OOOO
Part Seven
"You want to WHAT?" Webb screeched.
"We want to keep Katya after the handover," Harm repeated, calmly.
Webb had met them in the bar, which tended to be very quiet on a Sunday. He was dressed as a bellhop, so that he wouldn't arouse suspicion, if they were being observed. Mac had initially burst into laughter when she had seen him!
Webb carefully kept his voice down, the next time he spoke.
"I told you, didn't I, 'Don't invest your emotions in this, don't get involved,' so what do you do, you decide to adopt the case's main evidence!"
"We want to take formal steps to adopt Katya," Mac told Webb firmly, "We'll do whatever it takes and are willing to wait as long as needed. Harm and I aren't going to change our minds about it and we'll do this without your help if we must, but Webb, we thought that you might lend us your support."
Webb just huffed and looked away for a minute. When he looked back, he asked them,
"And just how are you going to raise this child? Between the both of you, I suppose? Alternate weeks?"
"Mac and I are going to raise her together," Harm told him, "We've decided that Mac, as the fluent Russian speaker, will freeze her commission and spend a year getting Katya settled and speaking English."
At Webb's accusatory look Mac quickly spoke up, "It was my decision, Webb, Harm had nothing to do with it."
Softening just a little, Mac went on, "This is something we really want, Clay, more than anything in the world…This is something that we've been needing, to knock some sense into us. We've finally realised what it is that we want to do for the rest of our lives….Harm and I, together."
Clay just looked at them, unblinking.
"We could really use your support on this," Harm added, "It's going to be really tough on our own. We thought that maybe you might have a few contacts of your own…"
Clay let out a groan as he crumbled.
"Man, oh man! Why do I let myself get suckered into these things?"
OOOO
The next week passed in a blur, as Harm and Mac set to work making plans for after Thursday. The first and most important call was placed to Trish Burnett in La Jolla.
"Hello?" Harm's Mom answered the phone cheerfully.
"Mom? Is that you?" Harm exclaimed, "You sound chipper, this morning!"
"Darling!" Trish enthused, "It's so good to hear from you! I was hoping that I'd hear from you soon. We'll all miss you, this Thanksgiving. Are you back in DC, yet?"
"No, not yet, Mom. I'm still on investigation in Russia. Listen, it's been a busy week and I've got so much to tell you…"
"On just one condition," Trish stipulated, "I want you to promise that we'll be able to see you at Christmas. I won't take no for an answer."
"Okay, Mom," Harm gave in, "I promise, you'll see me for Christmas…"
"And will you be bringing anyone with you, this year?"
"Huh, funny you should ask…I've got someone here you'd probably like to speak to."
At this, Harm passed the phone over to Mac.
"Hi, Trish?" Mac answered.
"Mac, darling!" Trish enthused, "How are you, my dear! You're on investigation in Russia, too?"
"Well, the Admiral needs someone to keep an eye on Harm doesn't he?"
Trish laughed, "How true! I appreciate you keeping an eye on my son, I never know what he's going to get up to, next."
"He's not quite that bad," Mac informed her, "He seems to be mellowing out a bit in his old age…"
"Hey!" Harm exclaimed, snatching the phone back as Mac just laughed, "That's the last time I let you speak to my Mother."
When Harm turned back to speak to his Mother, she pre-empted him.
"So that's why you sound so happy!" she commented, "I always said you two were meant for each other."
Harm surprised her with his answer.
"You always did know me well, Mom."
Trish gasped.
"At last! You finally came to your senses, didn't you?"
"Uh-huh," Harm grinned, looking to where Mac was smiling at him.
"About time, Harmon James Rabb. Thank goodness! I may get grandchildren, yet."
"Yeah, about that, Mom, that's kind of why we called…."
OOOO
Their second phone call was placed to their CO. He answered on the second ring.
"Hello?"
"Admiral, Sir. It's Harm."
"Hey there, son. How are you and Mac getting on?"
"Things are okay with us, but not quite so with Bud and Harriet."
Briefly, Harm explained about the situation.
"Christ!" AJ swore, "Those poor things! That really must have hit them hard. I'll kill Clayton Webb, the next time I see him! Wait, scratch that…I'll ream him a new one, THEN I'll kill him. So the mission is going ahead? You and the Colonel will still be taking part?"
"Yes, Sir."
"Good, good…I want the two of you to be careful. Remember, this is one of Webb's little heists. They have a tendency of going bad. How are the two of you doing? Are you managing okay?"
"That's kind of why we were calling you, Sir. Our part of the plans aren't bad, not by any stretch of the imagination. But they aren't going according to Webb's ideas…."
"Uh-huh, and what did he have to say about it?"
"He didn't particularly like it, especially as he had warned us about the emotional nature of the case in the beginning. But we managed to talk him around. He's still not particularly liking it, but I think it's just because it's because he's still carrying a bit of a torch for Mac…"
"This isn't what I think it is, is it?" AJ spoke up, "Are we going to need to have a discussion when you both get back? A discussion about a change in the relationship between yourself and the Colonel?"
Harm was flabbergasted that his CO had managed to figure it out so fast.
AJ quickly added, "I figured this might happen. It was only a matter of time. Nice to see that you finally got your head out of your six, son."
Harm just laughed loudly, "Indeed, Sir."
"We'll have that talk when you both get back, I'm sure we'll work something out to suit you both."
"About us discussing this when we get back…" Harm broached, cautiously, "That's why Mac and I called, Sir. It looks like we may be caught up in Russia longer than we'd previously anticipated…."
OOOO
Thursday dawned cold and rainy as Harm and Mac got ready to complete their mission. Mac's stomach kept turning sommersaults and she decided against breakfast or lunch, that day.
"Mac, are you sure you don't want anything?" Harm persisted.
"All I really need at this moment is our baby," Mac insisted, "Let's just go. Webb should be there, setting everything up. He'll want to talk to us, before this all goes down."
"Mac," Harm slowed her, grabbing her by the shoulders, looking her in the eye, "Don't worry about this. It's all going to be fine, we'll be bringing her home with us by four. This is the start of the rest of our lives together, just calm down and go with the flow. It'll be fine, I promise."
"I'm sorry," Mac apologised, "I guess I'm just worried…Look at how we got our hopes up, both us and Bud and Harriet…Now they're having to cope with losing another child…"
"There's no need to worry," Harm insisted, "That was a tragedy, a freak tragedy. It happened to people never deserve any of the bad things that happen to them, but it was beyond anybody's control."
"But this is Webb we're talking about," Mac pointed out, "His missions don't exactly have the best track record; the Nigerian Embassy, Paraguay."
"But neither do we," Harm pointed out too, "Flying in the Appalachians, both trips to Russia, the Watertown, Afghanistan."
"Those situations were already screwed when we arrived," Mac refuted.
"And this isn't, so we won't have anything to worry about. I'm sure that Webb has got everything in hand," Harm finished and Mac finally nodded.
"Yeah, okay, point taken."
"C'mon, let's get going," Harm encouraged, "Our baby's waiting."
They arrived at the park and sat down on the bench that had been designated the meeting point.
Webb came over to them with last minute preparations, a few minutes later, taking a seat beside them, dressed to blend in with the crowd.
"Everything's set," he told them, "Everyone's in place. Thing's should go fine. When your contacts arrive, hand them the money in this bag and wait until they hand the child over to you before you give us the signal to intervene and bust the exchange."
As he spoke, he fixed bugging devices under their jackets.
"And if they check us for bugs?"
"They won't, trust me. These aren't technology savvy villains. They're probably just desperate to get the money."
"I hope you're right, Webb," Harm told him, "They'll have a little girl at their mercy, if things go sour…"
"Don't worry, everything will go like clockwork," Webb maintained, "If anything un-towards happens, then I've got snipers in the trees."
At this, he indicated to the woods bordering the park.
"We'll have them down in a second."
However, Webb wasn't counting on the crowds that forced their way into the park, at that time of day. By quarter to three, once schools were out for the day and business establishments emptied as part of the lunchtime slump, the traffic through the park was thronging. Harm and Mac sat nervously, scanning the crowd for any sign of their contacts. By five-past three, they were fidgeting, nervously, after a further six minutes and twenty seconds, Mac began to despair.
"Something's happened," she fretted to herself, "Why aren't they here yet?"
Just then, one of their contacts approached them from behind, tapping Harm on the back.
As they both jumped and turned round, cautiously, the man commented, "It's a nice day for a stroll in the park, isn't it?"
He quickly spoke into the radio scanner receiver clipped to his sleeve, "We have contact, doctor."
Webb's earlier words circled through Harm's head.
"Just put the bag down on the ground," the man instructed them, taking a seat beside them.
They were joined by Sergei, whom they had never even noticed coming. The man seemed adept at slinking effortlessly through the crowd.
"Is Katya okay?" Mac asked him urgently, "She's still not showing symptoms, is she?"
"She is fine," Sergei assured her, "We were worried on Friday night, because she started wheezing, not too long after the illness was diagnosed in the other children. But she remained fever-free and doctors are very certain that it was just a twenty-four hour bug."
Inconspicuously and coolly, the man beside them on the bench beside them reached down and picked up the bag of money, reaching inside to quickly count it. Sergei suddenly beckoned at Harm and Mac to stand up. They did so, feeling panic rise in their throats, but trying to remain cool. Sergei quickly patted Harm down, obviously just making sure that he didn't have a weapon on him. He did the same with Mac, before turning to the man counting the money.
"It's all here," the man reported, "Shall I contact the doctor?"
Sergei nodded and the man did so.
"Looks like everything is in order, Mr and Mrs. Anderson. Soon you shall be on your way home with your daughter. Dr. Zebrovnik is just on his way here with Ekaterina."
At that second, Harm noticed a glint of light from the direction of the woods and mentally cursed.
'Shit!'
The glinting was from the lens of a sight, on the gun of one of Webb's marksmen. Harm hoped to God that neither Sergei nor the other contact noticed it. Sergei continued talking and Harm saw Mac catch sight of the glinting, out of the corner of her eye. Despite her cool exterior, Harm knew that her heart was probably going into freefall, just like his was.
A minute passed and neither man had noticed the glinting, although it was getting much worse, now. After a second, Harm spotted Dr. Zebrovnik's thin figure through the crowd, pulling a little figure with him by the hand.
Mac caught sight of them through the crowd just a second after Harm. Both jumped as the man on the bench leapt up and shouted out, obviously having twigged about the blinking light in the trees.
"It's a set-up!" he screamed at Sergei and the doctor.
"No!" Harm and Mac both jumped up from the bench, starting towards where the doctor was standing with Katya. Sergei and his henchman had a head start on them and though he had stopped in his tracks, Dr. Zebrovnik hadn't caught up on what was going on, yet.
Members of the crowd jumped into action, obviously part of Webb's task-force, but within a millisecond, Zebrovnik had caught up on what was happening and he had scooped Katya up, holding her to him as he reached into his inner jacket pocket and pulled out a small revolver. More CIA agents now emerged from the trees around the park, surrounding Zebrovnik and his men.
"Let me go!" he shouted at them threateningly, "I have a gun."
When nobody seemed to do anything, he reached up and pulled down the hood of the jacket obscuring most of his child-hostage's face. Katya's scared little face came into view and Harm and Mac found themselves pushing closer, in an effort to negotiate with Zebrovnik.
"I mean it!" the doctor continued to screech, insanely, "I will do anything it takes. I will not lose sleep over the loss of this child!"
At this, he lifted the revolver up and pressed it firmly against the child's head, making her scream. She was quiet for a second as she took a deep breath and then began to sob loudly, breathing rapidly and frantically.
"Back off," Mac shouted, then turned to Webb, to her right, "I said back off. That is my child he is holding. Back off, now!"
All of the agents hesitantly took a few steps back, but didn't lower their guns. Harm and Mac stayed where they were, as Harm began to contemplate just how they were going to negotiate with this maniac.
Zebrovnik was circling wildly, trying to keep an eye on all of the agents surrounding him. Little Katya was swinging around in his arms, still crying hysterically.
"Don't cry, baby," Mac spoke up, in Russian, "Mamma's coming to get you."
The little girl looked to her new Mother with teary eyes.
"Mamma!" she screamed, lifting her arms out, "Mamma!"
"Alright, baby, I know," Mac's heart broke as she tried to comfort her, "Mamma's coming for you just now."
"You will not get this child," Zebrovnik screamed at Mac, "Send me to jail and I'll make sure that you never see her again. Your only hope is if you let me go…Back off now and you can have her, but if not, I will not hesitate to blow her brains out, right here, in front of all these people."
Funnily enough, there were still many people around the park, despite the appearance of all of the armed CIA agents and the hostage situation. This really was a sick version of reality TV.
"Mamma! I want Mamma!" Katya continued to cry, then looked to Harm, "Papa! Help me!"
"We're coming, sweetheart," Mac told the child again, in Russian, "Mamma and Papa will get you. Don't cry baby, Mamma will get you..."
Harm ached to do something, but he knew the threat to Katya was too great.
"Webb," he shouted out, "I want your men to move back, now!"
"But Rabb…" Webb began to protest.
"NOW!" Harm cut him off, "He has a gun pointed at my baby's head! DO NOT antagonise him!"
Webb reluctantly gave the order and his people pulled back.
"Very smart," Zebrovnik complimented, "You are making the right decision. I appreciate your trust in me…"
"That was for my child, not you, you sick bastard," Harm spat at the man, "Now do as you want and just let Katya go."
"You'll get your child once I'm away, safely…"
"That's not what you said!" Harm shouted, "Let her go, then you can go."
"Absolutely not! What sort of idiot do you take me for? Katya here is my pint-sized insurance policy. You'll get her back when I'm safely away and not a moment sooner."
With this, all three men began to shuffle their way towards the park entrance, with Katya still being held at gunpoint, between Zebrovnik and the rifles.
"Mamma!" she screamed hysterically, kicking with all her strength, "Mamma! Mamma!"
"Don't cry baby!" Mac tried to soothe her, really starting to cry herself, now. She continued trying to get Katya to keep still, because there was a gun pointed at her, "Keep still! Mamma will come and get you, just try to be brave for now."
Harm and Mac watched in despair as the gunmen retreated with their daughter. They followed at a distance, with the CIA agents beside them. They lost sight of the men through the crowds for a second and that was all it took for the men to break away. They ran towards their car in the car park at the park's entrance, quickly climbing inside with the hysterical, screaming child and making their getaway with a screeching of tires and blast exhaust fumes. Where they were just breaking through the last of the crowds, Harm and Mac ran to Webb's car and they quickly sped away in pursuit.
OOOO
Webb put his foot down hard on the accelerator. He was trying his best to catch up to the hostage vehicle, but all of the traffic around him was not making it easy. Just then, they all heard the scream of sirens behind them and Mac looked back to see Russian police cars pull in behind them.
"Shit! Don't tell me…" Clay cursed vehemently, but quickly cut off, as the police cars overtook them and began to accelerate, now effectively clearing a path in front of them.
"Oh, at last!" Harm exclaimed in relief.
Maybe now they'd make some progress in catching up with the Zebrovnik's car. Minutes passed as they sped down the highway, then the walkie-talkie clipped inside Webb's jacket burst to life.
"Agent Webb…come in."
"Yeah, this is Webb," Clay spoke up, grabbing the walkie-talkie and keeping his attention fixed on the road in front of them.
"I can see smoke up ahead, Agent Webb. How shall we proceed?"
Harm and Mac's hearts both jumped into their throats. Surely not… Had Zebrovnik's car crashed?
"Pull up to the site where the smoke is coming from, be ready to protect the perimeter of the crash scene. I've got the child's parents here with me. I'll approach the scene myself."
"No, Webb…" Harm protested, "We want to make sure that Katya's okay…"
However, he was cut off, as the patrol car in front of them put on his brakes and slowed down, moving out into the outside lane. After a brief pause, he pulled onto the hard shoulder and came to a stop. Clay followed immediately behind him and before he was able to do anything, Harm and Mac bolted from the car.
"Mac, Rabb! Wait," Clay shouted, to no avail.
The first thing that Harm and Mac were aware of, they smelled burning petrol in the air. Harm looked up ahead of them to see skid-marks on the road. He and Mac immediately ran towards the area beside the road where most of the damage had been done to the surrounding shrubbery.
A police officer jumped out of his car, behind them.
"Be careful, Ma'am, Sir," he warned them, his Russian accent thick in the cold air, "The car skidded on black ice."
"The car went down the embankment?" Harm demanded, to which the officer nodded.
Harm and Mac carefully made their way to where the skid-marks left the hard shoulder and went down the embankment. By now, Webb had caught up with them, warning them, "Just be careful. You're no use to Katya if we're lifting you out on a stretcher."
Harm ignored him and took Mac's arm as they began to slide, carefully down the embankment. A huge amount of devastation and upheaval had been left in the wake of the car and by the damage patterns, Webb could tell that it had begun to roll, as they got a bit further down.
Suddenly, they began to see a large amount of smoke up ahead of them and Clay grabbed Harm and Mac with a hand on each of their shoulders.
"Stop," he told them, "Let the officer check it out, first. The car could be on fire."
"No," Harm and Mac protested, at the same time, but another pair of police officers joined them and helped Webb restrain them from going any further. The first police officer carried on alone, but he had hardly gone far when they were all blown back to the ground by the force of a huge, fiery explosion, as the car's gas-tank caught fire.
"NO!" Mac screamed as she hauled herself up to sitting and both she and Harm scrambled to their feet, running past the police officers on the ground and closer to the car.
Webb managed to catch up to them as the car came into sight and Mac screamed at the sight of the flames engulfing and smoke pouring from the car, "Katya!"
Harm tried to rush to the car, but the flames beat him back feet from it.
The car was lying on its roof and was badly bashed up, he could see, despite all of the smoke.
"Good God!" he thought to himself, "Could anyone really have survived that?"
Had they just unwittingly sent their baby to her death?
OOOO
AN: Sorry to end on such a cliffhanger. I'll post again tomorrow, so you don't have to wait a whole summer to find out how this one ends!