Sigh... late again. It was another long 60 hour week. Bear with any mistakes, this is hot off the keyboard. Thanks!
Part 20
Morehead Hotel Morehead City, NC 2045 Local
Kate dropped back as Mac got closer to her target. The big man had stood up at her approach and was waiting patiently. The scene had a comic aspect to it. Mac was not only dwarfed by the man she was confronting but she had both hands full of shopping bags.
It was all Walters could do not to brace to attention at the sight of an irate Marine officer bearing down on him. And there was no doubt it was an officer advancing towards him despite the sundress and shopping bags. He was inwardly relieved that the little gal from NCIS was hanging back. He was going to have enough trouble with Sarah.
Mac stopped in front of the Gunny. "Gunnery Sergeant Walters?" Her voice came out in a quietly menacing growl, "What do you think you're doing?"
Walters shifted slightly, "I'm on leave, ma'am. Thought I'd come down here and try the marlin fishing." He put on his best innocent look.
Moving half a step closer, Mac's eyebrows came together as she scowled, "Bilgewater, Gunnery Sergeant. Did Harm send you down here to play nursemaid?"
The Gunny straightened up, looking indignant, "No ma'am! I requested the time off."
"And just happened to wind up in Morehead City, North Carolina?"
"I grew up in these parts, ma'am. I like it around here." He relaxed cautiously and adopted a more conversational tone, "Robyn's gone up to Ohio to see Jackie and I didn't feel like rattling around the house by myself, so I came down here."
Mac glared at him for a moment longer and then sighed, shaking her head. "Dubby, I know you're worried about this case and I appreciate your concern but did you ever wonder why I didn't ask for your help on this?"
Walters gave her a wary look. Sarah had changed gears suddenly and that was never a good thing. He fell back on etiquette, "No ma'am."
Kate stepped up just then, she'd been keeping an eye on their surroundings. This was starting to attract a few looks, "Excuse me, Colonel, but if you're not planning on killing the Gunny right now, I think we should move this inside." She looked over at Walters, "Room 326, meet us there in fifteen." The two Marines looked at each other for a moment and although neither actually made a move, Kate could almost see them both shrug.
Without another word, Mac headed into the hotel with Kate right behind her. Walters held the door for both of them and then settled back down on the bench. Now that the sun was down, the evening had cooled off a bit and a breeze had picked up. He had about ten minutes or so before he had to enter the lion's... lioness', he corrected himself... den and he intended to enjoy it.
Kate waited until they were in the hotel room before starting in, "You want to tell me what that was all about? Why don't you want him down here?"
Mac sighed, putting her purchases on the dresser, "I didn't say I didn't want him here. To tell the truth, if I can't have Harm down here to help, Dubby would be my next choice."
"Dubby?" Kate raised an eyebrow and then sat down on the bed, kicking off her shoes. Sighing happily, she wiggled her toes, "Then why were you so angry to find him here? I'd think you'd be thrilled." As she spoke she was busily reviewing what she knew about Gunnery Sergeant Rudy Walters. His name had popped up here and there in Mac's files and for a little while, she considered him a suspect. Turned out he'd had alibis for about half the killings and there was no way he fit the witness' description so she had quickly discarded that theory.
"Ordinarily I would be." Mac took off her sandals and gave Kate a rueful look, "I don't really mind reinforcements. It just depends upon whether they're here to give me a hand or if they're here to give their testosterone a boost by acting like I'm some damn damsel in distress. You know what I'm talking about," Kate nodded while Mac opened up a dresser drawer and grabbed a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. Slipping out of the dress, she pulled on the shorts and then shrugged into the t-shirt. "Actually, Gunny's not like that but I wouldn't put it past Harm to have put a bug in his ear to come down here."
"So he's worried about you. I think I'd be flattered." Kate leaned back and propped herself up on her elbows. She watched as Mac pulled on a pair of socks.
"A girl can only take so much flattery," Mac said dryly and then relented, "Okay, I'll admit it's nice to have someone concerned about me but the fact is, this is not the case I want Dubby involved in." Mac rummaged in her bag and came up with a pair of track shoes.
"You think our killer might go after him?"
"That's my main concern. Ordinarily, Gunny is more than capable of looking after himself, but this guy... I don't know. I do NOT want to have to tell his wife and daughters that I managed to get their husband and father killed." Mac laced up her shoes and sat back with a slight frown, "That's just for starters. There's also the fact that the Admiral was already highly pissed that I was on this case, I doubt he'll look favorably on anyone else from JAG joining in. I don't want Dubby to find himself stationed in Greenland for the rest of his career because Harm worries about me crossing the street without him." She stood up and began to stretch.
Kate eyed her for a moment, "He's going to be here soon. Are you planning on making him jog the plank?"
Mac chuckled, "Gunny Walters knows I appreciate promptness. He should be here in three minutes. After we talk, I'm going for a run."
"Is that a good idea?" Mac gave her a look and Kate raised her hands, "Never mind - sorry - forget I said anything - have fun."
Not long afterwards, there was a knock on the door. Kate glanced over at Mac, "He's early."
She shrugged on her way to the door, "47 seconds." Habit had her checking the peephole before opening the door and ushering the Gunny in.
Walters walked into the room and stopped near the dresser, turning so he could easily see both women. A good defensible position, Kate noted absently. She waited for Mac to start the discussion, wondering what exactly the Marine Colonel had in mind. They both knew he would stick to his story if she insisted upon making an issue of it. Kate also knew they couldn't really do anything about his being down here. The leave time would be legitimate and he was free to spend it anywhere he liked. The most Mac could do would be to order him to stay away from her and Kate while they conducted their investigation. Kate hoped that wasn't what the Colonel had in mind. Having back-up that at least one of them was familiar with was a good thing.
Mac folded her arms as she silently regarded the Gunnery Sergeant. He returned her scrutiny just as quietly. Kate watched them both until she began to feel impatient with the whole situation. She looked from Mac to Walters and then back again, "Is this a private conversation or can anyone join?"
They both looked at her as if just realizing she was still in the room. Mac shook her head slightly, "In just a minute, Kate. Right after Gunny Walters answers one question." She turned and narrowed her eyes at the big man, "Why now?"
Walters looked at her for a long moment and then straightened up a bit, "Permission to speak freely, ma'am?" Mac nodded and the Gunny shot a quick glance at Kate. She didn't budge an inch and she could see him make the decision to ignore her presence. He cleared his throat and ran a hand over his close-cropped hair, "I came down here because I was worried about you, Sarah. It's been a damn hard year and I don't think you realize how much it's affected you." He held up a hand when she frowned and started to speak, "Please, let me finish." Walters paused and then half-smiled, "This is your own fault, you know. If you were a feather merchant, Colonel, I wouldn't be wasting my time. The thing is, you happen to be one of the good officers. I'll admit it took me a little longer to see it than usual. You're a woman and I'd been raised with the belief that you couldn't be considered a real Marine. Galindez was the one who told me to stop being an ass and open my eyes. He has a lot of respect for you and he was bound and determined to make me see what was right in front of me." Dubby shook his head in remembrance, "Hell, he even enlisted Robyn's help. I was getting it from all sides. Stubborn jackass that I am, I finally started paying attention just to prove them wrong and then you went proved me wrong."
"Archangel?" Mac queried softly. He'd always been pleasant and professional in all their dealings, she'd had no idea he'd been in such a quandary over her. That case involving the late Admiral Jacobs of NIS had been the first time he'd saved her life.
Gunny shook his head, "Actually, before that. It was the little things, like making sure you knew everyone on the security detail even though it wasn't necessary. Some of my kids are fresh out of boot camp and you always treated them like professionals. That means a lot to these guys. Most of the officers at JAG don't even see them. They're just faceless bodies. It's tough on morale, feeling unappreciated and knowing you're expendable. And then there you are, a field grade officer and the Chief of Staff and you take the time to learn their names." Walters chuckled, "You know if you ever felt like overthrowing JAG Headquarters, my guys would be right behind you." He exhaled softly and grew serious again, "Anyway, officers like you are what we Gunnery Sergeants look for. There are things about the Corps you can't learn from a manual and we take up the slack. Victor knew once his transfer went through that he wouldn't be able to keep an eye on you and he wanted to make sure you continued to get the right education." A brief flash of sadness crossed his face to be replaced by one of fierceness, "Part of that means doing my best to make sure you're around long enough for the Corps to reap the rewards. God knows we need all the good officers we can find these days. I've been doing this for a long time. I've lost a few along the way and, by God, it's not going to happen to you - not if I have any say in it." He folded his arms and leaned back against the dresser, his manner clearly saying, 'Your turn.'
Mac looked at him for a long moment and then her entire demeanor relaxed, "I'm going for a run in about five minutes, Gunny, if you'd care to join me."
He pushed himself upright and smiled, "Yes ma'am." Turning, he swiftly left the room.
Kate watched him leave and then turned back to look at Mac, "What the hell just happened?"
Mac sank down on the bed, "Dubby just reminded me why Sergeants run the Corps."
Interstate I-95 S Virginia 2046 Local
Harm glanced over at Gibbs. They were in his Lexus on the way down to Camp Lejeune. There was no way he was going to cram himself into Gibbs' government issue car for this long a drive. "You want to tell me how you got Admiral Chegwidden to agree to this trip?"
Gibbs shifted, trying vainly to find a more comfortable position. Even with a car as nice as this one, the constant motion was escalating the pain in his shoulder. For a brief moment, he even considered checking himself back in the hospital but at this point, it truly wasn't an option. He suddenly became aware that Rabb had said something to him. He squinted over at the Commander, "What?"
Harm bit back a sarcastic response and took another look at the NCIS agent, "Dammit, Gibbs, what the hell did you do? Escape from the hospital?" When he didn't get an answer, Harm's eyebrows rose, "You did!" Scowling fiercely, he pulled the SUV abruptly on to the shoulder and stopped. He turned and glared at Gibbs, "What's going on? What the hell have Mac and Kate stumbled into?"
Squeezing his eyes shut for a moment, Gibbs turned his head slightly and glared back at the angry former aviator, "Kate doesn't 'stumble', Commander." He raised an eyebrow, "Are you saying the Colonel does?"
The angry retort he expected didn't come as Harm shook his head, "Oh no, you're not pulling that misdirection crap with me. We're going to sit here until you come up with some answers."
Gibbs stared at him for a few seconds before turning to look out the window. A headache was starting to pound in time with the throbbing of his shoulder. Finally, he said softly, "I don't have any answers."
"What?"
At Harm's incredulous tone, he turned back to glare, "I said I don't have any answers." He watched Harm turn away with an exasperated snort and gritted his teeth, "Something's about to break loose, Rabb. I don't know what and I don't have any evidence... just a gut instinct and it's telling me to get my ass down there. You're a pilot, Commander, you know what I'm talking about."
"So you were just feeding me a line about telling Mac and Kate to be more careful?" Harm was doing his best to remain angry but it was getting harder. He knew all about gut instinct and the fact that Gibbs had obviously crawled out of a hospital bed was making that constant thread of worry he carried for Mac grow ever stronger.
"No. I did call Kate and she does know to be more careful," Gibbs said as patiently as he could. This was the first time an investigation had sent Kate off on her own and he'd been surprised at the level of worry he was feeling. It wasn't that he didn't trust her, didn't have faith in her abilities - hell, the woman had been a Secret Service agent on the President's detail - he just couldn't seem to help himself. He could sympathize with Rabb. The two JAGs had an absolute knack for trouble and it must be killing the Commander to have the Colonel out there on her own. "Look, Harm, I know Kate and Mac are fully capable of taking care of themselves. It's just that I intend to be close enough to have their backs if anything does go down."
Harm didn't say anything right away. He put the car in gear and pulled out onto the highway. Glancing over, he half-smiled, "They have no idea we're coming down, do they?"
Gibbs raised an eyebrow and grinned back, "Hell no. I've got a hole in my shoulder, not my head."
Morehead Hotel Morehead City, NC 2235 Local
Mac walked into the room, thoroughly drenched in sweat. Kate looked up and smiled, "Looks like you had a good time... forced marches are what Marines do for fun, right?" She was leaning up against the headboard of her bed with the case notes scattered all around her. Her laptop was off to the side and her cellphone was resting on top of a pile.
"Oh yeah, and I see you've been decorating in the latest of NCIS chic." Mac smiled back, nodding towards the bed. "I'm going to grab a quick shower. I'll give Dubby a call afterwards and have him come over, if that's all right with you. We should get him up to speed on what's going on."
"Okay," Kate agreed amicably. "Oh and I talked to McGee, he's going to look into our missing political candidate. He'll call in the morning."
"Good." Mac grabbed a change of clothes and headed for the shower.
She was out fairly quickly and Kate glanced at her watch, "Good grief, woman, did the water even get a chance to catch up with you?"
"Funny," Mac continued to towel her hair dry. She paused long enough to pick up the phone. The conversation was brief and Mac looked at Kate after she'd hung up, "Gunny will be here in ten minutes." She tilted her head towards the files, "Anything new?"
Kate gave a non-committal shrug, "Maybe, I'm not sure. Why don't we wait until Walters gets here and I'll see if I can pin it down a little better?"
"That's fine," Mac headed back to the bathroom to comb out her hair.
Kate watched her go and then picked up her laptop. She'd asked McGee to do one other thing: See if he could find records of any other deaths that might have had Michelle Elbert somewhere in the equation. He was going to send her an email with his findings. For some reason, Mac had been highly resistant to the notion that the Congresswoman might be their killer and Kate figured she would need to have all her ducks in a row if she was to convince the Marine Colonel. She didn't really know Mac all that well just yet but she was beginning to wonder if this blindspot was what Walters had been talking about when he suggested that the Colonel wasn't at the top of her game. Connecting to the modem, she quickly checked her email. Nothing. Damn. Disconnecting, Kate picked up the TV remote, "Hey, do you mind if I turned on the news?"
Mac came out of the bathroom, "Nope, how about a local station? See what the weather is going to be like."
"Okay." Kate started surfing through the channels until she came up with the CBS affiliate out of New Bern. The newscasters were elaborating on a series of smash and grabs at local stores when there was a knock on the door.
"I'll get it," Mac stood up and went to let the Gunny in. Kate put the TV on mute. She smiled a greeting when he walked into the room and nodded towards the desk area, "Grab a chair, Gunny, and we'll get started."
They'd been discussing the case for about five minutes when Kate froze, her attention suddenly on the TV. Mac and Gunny looked at each other, neither of them were facing the set. Gunny glanced over his shoulder while Mac asked, "Kate?"
The NCIS agent picked up the remote and took it off mute while Mac turned to look at the TV as well. She inhaled sharply. There on the screen was Michelle Elbert smiling at a group of people while the newscaster talked about the surprise visit of their local Congresswoman. Kate scowled slightly, "What the hell is she doing down here?"
Part 20
Morehead Hotel Morehead City, NC 2045 Local
Kate dropped back as Mac got closer to her target. The big man had stood up at her approach and was waiting patiently. The scene had a comic aspect to it. Mac was not only dwarfed by the man she was confronting but she had both hands full of shopping bags.
It was all Walters could do not to brace to attention at the sight of an irate Marine officer bearing down on him. And there was no doubt it was an officer advancing towards him despite the sundress and shopping bags. He was inwardly relieved that the little gal from NCIS was hanging back. He was going to have enough trouble with Sarah.
Mac stopped in front of the Gunny. "Gunnery Sergeant Walters?" Her voice came out in a quietly menacing growl, "What do you think you're doing?"
Walters shifted slightly, "I'm on leave, ma'am. Thought I'd come down here and try the marlin fishing." He put on his best innocent look.
Moving half a step closer, Mac's eyebrows came together as she scowled, "Bilgewater, Gunnery Sergeant. Did Harm send you down here to play nursemaid?"
The Gunny straightened up, looking indignant, "No ma'am! I requested the time off."
"And just happened to wind up in Morehead City, North Carolina?"
"I grew up in these parts, ma'am. I like it around here." He relaxed cautiously and adopted a more conversational tone, "Robyn's gone up to Ohio to see Jackie and I didn't feel like rattling around the house by myself, so I came down here."
Mac glared at him for a moment longer and then sighed, shaking her head. "Dubby, I know you're worried about this case and I appreciate your concern but did you ever wonder why I didn't ask for your help on this?"
Walters gave her a wary look. Sarah had changed gears suddenly and that was never a good thing. He fell back on etiquette, "No ma'am."
Kate stepped up just then, she'd been keeping an eye on their surroundings. This was starting to attract a few looks, "Excuse me, Colonel, but if you're not planning on killing the Gunny right now, I think we should move this inside." She looked over at Walters, "Room 326, meet us there in fifteen." The two Marines looked at each other for a moment and although neither actually made a move, Kate could almost see them both shrug.
Without another word, Mac headed into the hotel with Kate right behind her. Walters held the door for both of them and then settled back down on the bench. Now that the sun was down, the evening had cooled off a bit and a breeze had picked up. He had about ten minutes or so before he had to enter the lion's... lioness', he corrected himself... den and he intended to enjoy it.
Kate waited until they were in the hotel room before starting in, "You want to tell me what that was all about? Why don't you want him down here?"
Mac sighed, putting her purchases on the dresser, "I didn't say I didn't want him here. To tell the truth, if I can't have Harm down here to help, Dubby would be my next choice."
"Dubby?" Kate raised an eyebrow and then sat down on the bed, kicking off her shoes. Sighing happily, she wiggled her toes, "Then why were you so angry to find him here? I'd think you'd be thrilled." As she spoke she was busily reviewing what she knew about Gunnery Sergeant Rudy Walters. His name had popped up here and there in Mac's files and for a little while, she considered him a suspect. Turned out he'd had alibis for about half the killings and there was no way he fit the witness' description so she had quickly discarded that theory.
"Ordinarily I would be." Mac took off her sandals and gave Kate a rueful look, "I don't really mind reinforcements. It just depends upon whether they're here to give me a hand or if they're here to give their testosterone a boost by acting like I'm some damn damsel in distress. You know what I'm talking about," Kate nodded while Mac opened up a dresser drawer and grabbed a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. Slipping out of the dress, she pulled on the shorts and then shrugged into the t-shirt. "Actually, Gunny's not like that but I wouldn't put it past Harm to have put a bug in his ear to come down here."
"So he's worried about you. I think I'd be flattered." Kate leaned back and propped herself up on her elbows. She watched as Mac pulled on a pair of socks.
"A girl can only take so much flattery," Mac said dryly and then relented, "Okay, I'll admit it's nice to have someone concerned about me but the fact is, this is not the case I want Dubby involved in." Mac rummaged in her bag and came up with a pair of track shoes.
"You think our killer might go after him?"
"That's my main concern. Ordinarily, Gunny is more than capable of looking after himself, but this guy... I don't know. I do NOT want to have to tell his wife and daughters that I managed to get their husband and father killed." Mac laced up her shoes and sat back with a slight frown, "That's just for starters. There's also the fact that the Admiral was already highly pissed that I was on this case, I doubt he'll look favorably on anyone else from JAG joining in. I don't want Dubby to find himself stationed in Greenland for the rest of his career because Harm worries about me crossing the street without him." She stood up and began to stretch.
Kate eyed her for a moment, "He's going to be here soon. Are you planning on making him jog the plank?"
Mac chuckled, "Gunny Walters knows I appreciate promptness. He should be here in three minutes. After we talk, I'm going for a run."
"Is that a good idea?" Mac gave her a look and Kate raised her hands, "Never mind - sorry - forget I said anything - have fun."
Not long afterwards, there was a knock on the door. Kate glanced over at Mac, "He's early."
She shrugged on her way to the door, "47 seconds." Habit had her checking the peephole before opening the door and ushering the Gunny in.
Walters walked into the room and stopped near the dresser, turning so he could easily see both women. A good defensible position, Kate noted absently. She waited for Mac to start the discussion, wondering what exactly the Marine Colonel had in mind. They both knew he would stick to his story if she insisted upon making an issue of it. Kate also knew they couldn't really do anything about his being down here. The leave time would be legitimate and he was free to spend it anywhere he liked. The most Mac could do would be to order him to stay away from her and Kate while they conducted their investigation. Kate hoped that wasn't what the Colonel had in mind. Having back-up that at least one of them was familiar with was a good thing.
Mac folded her arms as she silently regarded the Gunnery Sergeant. He returned her scrutiny just as quietly. Kate watched them both until she began to feel impatient with the whole situation. She looked from Mac to Walters and then back again, "Is this a private conversation or can anyone join?"
They both looked at her as if just realizing she was still in the room. Mac shook her head slightly, "In just a minute, Kate. Right after Gunny Walters answers one question." She turned and narrowed her eyes at the big man, "Why now?"
Walters looked at her for a long moment and then straightened up a bit, "Permission to speak freely, ma'am?" Mac nodded and the Gunny shot a quick glance at Kate. She didn't budge an inch and she could see him make the decision to ignore her presence. He cleared his throat and ran a hand over his close-cropped hair, "I came down here because I was worried about you, Sarah. It's been a damn hard year and I don't think you realize how much it's affected you." He held up a hand when she frowned and started to speak, "Please, let me finish." Walters paused and then half-smiled, "This is your own fault, you know. If you were a feather merchant, Colonel, I wouldn't be wasting my time. The thing is, you happen to be one of the good officers. I'll admit it took me a little longer to see it than usual. You're a woman and I'd been raised with the belief that you couldn't be considered a real Marine. Galindez was the one who told me to stop being an ass and open my eyes. He has a lot of respect for you and he was bound and determined to make me see what was right in front of me." Dubby shook his head in remembrance, "Hell, he even enlisted Robyn's help. I was getting it from all sides. Stubborn jackass that I am, I finally started paying attention just to prove them wrong and then you went proved me wrong."
"Archangel?" Mac queried softly. He'd always been pleasant and professional in all their dealings, she'd had no idea he'd been in such a quandary over her. That case involving the late Admiral Jacobs of NIS had been the first time he'd saved her life.
Gunny shook his head, "Actually, before that. It was the little things, like making sure you knew everyone on the security detail even though it wasn't necessary. Some of my kids are fresh out of boot camp and you always treated them like professionals. That means a lot to these guys. Most of the officers at JAG don't even see them. They're just faceless bodies. It's tough on morale, feeling unappreciated and knowing you're expendable. And then there you are, a field grade officer and the Chief of Staff and you take the time to learn their names." Walters chuckled, "You know if you ever felt like overthrowing JAG Headquarters, my guys would be right behind you." He exhaled softly and grew serious again, "Anyway, officers like you are what we Gunnery Sergeants look for. There are things about the Corps you can't learn from a manual and we take up the slack. Victor knew once his transfer went through that he wouldn't be able to keep an eye on you and he wanted to make sure you continued to get the right education." A brief flash of sadness crossed his face to be replaced by one of fierceness, "Part of that means doing my best to make sure you're around long enough for the Corps to reap the rewards. God knows we need all the good officers we can find these days. I've been doing this for a long time. I've lost a few along the way and, by God, it's not going to happen to you - not if I have any say in it." He folded his arms and leaned back against the dresser, his manner clearly saying, 'Your turn.'
Mac looked at him for a long moment and then her entire demeanor relaxed, "I'm going for a run in about five minutes, Gunny, if you'd care to join me."
He pushed himself upright and smiled, "Yes ma'am." Turning, he swiftly left the room.
Kate watched him leave and then turned back to look at Mac, "What the hell just happened?"
Mac sank down on the bed, "Dubby just reminded me why Sergeants run the Corps."
Interstate I-95 S Virginia 2046 Local
Harm glanced over at Gibbs. They were in his Lexus on the way down to Camp Lejeune. There was no way he was going to cram himself into Gibbs' government issue car for this long a drive. "You want to tell me how you got Admiral Chegwidden to agree to this trip?"
Gibbs shifted, trying vainly to find a more comfortable position. Even with a car as nice as this one, the constant motion was escalating the pain in his shoulder. For a brief moment, he even considered checking himself back in the hospital but at this point, it truly wasn't an option. He suddenly became aware that Rabb had said something to him. He squinted over at the Commander, "What?"
Harm bit back a sarcastic response and took another look at the NCIS agent, "Dammit, Gibbs, what the hell did you do? Escape from the hospital?" When he didn't get an answer, Harm's eyebrows rose, "You did!" Scowling fiercely, he pulled the SUV abruptly on to the shoulder and stopped. He turned and glared at Gibbs, "What's going on? What the hell have Mac and Kate stumbled into?"
Squeezing his eyes shut for a moment, Gibbs turned his head slightly and glared back at the angry former aviator, "Kate doesn't 'stumble', Commander." He raised an eyebrow, "Are you saying the Colonel does?"
The angry retort he expected didn't come as Harm shook his head, "Oh no, you're not pulling that misdirection crap with me. We're going to sit here until you come up with some answers."
Gibbs stared at him for a few seconds before turning to look out the window. A headache was starting to pound in time with the throbbing of his shoulder. Finally, he said softly, "I don't have any answers."
"What?"
At Harm's incredulous tone, he turned back to glare, "I said I don't have any answers." He watched Harm turn away with an exasperated snort and gritted his teeth, "Something's about to break loose, Rabb. I don't know what and I don't have any evidence... just a gut instinct and it's telling me to get my ass down there. You're a pilot, Commander, you know what I'm talking about."
"So you were just feeding me a line about telling Mac and Kate to be more careful?" Harm was doing his best to remain angry but it was getting harder. He knew all about gut instinct and the fact that Gibbs had obviously crawled out of a hospital bed was making that constant thread of worry he carried for Mac grow ever stronger.
"No. I did call Kate and she does know to be more careful," Gibbs said as patiently as he could. This was the first time an investigation had sent Kate off on her own and he'd been surprised at the level of worry he was feeling. It wasn't that he didn't trust her, didn't have faith in her abilities - hell, the woman had been a Secret Service agent on the President's detail - he just couldn't seem to help himself. He could sympathize with Rabb. The two JAGs had an absolute knack for trouble and it must be killing the Commander to have the Colonel out there on her own. "Look, Harm, I know Kate and Mac are fully capable of taking care of themselves. It's just that I intend to be close enough to have their backs if anything does go down."
Harm didn't say anything right away. He put the car in gear and pulled out onto the highway. Glancing over, he half-smiled, "They have no idea we're coming down, do they?"
Gibbs raised an eyebrow and grinned back, "Hell no. I've got a hole in my shoulder, not my head."
Morehead Hotel Morehead City, NC 2235 Local
Mac walked into the room, thoroughly drenched in sweat. Kate looked up and smiled, "Looks like you had a good time... forced marches are what Marines do for fun, right?" She was leaning up against the headboard of her bed with the case notes scattered all around her. Her laptop was off to the side and her cellphone was resting on top of a pile.
"Oh yeah, and I see you've been decorating in the latest of NCIS chic." Mac smiled back, nodding towards the bed. "I'm going to grab a quick shower. I'll give Dubby a call afterwards and have him come over, if that's all right with you. We should get him up to speed on what's going on."
"Okay," Kate agreed amicably. "Oh and I talked to McGee, he's going to look into our missing political candidate. He'll call in the morning."
"Good." Mac grabbed a change of clothes and headed for the shower.
She was out fairly quickly and Kate glanced at her watch, "Good grief, woman, did the water even get a chance to catch up with you?"
"Funny," Mac continued to towel her hair dry. She paused long enough to pick up the phone. The conversation was brief and Mac looked at Kate after she'd hung up, "Gunny will be here in ten minutes." She tilted her head towards the files, "Anything new?"
Kate gave a non-committal shrug, "Maybe, I'm not sure. Why don't we wait until Walters gets here and I'll see if I can pin it down a little better?"
"That's fine," Mac headed back to the bathroom to comb out her hair.
Kate watched her go and then picked up her laptop. She'd asked McGee to do one other thing: See if he could find records of any other deaths that might have had Michelle Elbert somewhere in the equation. He was going to send her an email with his findings. For some reason, Mac had been highly resistant to the notion that the Congresswoman might be their killer and Kate figured she would need to have all her ducks in a row if she was to convince the Marine Colonel. She didn't really know Mac all that well just yet but she was beginning to wonder if this blindspot was what Walters had been talking about when he suggested that the Colonel wasn't at the top of her game. Connecting to the modem, she quickly checked her email. Nothing. Damn. Disconnecting, Kate picked up the TV remote, "Hey, do you mind if I turned on the news?"
Mac came out of the bathroom, "Nope, how about a local station? See what the weather is going to be like."
"Okay." Kate started surfing through the channels until she came up with the CBS affiliate out of New Bern. The newscasters were elaborating on a series of smash and grabs at local stores when there was a knock on the door.
"I'll get it," Mac stood up and went to let the Gunny in. Kate put the TV on mute. She smiled a greeting when he walked into the room and nodded towards the desk area, "Grab a chair, Gunny, and we'll get started."
They'd been discussing the case for about five minutes when Kate froze, her attention suddenly on the TV. Mac and Gunny looked at each other, neither of them were facing the set. Gunny glanced over his shoulder while Mac asked, "Kate?"
The NCIS agent picked up the remote and took it off mute while Mac turned to look at the TV as well. She inhaled sharply. There on the screen was Michelle Elbert smiling at a group of people while the newscaster talked about the surprise visit of their local Congresswoman. Kate scowled slightly, "What the hell is she doing down here?"
