Part 34
Earlier That Day Naval Regional Medical Center Kate's room Camp Lejeune, NC 0345 Local
Gibbs came awake suddenly and then laid there for a moment, wondering what exactly had roused him. The room was still dark. Then he heard it again, a low moan from the direction of Kate's bed. Hurriedly, he threw off the light blanket and quietly made his way to her bedside. Kate was moving restlessly and muttering, obviously in the throes of a nightmare. He put a hand on her shoulder and spoke quietly, "Kate? Kate, c'mon, it's just a dream." She continued to toss and turn and he increased the volume, "Kate, wake up. It's okay."
Her eyes flew open suddenly and she pulled back, wincing as she tried to move her injured arm. She was staring at him but Gibbs wasn't sure if she was actually seeing him. Dammit, was she reliving her experience with that terrorist bastard? "Kate? Take it easy, you're safe."
She gave him a wide-eyed look, her fear evident, "Sharks. Blood in the water. They were coming for me."
Gibbs stared at her in surprise. She remembered? He kept his voice calm and reassuring, "It's all right now. We found you in time, you're safe."
"Safe?" She blinked and seemed to see him for the first time, "Gibbs... ?' She looked around the darkened room, "I'm in a hospital... ? Oh god, it wasn't a dream, was it?"
He could feel her starting to tremble and rubbed her shoulder reassuringly, "Hey, c'mon Kate. You're going to be fine. Ducky promised." She turned her head to look at him and he could almost see her thoughts: 'Who are you and what have you done with my bastard boss?' He couldn't help smiling a little. "You know you're setting a lousy precedent, Agent Todd." He nodded towards her arm, "We're going to go back to DC with matching slings. When DiNozzo sees us, he's going to want one of his own and then McGee will feel like he has to get one, too... "
Kate smiled at the thought and relaxed back into her pillows, "We'll look like a convention of one-armed paper hangers."
"Yeah." He had yet to remove his hand from her shoulder, his thumb idly rubbing back and forth. He took a deep breath and braced himself, "Kate, do you remember what happened after you went to see Elbert?" He felt her tense and tightened his grip in support.
"Yeah... most of it, some parts are fuzzy." She suddenly looked anxious, "Mac? She's okay? She told you what happened, didn't she?"
Gibbs nodded, "She's fine. They'll probably discharge her tomorrow. I got the main points of the story. I didn't hear the details. Nevers conducted the interview."
Kate swallowed her surprise as the implications of that statement sunk in. She stared up at him for a moment, ordering her thoughts. "I owe her, Gibbs. She wouldn't leave me even after I asked her." She saw the look on his face, "I was bleeding from the wound in my arm and the cut on my leg. I told her to get away from me when the sharks came. She said no."
"She's a Marine," Gibbs said absently, still dwelling on the fact that she would even suggest such a thing. When this was over, he was going to treat Mac to the best steak dinner he could find. ...Hell, he would even let Rabb tag along. He gave Kate a look, "You're afraid of sharks."
She looked away, feeling embarrassed, "Yeah, well... I never thought it would be an issue. It's not like I spend a lot of time in the water." She glanced at him and gave a weak smile, "Saw 'Jaws' at an impressionable age, I guess. The next summer, my family was vacationing at the beach when a surfer was killed by a tiger shark. That pretty much did it for me." Kate hesitated for a second, "Please don't tell DiNozzo, I don't think I could take the teasing right now."
Gibbs gave her a half-smile, "Tell him what?" He grew serious again, "Kate, I need to know what happened."
She sighed, "Yeah, I figured." Quietly, she began to recount the events leading up to being shot and left to drown. Gibbs didn't let her get all the way through at one time. Time and again, he would stop her to clarify a point or ask her to elaborate on her or Mac's actions. By the time she reached the end of her story, Kate was feeling decidedly nervous. Something was wrong, she'd bet a month's salary on it. "Gibbs, what's going on? Did Elbert get away?"
"No, she didn't get away." Gibbs paused for a moment, scowling, "She's come up with this cock and bull story that it was Mac who'd been murdering the sergeants and that she abducted you and Elbert at gunpoint. You supposedly fought with Mac over the gun, she shot you and you both went over the side."
Kate stared at him, "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard! Are you saying someone believes her?"
He sighed heavily, "She got herself a TV interview and said it over the air. It's probably gone national by now."
"That bitch!" Kate looked furious, "Why haven't you arrested her?"
Gibbs cocked an eyebrow at her, "Because up until fifteen minutes ago, it was Mac's word against hers about what happened with you three. Not to mention that Elbert got some lamebrained sycophant DA to issue an arrest warrant against Mac for attempted murder. The only reason the Colonel's not in a holding cell right now is because I told them she was in NCIS custody."
"You what?!"
"Hey, it was the only way to get them to back off! Mac's credibility has been shot to hell, we didn't need photo ops of her being hauled off to some county lockup." Gibbs' irritation was obvious. He took a deep breath, calming himself, "Anyway, it doesn't really matter now because you can set the record straight. ...What do you think you're doing?" Kate was struggling to push the covers off and sit up, something she having trouble doing one-handed.
"I'm going to go see Mac... goddammit... can't believe after everything we went through... ow... shoot that woman myself... damn... you want to give me a hand here?"
One side of Gibbs' mouth quirked upward, "You might want to wait a little bit. Mac's probably still asleep. It's only 4 am."
Kate stopped and stared at him, "It is?" She sank back down and let Gibbs rearrange her covers, unwilling to admit that even that small exertion had zapped her strength. "I want to see her, Gibbs." Her expression turned fierce, "And then I want to bury Elbert."
"You will," he reassured her, "as soon as the sun's up." He waited for her eyes to close and her breathing to even out before returning to his cot and settling back down with a grim satisfaction. Things would be different once the sun came up.
JAG Headquarters Falls Church, VA 0930 Local
AJ Chegwidden was having a hard time controlling his irritation. The good news about Mac had been offset by Congresswoman Elbert's blatant lies during her TV interview. As a result, the office had been fielding a barrage of calls. Most were from various news agencies, the remainder were expressing outrage either for or against the Colonel. He'd pulled Roberts off all his other work and gave him the task of building the case against Elbert. He wanted her charged with everything possible: defamation, slander, harassment, battery, kidnapping, attempted murder and murder. Hell, he'd told Bud to hit her with littering if he thought he could get away with it. Roberts would be coordinating with Agent DiNozzo of NCIS and the DC District Attorney's office. AJ knew from the outset that there wasn't a snowball's chance of hauling Elbert into a military court.
Goddamn politicians, justice wasn't quite so blind for them. The DA had made it perfectly clear that they couldn't just drag Elbert in. T's had to be crossed and i's dotted or there would be hell to pay. The man had political aspirations of his own and they didn't include a career-breaking trial. If he went after the Congresswoman, it would be with overwhelming evidence. Chegwidden glanced over when his intercom buzzed. "What is it, Coates?"
"Sir, Secretary Sheffield is... "
The door opened in the middle of her sentence and AJ climbed to his feet, swallowing his annoyance. What was it about the position of SecNav that made men forego common courtesy? "Mr. Secretary... " Chegwidden stopped in surprise and then broke into a smile when several people followed Sheffield in. He moved out from behind his desk so that he could properly greet his guests, "Your Majesty, Mr. Montgomery, it's a pleasure to see you again." He nodded to Marius Zali who had followed them in and taken up an unobtrusive spot along the wall.
Carol Dzurick stepped forward first and extended her hand, "It's good to see you again too, Admiral."
Gus put his hand out as well, "I've told you before, Admiral, it's Gus to my friends."
Chegwidden smiled, "Then you'll have to call me AJ. Please have a seat. Can I have my yeoman bring you anything?" When they demurred, he went back to his own chair and sat down. He folded his hands and leaned forward on his desk. Glancing at the SecNav, he turned his attention back to Carol and Gus, "Is there something I can do for you, Your Majesty?"
Carol relaxed in her seat and smiled, "Actually, I believe it's the other way around. Dad and I would like to do something for you."
AJ gave them a puzzled look, "I'm afraid I don't quite follow."
Sheffield cleared his throat. He wasn't used to feeling like a fifth wheel during a meeting, "It seems that your Colonel has a few advocates, AJ."
Carol turned and gave him a level look, "More than a few, Mr. Secretary. Whose side are you on?"
"I am only interested in the truth, Your Majesty," Sheffield retorted stiffly.
"And in avoiding anything that might tarnish the Navy's reputation and your own," Gus muttered loudly enough for everyone to hear.
Carol put a hand on his arm, "Dad... " She turned back to AJ, "I saw the interview with that... that politician. It's outrageous." She glanced at her father, "We're here to offer our help in countering the lies."
"And the ones that aren't lies?" Sheffield scowled, his tone dry. He was still irritated by Montgomery's presumption that he would abandon Colonel MacKenzie. On the contrary, if Elbert's accusations held water, he'd personally see to it that the Colonel spent the rest of her life behind bars.
Carol straightened and turned slowly towards the Secretary, one eyebrow slightly arched, "We will put them back in the context to which they belong. Are you somehow under the impression that we're unaware of Colonel MacKenzie's past or are you implying that Bacovia is too inept to conduct a background check? Do you think, for one moment, that I would allow someone that I did not have the utmost confidence in to become involved with my children?"
She glared at a speechless Sheffield while Chegwidden fought the urge to laugh at the Secretary's predicament. Carol Montgomery Dzurick might have been born and raised as an American citizen but it was apparent that she wore the mantle of royalty like a second skin. He leaned back as the Queen continued to speak, "I called upon you and the Admiral as a courtesy, Mr. Sheffield. I neither need or desire your approbation to do what is right. You see Sarah's past as a drawback, I see it as an excellent example of overcoming adversity. Has she made mistakes? Of course she has, but she paid the price and moved on." Carol leaned forward a little, her gaze steely, "The Bacovian government and its royal family offers its unwavering support for the Colonel even if her own military does not, and we will not suffer the defamation of her character silently. Are we quite clear, Mr. Secretary?"
He nodded wordlessly, finally convinced that discretion was the better part of valor. Carol turned back to AJ, "Now, how shall we go about this? I can arrange for a press conference at any time."
Gus snorted, "Press conference! What we ought to do is get Sarah's friends together and go find this Elbert character and string her up by her thumbs. Goddamn politicians need to learn there's a limit to how many lies a person can stomach."
Chegwidden couldn't help chuckling, knowing the irascible old man meant exactly what he said, "That's tempting, Gus but I think we need to be a little more circumspect."
Carol spoke up suddenly, "Why?" She looked from the Admiral to the SecNav, "Why can't we string her up by thumbs - in a figurative sense? This is already becoming a media circus thanks to that woman. Why not add another attraction?" She turned to her father and grinned, "Feel like flying to North Carolina with a few of Sarah's friends?"
Gus' smile went from ear to ear, "Hot damn, daughter, you bet I do." He turned to look at the SecNav, "You in or out?"
Sheffield had a pained look on his face, "Mr. Montgomery, it would be inappropriate for the Navy to join in or condone this sort of behavior." He waited while Gus let out a contemptuous snort, "That being said, if any member of the Naval services wishes to express his or her opinion within the boundaries of the UCMJ, I won't discourage it." He stood up and nodded to AJ who rose with him, "Let my office know if there's any travel orders that may need to be expedited." He gave a small smile, "We wouldn't want the wheels of justice to grind too slowly, would we?" Nodding to Carol and Gus, he walked out.
Camp Lejeune Jacksonville, NC 1230 Local
Ducky pulled his car over to the side and walked over to the guard station for the main gates of Lejeune. Greeting the PFC and Corporal inside the station, he pulled out his NCIS ID and smiled at the two, "I wonder if you might help me?"
The Corporal answered politely, "Yes sir, if I can."
Mallard glanced out at the seemingly constant flow of traffic, "Have any TV crews tried to get onto the grounds lately?"
The two Marines glanced at each other, "A few, sir, but they didn't have authorization and we turned them away."
Ducky nodded thoughtfully, "Would they have stayed in the area?"
The Corporal shrugged but the PFC spoke up, "I saw a couple of them hanging out over at the Hardee's on the main drag when I came on duty a little while ago, sir."
"Did you, now?" Mallard's eyebrows rose and he smiled, "Thank you." He turned and walked out, leaving two mystified Marines looking at each other.
-------
Jamie Stillman sat in frustrated silence, picking at the now wilted salad. Dammit, she'd come off looking like some sort of incompetent jerk in this latest interview. Unfortunately, her producer had all but danced a little jig upon seeing it. It had aired less than thirty minutes ago. She stabbed a piece of lettuce hard enough to break her plastic fork and sighed. Life was totally unfair. This was not the sort of national attention she'd hoped for. Her boss had made it clear that she would remain Elbert's patsy for as long as the woman wanted to give exclusive interviews. The Congresswoman had refused to talk to the national network reporters, declaring that this was a local matter and that locals should handle it.
The blonde reporter clenched her jaw. That manipulating bitch! The populace would love it, pointing to Elbert's decision as proof that she considered herself an ordinary joe. Stillman knew as well as Elbert that the networks would broadcast this nationally no matter who interviewed her. As soon as she could get away from the station, she'd grabbed her cameraman and beat feet to Lejeune. She thought if she could get to MacKenzie maybe there was a chance to redeem herself. That had proved to be a dead end. Not only couldn't she get on the base, but she obviously hadn't been the first to consider it. There were broadcast crews all over Jacksonville, cooling their heels and watching for any opportunity.
"You're Jamie Stillman, aren't you?"
The British accent had her looking up in surprise. She saw an older man with glasses standing by her table, holding a tray. Pasting on a smile, she replied, "Yes, I am."
He smiled back, "I thought so. If you don't mind my saying so, you're just as attractive off-camera as you are on." He leaned in slightly, "Some people aren't, you know. Take off the make-up and... " he shuddered dramatically.
"Thank you," Jamie kept smiling politely, hoping he would take the hint and leave. Being hit on by a senior citizen wasn't high on her list of things she enjoyed.
He inclined his head, "Nothing less than the truth." Turning to leave, he added, "It's a shame you couldn't get the Congresswoman to answer your question."
"Excuse me?" Stillman stopped smiling.
The older man turned back, "Well, she certainly went off on a tangent, didn't she? Left me wondering what exactly she was hiding. I kept waiting for you to get her back on track but you never did. Was that deliberate? ...Oh... never mind, that was invidious of me. She is a Congresswoman, I'm sure you were just following the rules." He shook his head, "Still, in light of what's happened, her story doesn't quite make sense. I do hate unanswered questions."
"You and me both," Jamie muttered, feeling like her unspoken fears had been confirmed - that, at best, she'd become Elbert's unofficial press agent and, at worst, just another dumb blonde. Neither was conducive to the career track she had envisioned for herself.
"Well, for heaven's sake, Ms. Stillman, why don't you do something about it?" For the first time, the man sounded annoyed. "Show some initiative."
"I'm trying," Stillman snapped, growing irritated. "Why do you think I'm hanging around this miserable little town? I can't help it if the guards aren't letting anyone on base to interview MacKenzie yet."
"And when they finally do, you'll be one of a dozen or so." He raised an eyebrow, "I would think you'd be considering a different angle. Doesn't it seem odd that a federal agent would want to discuss an ongoing investigation with a member of Congress? I would think that it would seem more plausible if the investigation happened to be about the Congressperson; in which case, I'd be doing some investigating of my own." Ducky turned and walked away, choosing a table where he could observe his handiwork. He unwrapped his lunch and dug in with relish. Things were looking up for the most part. Kate's memory lapse had proved transitory. She was still weak, one didn't shrug off blood loss and infection all that quickly, and her interview with Nevers had left her exhausted. She'd fallen asleep almost immediately afterwards and had missed Elbert's second and even more outrageous interview.
He wished the same could have been said for Sarah. While Rabb had been livid, she'd seemed almost resigned. He didn't like seeing her that way. Mallard glanced down at his lunch and decided to buy something to take back to the Colonel. If anyone needed comfort food, she did. Movement caught his peripheral vision and he looked up in time to see Stillman get up and walk over to several men who were eating together. There was a brief discussion during which she shook her head several times before she turned and walked out of the restaurant, determination radiating off her with every stride. Ducky smiled to himself. Michelle Elbert's past and present were about to come under the intense scrutiny of the press.
