Chapter 3
1318
Harm's Office
JAG HQ
The conversation with Webb had been a dead end. Not that Clay had in any way been able to change his mind about what he believed, but he hadn't admitted anything either But then, when had he ever? When he finally had been able to talk to Clay in person instead of being bounced around different assistants in God only knows how many countries, he had only gotten the typical 'I don't know anything, and even if I knew, I couldn't tell you anything' speach. The more time that passed, the more sure did he become of something not being as it should.
1991
Harm's apaprtment
As Harm put the finishing touches on dinner, he thought back on the past couple of months. Things were looking better. He had been seeing Doctor Jacobs for a few months now, and some of the guilt he felt had disappeared. He was moving on and starting law school in a few weeks. It wasn't the dream he had chased when he had joined the Navy,he would never get that back, but after his crash he had been amazed at how well the people at JAG had done their job and how interesting it seemed. He hadn't known being in a court room could be so exciting. It was definitely one of the better options he had, and now he was really starting to get excited about it.
He didn't think his progress had much to do with the doctor though. Janice, the woman from the waiting room had been there for him since that day, as he had for her. She had lost her family, her life. There was no one else in the world for her. At least that had been the way she had felt until she met him. They had talked and cried together and now they both felt like there was something in life worth living for again. She had decided to move back to the west coast where she had grown up to try and move on with her life in a place where she had no memories of Jonas and Ellie. She had left her home town when she was 17, never looking back. Then she worked her way through school and met her husband. Her life had been perfect and then was just torn apart in seconds.
'I'll miss her...'he thought just as there was a knock on the door and Janice arrived. They ate their dinner and had a nice conversation about anything and everything other than the fact that she was leaving. At the end of the evening they said goodbye and hugged closely. Neither of them knew that would be the last time they would ever see each other in person.
Present time
Unknown Location
"Hello." Michael Patterson answered.
"It's me. We have a problem." The voice on the line said.
"What kind of problem. I thought you took care of everything when you made me take care of Janice."
"We did, but this problem came up just moments ago, when a naval Commander placed a call to Clayton Webb."
"Webb doesn't know anything, does he? So even if this Commander, whoever he is, actually got anything from Webb it wouldn't be anything of value."
"I wish that was the case, but this guy isn't likely to give up. He has a reputation of looking for the truth and not giving up until he finds it. He's caused problems for agencies before. It doesn't help that he also has a history with your late fiancé."
That made Michel jump. Just who was this guy to Janice?
"I'm sending someone over with the facts on him. Find a way to make him back off. I'm leaving the how up to you."
The conversation ended and Michael stared at the phone. He hadn't thought Janice had had anyone left who would look into her death. Not that it would have mattered. He had truly loved her on some level, but the job always came first. It had to.
A few minutes later there was a knock at the door. He opened it and found the expected file on the first step. Picking it up and walking inside he looked at the file of the man he was supposed to scare. A man who by the looks of it had been in combat situations more than once. It wasn't until he read about his family he found a bargining tool. He was married and had a little girl.
1530
Mac's Office
JAG HQ
After his failed conversation with Webb a few hours earlier, Harm had gone into Mac's office to clear his mind. They had discussed anything and everything but his mind kept drifting back to the pictire of Janice in the paper. It had been one of her and her family before the accident. It never seized to amaze him how the papers always managed to dig up those old photographs of people. This one they must have had in their archives since the accident, since all of Janices family was gone.
Mac studied her husband. He had drifted off a few minutes earlier and she knew exactly where he was now. With Janice. When Diane had been killed it had made him crazy knowing the killer had gotten away, and in the end he had been willing of throwing away both hs career and his life in order to get justice. She didn't want that to happen again. She needed him too much.
"Harm..." She started but realised he hadn't heard her. She stood up and walked over to where he was sitting and put her hand on his shoulder.
"Harm. You okay?"
"Huh...Oh, I'm fine honey. I just got lost in thought." He tried but she wasn't convinced and gave him one of her looks saying 'I know you better than anyone else. Do you really think I'm that easily fooled?'. He didn't want to burden her, but he knew there was nothing he could do to keep her out of it when she had decided she was going to stay in.
"Fine. I was thinking about Janice, about how I don't want this to become one of those cases where we never find the person responsible. I know she has no family left, but I feel I owe her to at least let her spirit find peace knowing the person who killed her will get what he deserves." He paused for a few seconds. "She saved my life. If it hadn't been for her I probably never would have gotten through all the guilt I felt after Mace was killed. I was one step from leaving the Navy and everything else behind and just running away when she came into my life and..."
"I know how you feel and I hope you do find out who did this for all our sakes. I owe her too you know. Thanks to her, I have the man of my dreams..."
Harm was just about to say something again, when his cell phone rang. He answered and listened for a few seconds and then put the phone down again. When he didn't say anything for a while, Mac gave him a questioning look.
"I guess someone thinks I know something, because I was just warned to back off."
"What! What are you going to do?" Mac asked, concern evident in her voice.
"I don't know. The threat wasn't just amed at me, it involved you and Hope as well. I know I just said I can't drop this, but I won't gamble with your lives either. Maybe I should just do what he said."
Inspite of her own fear for her husband and daughter, Mac made a descision.
"I can't believe you Harm. I know you want to protect us from everything and everyone that could possible cause us harm, but I'm a Lt. Colonel in the United States Marine Corps. I didn't get where I am by playing it safe as soon as something frightened me. Don't give up your integrity and search for the truth for us. That would only bring more problems in the future. Our daughter needs to be able to look up to her daddy for being who he is, a Hero..."
She paused to stand infront of him. Looking him in the eyes, her voice dropped from feisty Marine mode to a soft whisper.
"You know what this is going to do to you if you dont find out what really happened. I meant what I said before the phone rang. It would be best for all of us if you found whoever did this. It's going to pull you down until you can't get any more air and make you drown in your own feelings of guilt. Like it did with Diane..."
At the sound of Diane's name, Harm shivered visiably. After all these years, the name of his Academy sweetheart caused him pain.
Seeing this, Mac put her arms around him and pulled him close. After a few minutes they parted and the look in his eyes told her that he had made up his mind.
"So where are you going to start?" she asked as she sat down on the edge of her desk.
