you'll be able to live with the consequences." He heaved a sigh and dove straight into pitiful, "You do realize that it's these little nuances that can keep a good meal from becoming a great meal? I'm sure you've heard the saying, 'For want of a back scrub, the egg was lost, for want of an egg, the omelet was lost... "
Mac rolled her eyes and then cut him off, giving him a beady-eyed stare, "If you don't get a move on, I'm taking Mattie to some fast-food joint where she'll fall madly in love with the skinny, sullen-faced kid who makes the french fries. You'll despise him which will make Mattie all the more determined. They'll elope, have five kids and then move back in with you. You'll have to take an early retirement so you can stay home and watch the kiddies, all of whom look and act like Mr. Wonderful. Meanwhile Mattie joins her upwardly-mobile beloved who's finally made the big time and is flipping burgers at McDonald's. She'll ride his coattails to success and become Queen of the Drive-Thru Orders but you'll never know because you'll never understand another word she says... And all of this could have been avoided if you'd just gotten your six into the shower!"
Harm's eyebrows had climbed higher and higher during her recitation. When she finally stopped, he leveled a finger at her, "Oh...dear...god, you read romance novels!" His eyes widened when she grabbed a pillow off the couch and brandished it at him. "Alright! I'm going, I'm going! Sheesh!" He held up both hands and scuttled up the steps, not an easy feat for a man 6'4".
Mac collapsed on the couch, hugging the pillow and chuckling quietly to herself. One of the aspects of their relationship that she'd missed was the fact that they made each other laugh. People who met Harm were usually impressed with his looks or his accomplishments, no one seemed to consider that he was also funny as hell. Thank god they were finally past Paraguay and its aftermath. Things were so much better now. Perhaps they had needed this last year to get past all the baggage and realize how much they truly needed each other.
Wednesday JAG Headquarters Falls Church, VA 1537 Local
Mac looked up at the tap on her doorframe and smiled in surprise, "Kate, hi, come in." She glanced down at the piles of papers scattered all over her desk, "I'm sorry. I meant to call this afternoon and see how things were going. This case has kept me pinned to the desk for the last couple of days. I've even had to beg off from working with Mike. How's the investigation going? Any new leads..." Mac looked up and broke off at the expression on the agent's face. "Kate? What's wrong? Sit down." She got up, shut her office door and then sat down next to the petite brunette.
Kate gave her a haunted look, "How did you do it? How did you go on with your life after Fahd escaped the first time? I mean I've thought about it... wondered, you know? What would I have done?" She lifted her hands and let them fall into her lap again. "How the hell did you handle it??"
Alarmed now, Mac put a hand on Kate's arm, "What happened?" She listened intently as Kate relayed the events of the previous day. Told her about the sweeper who had infiltrated NCIS and taken Ducky, Gerald and herself hostage. The 'rules' he'd imposed that had led to her inadvertently causing the man to shoot Gerald. The anger and helplessness she'd felt. The realization that he was toying with her and finally, the fear, frustration and guilt when he successfully eluded capture, shooting Gibbs in the process.
"Oh god, Gibbs... is he?" Mac had a feeling that Kate was beginning to look at Gibbs as more than a boss. It was something she was also sure that the brunette would vehemently deny.
Kate leaned forward and stared at the floor, resting her elbows on her knees, "No, he'll be fine. Gerald is in a lot worse shape. It's going to take months of therapy for him to regain the use of his arm. That son of a bitch..." Her hands clenched into fists, "I should have been able to do something. Dammit, I feel like such a failure."
"That's enough," Mac sat up straighter and gave Kate a hard stare. "Believe me, berating and second-guessing yourself doesn't do anything except keep you up at night. Been there, done that, got the scars. This guy was a professional and he obviously planned this extremely well. There was no way and no time for you to play catch-up. If you have to focus on something, focus on the fact that you're alive and that you still have a chance to catch him."
Kate was silent and Mac sat back a little, giving her some time to regroup. Finally, the NCIS agent looked over at her, "It gets better?"
"Eventually," Mac replied dryly. "You know, that stupid cliche is true: 'What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.'"
Kate snorted, "Hell, by the time this is over I'm going to qualify for Wonder Woman status."
Mac chuckled, "I'll let you borrow my cape sometime." She grew serious once again, thinking about Paraguay and its consequences, "It's hard and there's no way around it." She rubbed a hand across her forehead, "I'm not saying don't think about it. That would be damn near impossible. Just don't turn it into an obsession."
Nodding, Kate scrubbed at her face and sighed, "I'll try."
"Good," Mac gave her a smile, "And if you need to, call me." Her tone turned more brisk, "So, where are we on the investigation?"
Kate relaxed slightly, grateful for the change of subject, "Well, Romblin is still a good suspect. I had to do some digging to get information on his sister, Anna. She died of internal injuries at age ten. The story in the files is that she fell out of a tree she wasn't supposed to be climbing. Rather than get in trouble with her parents, she kept quiet until it became clear that something was really wrong. By then, it was too late."
Mac frowned, "That's plausible, I suppose, or it could be a very good cover story for child abuse. Have you talked to Romblin yet?"
"No, I was wondering if you could somehow ease into that conversation with him? I'd rather not let anyone in that office know that we're looking at them just yet." She was silent for a moment and then shook her head slightly, "I don't know. He still doesn't feel right for this. Like I told Gibbs... " She hesitated briefly and then went on determinedly, "I told Gibbs that this seems too... I don't know... too convenient, somehow. Why be so careful to leave no evidence at the scenes and then make sure everyone knows you'd be a prime suspect?"
"Well, he could be taunting us," Mac pointed out. "I've seen it before, it's an adrenalin rush. He's so confident that there's no way to connect him to the crimes that he'll do everything short of confessing to let us know how smart he is." She paused for a moment and then continued thoughtfully, "Although, to be honest, Romblin doesn't strike me as being overly confident about anything. Of course, that could be an act as well. Were you able to put him in Carolina for the first killings?"
Kate shook her head, "Not yet. There's a gap in his employment record that coincides with that time but I still can't put him near Lejeune. What's weird is that there's no financial activity either. It's like he fell off the earth."
"Or created a new identity for himself," Mac continued to play Devil's Advocate. She rubbed at her jaw in frustration, "If he used an alias, it would be practically impossible to know if he was there or not... Damn." She was silent for a few moments and then looked over at Kate, "Is there anyone else in that office who raises any flags?"
"Let me think..." Kate half-closed her eyes as she did a quick mental review. "Vicky Hamman moved to DC from Maine last year. She's got five brothers and sisters, no signs of any sort of abuse. Dave Russo lived in Jacksonville when his father was stationed at Lejeune so he's familiar with the area. He's been out in Idaho for the last four years. He was a smoke-jumper until he got married. He and his wife live in Cheverly now. Mark Garrick is an only child. He lives here in DC but his mother lives in New Bern, North Carolina. His father died a few years ago. It doesn't look like they were close. Congresswoman Elbert's parents died in a house fire when she was in college. The cause was attributed to her father. Apparently, he fell asleep while smoking." Kate leaned back, tapping her fingers on her leg, "I think that's it so far. I still have to check into Terschulte and Cleary's husbands." She paused and then looked over at Mac, "Oh yeah, you and Michelle Elbert share the same alma mater. She went to Duke too, graduated in '86."
"No kidding?" Mac grunted thoughtfully, "I figured she was only a couple of years older than me. We were there at almost the same time."
"I don't suppose you two ever met?" Kate didn't think it was all that likely. Duke wasn't a small university and Mac and Elbert would have been in different areas of study.
Mac shook her head, "No, I'm pretty sure I would have remembered someone like her."
"Yeah, I would think so." Kate stood up and Mac rose with her, "I guess I'd better get back to the office and let you get back to work." She looked down for a moment before focusing again on Mac, "Thank you. It helped to talk about things."
"Any time," Mac smiled at the agent, "I mean that. I know what you're going through so if you need to, call me. It doesn't matter what time it is."
Saturday Harm's Apartment North of Union Station 1013 Local
Mac leaned against the counter with her arms folded and rolled her eyes towards the ceiling. Usually it was the men who complained about women taking too much time to get ready, "Harm! We're supposed to be there at 11. We need to get going."
"Alright! Hold your horses, I'm coming." He stepped out of his bedroom wearing shorts and a Patrick Henry t-shirt.
Mac stared at him and whistled appreciatively, "Nice legs, Sailor."
Harm fluttered a hand at her, "Oh you Marines are all alike..." He minced carefully down the steps before half-turning, "You don't think this makes my butt look too big, do you?"
"Hmmm," Mac tapped a finger on her chin and then moved towards him, "I think I need a closer look... "
Harm backed away, "Oh no, I know what you're after. My mama warned me about women like you."
Mac gave him a leer as she quickened her pace, "I'm not like those other women. I only want to be friends. Trust me."
"Friends?" Harm gave a falsetto snort as he sidled around the couch, "You're not fooling me, you nasty Marine! Sex, sex, sex, that's all you women think about! I have a mind too, you know!"
"And I respect that," Mac feinted left and moved to the right. Harm barely evaded her grasp and gave her a taunting smile. Mac widened her eyes and pointed over his shoulder, "Oh, look! F-14s!"
"Oooo, where?!" Harm turned his head and then gave an 'oof' when Mac tackled him. They landed on the couch and Harm twisted around so he could envelop her in a hug, "Sneaky, Colonel." His voice dropped lower, "Are you going to have your way with me?"
Mac leaned up and kissed him, "You'd better believe it, Squid." She patted his chest and then pushed herself up, "But not now, we've got forty-two minutes."
Harm laid there for a moment before raising an arm towards her, "One day I'm going to find a way to short-circuit that clock of yours."
Grinning, Mac obligingly gave him a hand up. There was no way she was going to tell him he'd already found a pretty foolproof method. Besides, it always managed to reset itself afterwards.
There was a knock on the door and a few seconds later Mattie cautiously put her head, "Aren't you guys ready yet? We're going to be late."
Harm rolled his eyes and grumbled, "Just my luck to have two women obsessed with time. Don't you know it can be fashionable to be late?"
Mattie glared at him and crossed her arms, "You're the one who's been talking this up all week. Let's get moving!" She glanced over at Mac who had also folded her arms but looked more smug than annoyed. "I thought you military-types were more prompt than this."
Mac shrugged, "What can I say? He's not a Marine."
Southeast of D.C.
Travenna Home of Justin and Louise Trescott 1102 Local
"Wow." Mattie stared out the window as they drove slowly up the long, winding driveway. The large, two-story nineteenth century mansion sat nestled amidst tremendous oak trees. The grounds themselves were beautifully manicured. "It looks like something out of 'Gone With The Wind'."
Harm nodded in agreement and glanced at Mac, his question plain in his eyes. She reached over and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. Mac knew he'd had a hard time reconciling himself to what had happened to her on Massanutten Mountain over a year ago. To his credit, he'd also realized how hard it'd been for her to deal with the sudden loss of people to whom she'd grown close. He tended to worry whenever she ran into a reminder of the Civil War and Avis Payne.
He relaxed, glad that Mac wasn't thrown off by this place. It had been a while since they discussed anything about that period in their lives. In the meantime, Harm had run across an amazing coincidence. During his brief stint with the CIA, he'd spent whatever free time he'd had up at his grandmother's farm. It had been a damn sight easier to ignore his friends at JAG... and Mac... if he wasn't in DC. Grams had wisely refrained from questioning him about his sudden departure from the Navy. She'd kept the conversations light and innocuous, appearing not to notice that he never had much to say.
One evening, she'd fallen into reminiscing about her childhood and, on a whim, he'd brought up Josiah Rabb. That had led to the family Bible being brought out while Grams told him what she knew of the family ancestry. He'd kept his mouth shut, not telling her that he already knew a good deal about his great-great-great-grandfather because of the tapes Annabel Simpson had sent. It had been too hard to talk to Mac about it because he could never seem to contain the tiny flare of jealousy and that always made him feel stupid. He didn't like either feeling.
Harm had relaxed against the cushions and browsed through the Bible entries while he listened to his grandmother until he came to an entry that made him sit upright. He'd been absolutely floored to read that Avis Payne Simpson was his great-great-great grandmother. Grams had confirmed it. She'd met her great-grandmother once when she was nine years old. She remembered a little wisp of a woman with bright blue eyes and a merry smile who told her she would marry a tall, dark-haired man with sea-green eyes. Grams had laughed remembering how indignant she'd been, telling her great-grandmother that that wasn't possible - she didn't even like boys.
"Harm?" Mac's voice broke him out of his reverie. "I think we're supposed to park over there."
"Um? Oh yeah, right," Harm flushed slightly as he maneuvered the SUV alongside another car and turned off the ignition. He looked over his shoulder, "Mattie, you want to get the chairs? Mac and I will bring the cooler."
Mac waited until Mattie was out of the backseat before looking at Harm with concern, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, just got lost in thought for a moment." He cocked an eye at her, "No comments from the peanut gallery, thank you."
"Wouldn't think of it."
Mac gave Harm a patently insincere smile that told him he would be hearing the comments later. They got out and grabbed the cooler. Harm looked around the grounds, no one was visible, "Any idea where everyone is?" From the number of cars already here, he knew they weren't the first to arrive.
Mac started to shake her head and then chuckled, pointing to a cutout of Porky Pig near a garden path. He was pointing further up the path with a little word balloon that said, 'Th-th-th-this way, folks!' They walked up the path and around the corner of the house and stopped for a moment.
"Wow," This time it was Harm. If the front of the house was impressive, the back was gorgeous. There were wide expanses of flower gardens all around the house and interspersed with a multi-level stone patio. The lawn sloped gently away leading to a breathtaking view of the Maryland countryside.
"Mac! Welcome to Travenna."
Harm turned to see a tall redhead coming towards them. This couldn't be anyone but Congresswoman Michelle Elbert. Mac had been right. While not drop-dead gorgeous, she had a presence that commanded attention. Mac stepped forward with a smile, "Mike, hi." She turned a little, "Congresswoman Elbert, I'd like you to meet Commander Harmon Rabb, my colleague and a very dear friend." She gestured towards Mattie, "And this is Mattie Grace, Harm's ward."
Mike smiled warmly at them both, "Please, call me Mike."
She offered her hand to Harm who took it with a charming smile of his own, "Only if you'll call me Harm."
"It's a deal." She looked over at Mattie who gave a shy smile. "How old are you, Miss Grace?"
"Fifteen, ma'am," Mattie shot a look at Harm and Mac obviously wondering what that had to do with anything.
"Hmmm," Mike tapped her chin thoughtfully, "Polite but still too young to vote... I don't know." She grinned suddenly, "It is, however, a perfect age to hang out with the Trescott kids. They've been hoping this gathering wouldn't be entirely filled with boring adults." The Congresswoman turned with a follow-me gesture, "Come on, I'll introduce you to our hosts."
An hour later, Mac was sitting in a group along with Louise Trescott, Mike and Emma. She had a plate balanced on her knees and was happily working on a pile of barbecued pork. She could see Harm across the way. From the gestures he was making and the rapt attention of the group he was talking to, flying was the topic. Mattie was chatting animatedly with JP and Claire, the Trescott's 17 and 14 year old son and daughter. Mac looked over at Louise and Mike, "This is delicious, how long did you say it's been cooking?"
"Close to 18 hours," Louise smiled, "Justin's been supervising all night." She lowered her voice in a conspiratorial fashion, "He didn't have to, the Mitchell brothers have been doing these barbecues for years, but he loves this sort of thing. I don't know where he gets the energy."
"Beer," Mike said in a dry tone, making the rest of the women laugh. "Speaking of which, I'll think I'll go get one. Anybody else?" Louise and several others raised their hands. Mike looked over at Mac, "Soda or water?"
"Water's fine," Mac answered. Emma raised a hand, "I'll take water, too. Do you need a hand?"
"Nah," Mike grinned and jerked her head in the direction of the men, "I'm sure I can snag a volunteer or two."
As she left, Louise looked towards Mac and Emma and smiled, "Have you both known Mike for very long?"
Mac shook her head and nodded towards Emma, "No, I met her at Emma's birthday party about a month and a half ago."
Emma shook her head also, "I've known her for about 4 months. She was laying the groundwork for her current investigation and came to the shelter where I work. She made quite an impression."
"Have you known her long?" Mac asked, spreading butter on a hushpuppy and taking a bite.
Louise waved a hand, "Oh my, yes. We've known each other since high school. Grew up in Beaufort, North Carolina, a little town near the Cape Lookout lighthouse." She looked over to where Mike was laughing with some of the men, "She certainly has come into her own. What a difference."
Mac raised an eyebrow in polite inquiry, "Difference?"
Louise lowered her voice a little, "I probably shouldn't be telling tales out of school but I'm just so proud of how much she's accomplished. Her childhood was just awful." She sighed a little, "I know you shouldn't speak ill of the dead and it sounds just horrible, but her parents dying was probably the best thing to have happened for her. Dreadful people, it's amazing she turned out as well as she did."
Mike strolled back just then with several volunteer beer carriers in tow and the conversation shifted once again. After everyone was fairly well stuffed, the Trescott kids taunted their father into a volleyball game of adults vs. teenagers. He laughingly called for reinforcements to put the young whippersnappers in their place. Harm was dragged onto the court at the last minute which made Mattie run over and grab Mac.
"Hey, wait a minute," Harm protested, "Mac can't be on your side, she's too... OW."
Justin kept his foot firmly planted on top of Harm's and gave Mac a courtly bow, "Too beautiful to remain on the sidelines." He finally removed his foot and gave Harm a gentle push towards his position, saying softly, "Are you out of your mind? You never tell a woman she's too old, even if she's 103!"
Harm limped over to his spot, muttering, "Next time, just wave your arms. I think I'm maimed for life."
Justin grinned, unrepentant, "Drastic mistakes call for drastic measures, Commander."
