Disclaimer: JAG belongs to DPB, Paramount, CBS et al. This is for fun, no copyright infringement is intended.
August 2007, Monday
- JAG headquarters, Falls Church, Virginia
"Sturgis, have you seen Lieutenant Ellis?"
"Good morning to you too, Harm. No, I haven't seen him. Why?" Commander Sturgis Turner raised his brows as his old friend sailed right past him. "Harm? Harm! Hey!"
"What?" Harm spun around. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"
Turner crossed his arms. "This is about Mac, isn't it?"
"Come into my office." Harm gestured then glanced back at the entrance and scowled. "Why does it take this boy so long to drive to Langley and back!"
Somewhere
For what seemed to be the thousandth time Webb rolled over his hurting right arm and up on his elbow. Then he craned his neck until he was able to tap his head against the lid of the trunk ... barely.
Tap, tap, tap. Pause. Tap, tap, tap.
Exhausted he fell back and greedily sucked hot air into his lungs. He was sure there was already a bruise on his forehead. Again he rubbed his face on the floor but the duct tape over his mouth still resisted any attack. And his muffled screams didn't seem to get past the walls of the trunk.
Closing his eyes he concentrated on the sounds outside. He was almost sure the car was standing in a corner of a parking lot. Maybe of a supermarket or something like that. The constant noise in the background he had finally identified as a busy street. From time to time he heard voices but usually too far away to make out more than single words if anything. And up to now his actions hadn't drawn the attention of the few people who had come closer.
"... and then I said to her - Timmy! - I said 'Mom, you really shouldn't say that' and - Timmy! - and Mel, do you know what she answered? - For heaven's sake, TIMMY, get over here this instant!"
Webb blinked. Did he already start imagining things or was the voice moving in his direction?
"And she really answered 'I'm still saying she is pregnant with his child' - TIMMY! This boy will be my death some day - can you believe this, Mel?"
Rolling over his arm Webb propped up on his elbow and craned his neck.
Tap, tap, tap.
"I mean, can you BELIEVE this, Mel, if Mom's right it would mean that..."
Tap, tap, tap. Pain shot through his neck.
"TIMMY! Drop that immediately! Oh, this boy."
TAP, TAP, TAP. Webb started trembling.
"I swear he's absolutely like his father. He's -"
"Did you hear that, Viv?"
Webb's heart jumped.
"Hank can be so annoying sometimes -"
TAP, TAP, TAP! Webb collapsed back on the floor, shaking.
"- and I really don't -"
"Shhh, Vivian, didn't you hear that?"
"What?"
"That noise."
Webb tried to roll over again.
"What noise?"
"Some kind of tapping."
"I don't hear anything."
Webb fought desperately to find his balance on his elbow.
"Now it has stopped."
TAP! This time Webb hit his head so hard against the lid he saw stars.
"There! You must have heard that, Viv."
"Well, maybe..."
"Not maybe. It came from somewhere over there."
Tap, tap. Webb was shaking and shivering.
"I don't know, Mel..."
"There, from that car."
The second voice was so close now. Webb drew in a shuddering breath and managed one more effort.
Tap, tap. He fell back.
"Viv, there is something in that trunk!"
"Oh, don't go so close, Mel."
"Mommy, what is there?"
"Nothing, Timmy. Mel, I really don't know..."
"Come on, Viv, something is in there. It could be a dog."
"Where is a dog, Mommy?"
"Wouldn't a dog bark, Mel?"
"Maybe it can't. It must be hot inside."
"Oh, oh, Mel, don't touch it! You never know these days!"
Webb tried to shout as something knocked on the top of the trunk lid. But obviously the sound drowned in the noise from the street. Frantically he worked his body upwards.
"Hmm, now it has stopped again..."
Tap, tap, tap.
"There it was!"
"Mommy, is that the dog?"
"We don't know if there is a dog, Timmy."
Mel - if it was her - knocked again. Webb gritted his teeth and answered with a short delay. His heart beat faster as someone tried to open the lid.
"It's locked."
"Do you really think this is a good idea, Mel? This is none of our business-"
"Oh, for heaven's sake, Viv! Something is in there! In this heat! It could be even a child!"
"No! You don't really think... I can't hear crying. A child would be crying, believe me, Mel."
"Where is the dog, Mommy?"
"Oh, shut up, Timmy, if there is a dog it is inside."
Webb had gathered enough strength for another round of tapping before he went down again.
"Now I've heard it clearly. Maybe you are right, Mel, there IS something inside."
"The question is what do we do? There has to be an owner but how do we find him?"
Webb shook his head violently.
"Maybe we should ask around? What else can we do?"
"Mommy, is there really a dog inside?"
"Not now, Timmy. I don't know either, Viv. Maybe call the police?"
Webb nodded enthusiastically.
"Isn't that a little bit much, Mel? I mean, we don't even know if-"
BANG, BANG, BANG.
Webb nearly jumped out of his skin as the sound vibrated in the trunk. His ears tinkled.
"TIMMY!" exclaimed both women sternly.
"Stop that!"
"Don't touch that!"
"But Mommy, you said-"
"That's enough now!"
"Hello, excuse me, but do you have a problem?" A male voice spoke up. "I saw you standing here for some time and thought maybe you've lost your key..."
"Oh, no, no, but there's something in this trunk."
"Something?"
"A dog, maybe. You can hear sounds."
Dutifully Webb got onto his poor elbow and tapped.
"Hmm. Yes, you are right. But I don't think it's a dog. A dog would bark. Maybe it's a cat?"
"See, Mel? I told you it can't be a dog."
"Oh, well, then a cat, all right. But something is in there and the trunk is locked."
"Are you sure?"
Somebody tried the lid.
"Locked. I told you," Mel stated with satisfaction in her voice.
Webb rolled his eyes.
JAG headquarters
"Colonel? Is everything all right?"
"What?" murmured Mac distracted. Then she blinked and stopped rubbing her forehead. She felt like she had walked against a wall. "No, I'm fine. Just a headache."
Captain Rockwell was still watching her concerned.
"It's nothing, Captain," Mac insisted with an impatient edge to her voice. Was the air conditioning not working? It was so hot in here. "If that's all now ... I've got work to do."
"Yes, I think we're through with everything. I'll go and talk to Commander Rabb now." Rockwell gathered his notes. He frowned. "Although I normally don't appreciate other officers interfering in my cases."
"Commander Rabb is a very thorough investigator. His help has been exceptionally useful on former occasions," Mac replied sharper than she had intended.
"Of course, ma'am. Commander Rabb's track record is well known."
Groaning Mac fell back in her chair as soon as the door had closed behind the man. Great. Now she had annoyed him. But at the moment she didn't have time to worry about that. Quickly she grabbed her files. She had to be in court.
Somewhere
"A cat. I say it's a cat. - No, no, that would sound different. A dog is more likely. - Maybe it's a parrot? - Why should it be a parrot for heaven's sake, then you would hear the wings. - Yo, man, a damn parrot an' flying? - Who has been talking to you? - And if it really is a child in there? - Oh, poor thing, we've got to do something. - Did anybody inform the owner of the parking lot? - What should the owner of the parking lot do? - Maybe we should call the police? - The police, really, the brave men have other things to do than look after some animal in a trunk. - Well, we pay enough taxes; they're supposed to do something. - Damn right, man. - What about the fire department? - How cruel to put a dog in there in this heat!"
Webb heaved a sigh. The suggestions who or what he was or what to do had increased at the same rate as the gathered crowd. And anyone was shouting to make him/herself heard over the noise from the street. He blinked sweat out of his eyes. The air in the trunk felt like soup.
Outside the discussion continued - still without a solution - when suddenly a deep voice interrupted.
"What's the matter here?"
"Oh! Officer, officer, there's something in the trunk of this car, an animal!" Viv. More voices chimed in until the officer called for a break.
"Now. One after the other. Why do you think there's something inside?"
"You can hear tapping."
Pause.
"I don't hear anything."
Oh. Webb remembered his part. He needed a few attempts to prop himself up. His head felt so strangely dizzy.
"But it was there! I-"
Tap ... tap ... tap. Webb fell back and panted desperately. He felt nauseous again.
"There!" several voices shouted.
"Yes..." The police-? officer agreed only reluctantly. "There was something. I think."
Webb cursed him silently but didn't have the strength for another try.
"It's becoming less frequent now. Just imagine the heat in there!" Mel. "We've got to open the car!"
"Well, ma'am, that's not that easy..."
"Easy, easy, something is dying in there!"
Webb mentally thanked the stubborn woman. He felt sweat trickling down his chest. Everything was soaked with it but the darn duct tape got only stickier.
"Ma'am, even if it is an animal we still need the owner of the car -"
"Bah! If the dog would be in the back seat no one would hesitate to break the window! The poor creature!"
Agreeing murmur.
"Well..." The police officer had a hard time arguing against such gathered moral superiority. "Have you tried if it's locked?"
"Of course!" Probably any of them had. "It does not open!"
Someone tried the lid.
"I told you."
Webb didn't know if he should laugh or cry.
"You've got to do something. - Yes, you can't let it die in there. - We've got to open the car. - The poor thing. - It must be unbelievable hot in there!"
"All right, all right. I'll call my station."
"Can't you pick the lock? You're a police officer after all."
"Ma'am, you need special tools to open a trunk without a key..."
"Oh, that ain't no problem, man."
"Boy...! Be glad I didn't hear that!"
Webb banged his head against the floor for a change.
JAG headquarters
"Uhm ... sir?" A very uncomfortable looking Lieutenant Ellis knocked gingerly at Harm's office door.
"Ellis! Finally! What has taken you so long, darn it?" Harm jumped up and looked around his assistant. Seeing nobody he frowned. "Where is Webb?"
"He - he wasn't there ... sir. I - I waited but..."
"Not there? What do you mean?"
"He - he had already left."
"Left?"
"I'm sorry, sir." Ellis' eyes were glued to the floor.
Harm stared at him a moment longer then turned and reached for the phone.
"Commander?"
Looking up Harm saw Ellis make a hasty retreat - with a strangely glad expression on his face - to allow a Navy captain access to the office. The man looked him coolly up and down.
"I'm Captain Rockwell. Colonel Mackenzie said you might have additional information about the threats against her."
A moment Harm's eyes wandered back and forth between the man and the receiver in his hand. Then he put it reluctantly back in its place. He forced an insincere smile.
"Yes, in fact I do. Please have a seat."
