Hope everyone is having a happy holidays!
Jackie

PS: The plot thickens. :D

PART 28 – Helluva Hero

1852 Local
Mac and Harm's Home
San Diego, California

"Babe?" Harm said, stepping into the house with a deep sigh. It was nice to be home after a few days of supersonic duty. Yes, flying was fun, it always would be, but nothing beat coming back to her. "Mac?"

"Upstairs." She yelled over the soft rock that was loudly playing out of the radio. "In the office." He took the steps two at a time, curious as to why she didn't come down to greet him. When he stepped inside things were very much the same save for a rather large and beautiful armoire where two shelves once stood. "Hey." Mac said gently, then wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing his head down for a deep kiss.

Holding her body flush to his, Harm swore there was nothing better than coming home to this woman. Flying wasn't even a match for her, not anymore. "Hey yourself." He nodded towards the armoire without taking his eyes off of her. "What's that?"

With an impish grin, she released herself from him and beckoned him over to the furniture. "Give it a tug and find out." After doing so, Harm discovered that the 'furniture' was more than just a nice decorative piece, on the inside was a bed which was completely concealed. "You never told me what you wanted to do with this room. . .Mattie's gonna want to come home eventually and we gave the sofabed to goodwill in favor of having two desks." She trailed off, turning to him in search of approval.

"You did this for Mattie, Mac?"

From her vantage point she couldn't read his eyes, for that matter, his tone didn't leave a barometer for her to figure out what he was feeling. "Well, for you and her. . .I did it for me too." With a sigh, she turned to him, sadly accepting the one thing in life she couldn't have. "I can't have kids. . .I mean, I can try, but, chances are that will lead to nothing." Wistfully, she turned to the armoire, running her hand gently on the wood. "I always wanted a little girl. . .I always wanted to decorate her room with pink bunnies and ballerinas. I don't think that Mattie would go for the whole pink bunnies and ballerinas thing." She said with a half laugh, then shook her head. "This is the next best thing. . .Unless you want to decorate this room completely for her, then I am all for that too. . .This piece is beautiful and it's somewhere for her to sleep whenever she comes by to stay." Nothing, he still hadn't reacted. "Say something."

He shook his head. The woman never ceased to amaze him. "As much as I want to believe she'll come home and stay home, that isn't going to happen. . .No pink bunnies and ballerinas are needed, this is perfect." Grinning, he turned towards her, then lowered the bed and sat down on it to 'test' it. "Hmm, comfy, actually."

"That's because I bought a separate mattress for it, the original one sucked." Chuckling, she slapped his hand away when he pulled her down to him. "Harm, we're not going to do ANYTHING on this mattress, you got me, Sailor?"

His grin went up to full wattage. "You said mattress but you didn't say anything about the bed itself."

Mac ignored the way his eye brows bounced up and down suggestively. Instead, she took his hand and nearly yanked him out of the bed. "No, Captain." Pushing him to the side she put away the mattress, locked up the armoire and then took his hand. "Oh, stop pouting, our bed is bigger."

Yup, that was one thing he couldn't argue about.

Later, much later, sated after their love making, Harm made it downstairs and whipped up a quick dinner which they were having on the deck outside. "Weather's starting to change." He said conversationally as he stared up at the skies. It was a beautiful night, the moon was full and it seemed as if you could just reach out and touch the stars.

"It's a beautiful night." She said with a sigh, then stood up. "I'll be right back, there's something you need to see." This couldn't wait any longer, especially with him back in town. In Pensacola, Mac felt Harm was safe, but back in San Diego, no. Not at all. She took the file folder off of the kitchen table, then gave it to him once she stepped outside. "I didn't want to ruin tonight, but. . .it was found in JLSS."

"So? It's my file." It really didn't occur to him that there was no reason for anyone to have a file on him. "What's the big. . .Oh." As he paged through, Harm realized her concern was warranted. Silently, he went over the papers, waiting for the punch line that never came. This was real, too real. "Some of this. . .I couldn't tell you, Mac. You realize that. . . right?"

She waved him off. "I'm not upset. . .Well, not in that sense. I am upset you went through some of that. . .Do you know how scared I was when I learned you joined the CIA?" Nervously, she wrung the napkin on her lap, then tossed it on the table. "Why does Jarvis want to know so much about you? What does he want?"

Why? Well, he thought he knew, but now he wasn't so sure. "It's obvious this is a little more than him just getting back at you, don't you think?" Standing, Mac stepped towards the railing and leaned against it. "I mean, maybe he's working for someone else?"

Woah, talk about hitting the nail on the head. "Who?"

"An old mark? An old client? I love you, but you sure can piss people off sometimes, you know."

Despite himself, Harm couldn't help but chuckle. "Yea, I know. . .Gunny should be back on his feet soon, you could. . ."

"I have. . .He and Mike are looking into things, and even they're coming up empty. . .Jarvis has disappeared, period. . .it's like he fell off the face of the planet." Harm made to speak, but Mac pointed at him. "Do not tell me it will be alright. . .I am TIRED of hearing that it will be alright. Tell me the truth, that you don't know."

"Alright. . .I don't know."

"You should, damnit!" She yelled, jumping off of the railing and launching herself towards him. She was sick of this, of waiting for some other shoe to drop. Was she blaming Harm? No, but he was the easiest target at the moment. "You should know and you should worry. . .Damnit, sometimes I can't get a single emotion from you."

Harm stared at her as if she'd grown six heads. "I am not emotional? What the hell was that today then? And everything that has happened since we got together? It's been emotional! I've told you what you wanted to hear, haven't I? What the hell else do you want from me?"

"This! For you to not to be passive about things that bother you because you feel you need to protect me. . .I'm a Marine god damnit, I want to hear the worst even if that's the only news you have. . .I don't want it sugar coated. I don't want to hear that it will be alright when you know that it won't."

He had been sugar coating it, not only for her, but for himself as well A skewed reality was often better than the truth. As he sat quietly the wording on his file seemed to blur and distort, so much history, so much life, so many things that both meant something and nothing to someone like Jarvis. What did he want? What was he looking for? "This is overwhelming."

"Yea, tell me about it." She said with a huff, then plopped back down on the seat across from him. "Harriet bumped into it and I was. . .to say the least, surprised at what I read."

"You went through it?" He was surprised, figuring the word 'Classified' would turn most away. "All of it?" She nodded. "Did anyone else see it?"

She shook her head 'no.' "Harriet took a quick peak, but I'm the only one that sat through the whole zillion and two pages." Tenderly, she reached across the small table and took his hand. "You really are a hero, Harm. . .Not that I doubted it, but. . .the things you've done."

For the most part, he hated being deemed a 'hero.' As far as he was concerned, there was nothing heroic about doing the duties you were sworn to do. "Hey, you did your own heroic deeds, Mac. . .That meritorious medal is a sign of it."

"Not like you."

He tilted his head to the side. "Jealous?"

"No. . .Proud. . .I'm proud of you." She smiled genuinely. "I'd never thought, in a million years, I was worthy enough to be with someone like you."

"That goes both ways you know." He gave her hand a squeeze. "I don't want to hear different, Mac. . .You're. . .amazing." The magic which always took them did so now. Sometimes, like now, it was so strong that it felt like the first time. Leaning in, it seemed like forever before their lips touched. The kiss was gentle at first and then full of passion.

It was Mac that broke the magic. "Before this gets too serious. . .What are we going to do about this?" She pointed at his file.

Harm sighed, she probably wasn't going to like the answer, but she wanted the truth and that's what he would give her. "Nothing. . .We sit and wait. Eventually, he'll come to me, I suppose."

"I don't like that. . .But, I guess we don't have a choice." Frowning, she removed her hand from his and then looked back into the night. "What about Quinn? How did that go?"

Ah, but even when things were bad, there tended to be a light at the end of the tunnel. "He agreed to help out. . .In fact, he's getting some of his crew to dig up the details on Patterson which means I am out of the direct line of fire."

"So is this finally going to wrap up soon?" She asked with a twinkle in her eye. "I mean, you aren't going to give me another 'it will wrap up in a week' and have it last another month are you?"

Harm chuckled. "So, you noticed that too, huh?" He was too happy to note that this time it would wrap up soon. "Shouldn't take long at all. . .I just need an edge, once I have that. . .It's over."

Over.

Over.

Yes, but fate was sometimes the cruel mistress. This time, that mistress came in the form of a phone call. "Rabb." Mac waited, impatiently. She wanted to wrap this conversation and lay down, to sleep with the man she loved. "What?" His voice, filled with shock and concern struck her as odd. "When? Oh God. . .Yes. Yes, I understand. . .Did he leave something for me? Anything at all?. . .Thank you Warden. . .You too." He stared at the cell phone for a moment, holding it away from him as if it were an offending object.

Angrily, he slammed the phone on the table, then stood up so quickly the chair fell away from him. "Damnit. . .God damnit, why is this happening to me!" Before she could ask, he spilled the information, his voice above a whisper. "Randy Quinn is dead. . .Supposedly he hung himself in his cell with the bed sheets."

He couldn't help the way his body was shaking with anger. "This wasn't a suicide, Mac. . .She did it. . .That bitch got to him! I know she did. . .I promised him that I'd keep him safe."

When she walked up in front of him and opened her arms, Harm crashed into them. "It'll be alright, Harm." Now who was the person trying to pacify things.

"I'll have to go back in and finish it. . .This won't be alright." Harm stepped away from her, leaving her arms open until she dropped them to her sides. "I don't want to do this with Manda anymore." He shook his head fiercely, his body still shaking from rage. "I can't. . .I'm afraid of what I'd have to do. . ."

"Then stop. Cut your losses and back away." Reaching out she turned him to face her, then placed her hands on his face. "Let it go before it kills you. . .Can't you see that every time you go to her. . .when you come back there's a little less of you?" She'd noticed subtle changes in him but never said anything, trusting that he knew what was going on. Trusting that it was just a wall he needed to put up in order to survive the job. He seemed surprised that she would mention it, for the life of him, the only thing he wanted was for her not to get hurt. "Just stop, please."

Then the words she didn't want to hear came out, loud and clear. "I can't. . .I just can't."

Her hands dropped away from his face. "Why. . .What's so damned important that it risks us?" That was the one thing she'd been wanting to ask since he'd revealed the involvement (or lack their of) with another woman. Clearly, this was not just a case. It wasn't just a job, it was something that stemmed much farther than that.

The reasons were simple, in short, but quickly got complicated when all of the players were involved. "Anne Louise Templeton." He said gently, then leaned against the railing with a sigh. "She was a thirty three year old mother of sixteen year old twins. . . Her parents abandoned her when they found out she was pregnant, so did the boyfriend and ever since it's just been her, the kids and a friend." Mac didn't know where this was going, but chose, wisely, to remain silent until he finished the story.

"Anne Louise came to me late last year. . .Apparently Daniel, her son, had been caught using cocaine in school and was suspended as a result. . .Well, the dealer he got it from soon started threatening him and before anyone knew, Daniel was pushing them on other kids. They stuck him in Juvie for a few months, but when he came out. . .Things were far worse. . . He got involved with the wrong crowd and it wasn't too long before he was found tossed in an alley with two shots to the chest." He remembered speaking to Anne Louise back then, it was a frantic call from a mother who wasn't getting answers from the police. She was someone that needed real help from real people, it didn't matter how much it cost or what it took.

"The cops didn't want to help her out. . .It was just another drug related shooting. Little did we know that the real reason for their lack of involvement had to do with one of them working directly with Randy Quinn and Manda Patterson. . .We didn't find that out until much later, though."

"Gunny and I managed to nail the cop, but, in the process, Anne Louise decided to take matters into her own hands. . .For her troubles, both she and Sandra, her daughter, were shot and killed. . .That's when things got personal for us. . .They shouldn't just die in vain. . .And those bastards couldn't remain out there. So we went after them. Almost a year later and things. . .I need to keep the promise I made to her. . .I owe it to her and to her kids. . .I need to stop Manda. . .I know it's futile, that the moment she disappears some other creep will appear, but I can't go back on that promise, Mac. . .I can't."

"Finish it." Despite how much she despised his dealings with Manda Patterson, Mac knew Harm and how much this would eat him up until it's done "Finish it and get back with your life and your work."

"My work?"

Mac nodded. "Mike told me that cases have been slacking because of this. . .So has your profits. . .It's understandable. But, you need to finish this."

The sincerity overwhelmed him. "I'll finish this for you, Mac."

"I don't want you to finish it for me. . .I want you to finish this for you."

His head hung low as thoughts of his last encounter with Manda played in his head like a movie. It was hard to admit, but that woman was far more powerful than he'd estimated. "Maybe I've been too greedy when it comes to her."

"How so?"

"I've been all or nothing. . .I haven't really considered that it would be easy to just find some information and let the investigative team do the rest." Well, he had considered it, but, as a control freak, he felt the need to be the person taking the risks, damn the consequences. As a PI, Harm had all the resources, more so than those available to the police. Through underground markets he'd been able to secure pretty high tech equipment.

Equipment. He had it all, some of which he'd never even used. Now, like a lightening bolt, an idea struck him. With a little bit of help, he could get all that he needed and then some. "I have an idea." He kissed her soundly, then moved around, attempting to enter the house when Mac's hand wrapped around his forearm. "Mac?"

"I want to help." She held him steady, breathing deeply as the idea of the undertaking made her shake nervously. It was difficult not to think of the last two times when she had 'helped' and how badly that club incident had gone. But this time, if it meant saving Harm from his own demons, then she would do anything. Anything. "Let me help you."

Hearts rarely lied and though his was screaming for him not to agree, Harm's judgment, or lack their of, took over. "Okay." Pulling her inside, they went to the office and Mac waited patiently as he dug out information on her. "Quinn didn't tell me much this time around, but when he thought I was one of them, I overheard a discussion about something going down around this time of the year. . . Considering she's now living on a yacht. . .Maybe she's using the water?"

"Tides are at their highest around this time of the year. . .Few and few people are boating. The Coast Guard doesn't have too many vessels out either. Remember, in the paper they said that they were closing several Southern California Coast Guard bases due to budget cuts."

Harm's eyebrows hit his hairline. For the life of him, he hadn't thought about that at all. With less men out in the water it was easier to make a run from San Diego to Mexico and back without being seen. "She's got a twin engine, four person Zodiac on the stern of that yacht. . .It's. . ."

"Perfect." She completed his sentence with a huff. "Then it's time to get to work."

2012 Local
Manda Patterson's Yacht
San Diego, California

Mac sat inside the 'company car' with her binoculars focused to the figure (Harm) walking through the maze of docks. "Alright, MacKenzie. . .Just pretend this is war." And it was, in a way, just like reconnaissance for some military operation. She was, after all, covering his six should something go wrong. Reaching under the passenger's seat, she pulled out a hard case and brought it to her lap. Rolling the combination numbers into place a soft 'click' insured that the case had been successfully opened. She pressed down on the handle and lifted the top to reveal a shiny, blue and silver, 45 pistol. It was hers, purchased at a gun show in the beginning of the year because she found it to be 'pretty.' Ah, Marines.

Taking the binoculars, she cursed loudly as Harm's figure disappeared. "Damnit, Rabb, where did you go?" She scanned to the left and then to the right. "Where are you?" She scanned again to no avail. "Alright, if you make it out of this, I'm going to kill you myself." Almost as if on queue, Harm came back into sight, several of the yachts had been obscuring his trajectory to the yacht. Switching the setting on the binoculars, she chose to use the night vision mode along with a higher power zoom to see Manda Patterson standing in the lower level of the yacht.

The woman was beautiful and not in a conventional way. She didn't seem like the type to be involved in narcotics, but more like a business woman, a lawyer even. Now, after taking a real good look at her nemesis, Mac couldn't really blame Harm for enjoying the kisses between the two of them. She still didn't like it, but she could afford to cut him a little bit of slack.

For safety reasons, Harm had decided not to go in wearing a wire, it was pointless and Patterson's goons would surely find it on him anyway. As for weapons, he had none, at all, much like every single moment he stepped foot near that woman. He'd also made Mac swear not to do anything stupid, like rescue him. Any odd behavior should be reported to the authorities. He hoped she would abide by that, but doubted it sincerely. "Hello there, Sailor." Manda called to him from the gangway.

Harm froze slightly, hoping that the 'sailor' comment was just a coincidence, it had to be. It didn't help that he was nervous as hell, perhaps because Mac was so near by, but his insides were churning as he ran up the gangway, taking Manda in his arms. "Hey baby." He kissed her the way he would Mac, pouring every ounce of himself into it.

To her credit, Mac didn't cringe out lout over the exchange. She simply swallowed down the bile that had risen and decided to focus on the goons that were standing behind Manda. As Harm had told her, the two proceeded to do their normal 'check up,' patting him in places that only a significant other would dare touch. Pressing a button, the binoculars zoomed in further, it's display telling her how many feet away the target was. "These things are so cool." She said out loud, not that she hadn't played with 'cool' military equipment before, but this was far from a military operation. Mac didn't even want to consider where Harm must have found some of his PI toys. "Alright, flyboy, let's get the show on the road."

Setting her internal alarm clock for no more than one hour from then, Mac sat back and waited. It was all up to him now. "If you actually are able to hear our prayers. . .Keep your son safe." She said, glancing up to the skies. Once she'd believed Harm Sr. was watching over his son it wasn't too difficult to ask him to protect Harm now.

Manda's goons went through their usual routine, patting Harm down in places he'd rather not have another man touch. "You know, baby, this is getting kinda old. . .Don't you trust me?" He offered a sexy grin, hoping it would be a negotiating pattern. If he couldn't find the information tonight, then he and Mac would have to try again another night, preferably one where he wasn't patted down so thoroughly. And yet, they missed something, a tiny flash drive that was hidden inside the heel of his shoe. It would be enough to get the information out of her computer. His other heel held three tiny devices that he would attach to the computer and leave. The pieces could survive for years without anyone really noticing it. One blended in as part of the keyboard attachment but was anything of the sort. The device took note of keystrokes. The second attached to the monitor and took 'pictures' of whatever was displayed at any given time. The third was a similar device to the monitor's, but kept track of any documents that were printed.

Something had to work. He couldn't keep going on this perpetual limbo, not when he had his relationship with Mac to worry about. "I've had men say that they love me in order to take what doesn't belong to them, Jack. . .Don't take it personal." Manda leaned into Harm, kissing him lightly on the lips, then ordering her goons to step aside and let him join her in the closed deck above. "C'mon, hot stuff. . .I have dinner waiting for us upstairs."

Harm grinned. "All alone this time?"

"You haven't given me a reason to worry." She lied easily, but for the most part she was correct. Harm had been perfect, so much so that she could get used to having him around. What would it take to turn him? Money? She had plenty of that. Then again, she doubted that money would be the kicker if anything Jarvis had said was right – it was time to use his woman. "Jacques, champagne please and then leave us alone, we can serve ourselves."

Jacques, the on staff waiter nodded his understanding and then finished tending to the table before heading downstairs to the servants quarters. "You have very good help, Manda, I am impressed."

"Yes, they are quite good. . .And very quiet about my ongoing." Course, the reason why Jacques and two other staff members were so quiet, might have to do with a freak accident involving a knife and the severing of Jacques' tongue. People just weren't so chatty when they were missing that part of their anatomy. "So, how've you been? I've missed you, you know."

Harm sighed. "I've been good. . .Tired, but good. . .Lots of work. The usual." Casually, he took a sip of the champagne, finding an odd, bitter flavor in it but realizing it was a bit too late to do anything about it now. If she drugged him he would have to play it cool, pretend there was nothing wrong. Mind over matter. "I had fantasies about you." Uh huh, funny how those fantasies were only about a certain Marine Colonel, but little lies, in this case, didn't hurt. "Fantasies of you beneath me. . .Above me. . ."

"Mmmm. . .Quite risqué."

"You better believe it." He pretended to sip again from the champagne. Whatever it was worked pretty quickly, he noticed. Fire, his veins were starting to feel like they were on fire. Hoping to make the flames subside, he reached for a strawberry and then another.

Manda watched with a sadistic amusement. "Funny, because the last times you've been here, it seemed to me that you were less than willing to be intimate with me. . .Or are you some incurable romantic that needs things with the little lady to be. . .oh, immaculate?"

It was almost impossible not to laugh hysterically at her comment and yet, he pulled it off. There was nothing immaculate about Manda Patterson. Nothing. "I wouldn't say 'incurable romantic' but I do have standards as to who I do or don't sleep with. . .I'm not a whore and neither are you." But, he wasn't sure about either of those comments. The things he'd done in order to get this far had an air of him pimping himself. And while sex hadn't EVER been a factor, it really didn't matter what he was getting out of it. Manda, well he knew a thing or two about her methods of business. Having sex with a client or a company CEO to get what she wanted was wildly rumored. He wouldn't put it past her either, rumors or not.

Sexy grin in place, he leaned forward and took a hand of hers in his, kissing the back of it. "You are special, Manda. . .And I want to be part of that. . . What can I do to prove myself to you? I need you. . .You need me." God, if he bullshitted anymore, he'd have to be pulled out of it by a winch.

She nodded. "Need's a funny thing. For instance. . ." Trailing off at that point did a little more than just worry Harm. There was something in her eyes he hadn't exactly seen before. It was as if she knew something he didn't. God, what had he gotten himself into? "For instance. . .I need a pilot. You're a pilot aren't you?"

Was he? Harm didn't know. Yes, he knew that Harmon Rabb Junior was a pilot but who exactly was Jack MacKenzie? And what did he do? "I ah. . .No, I don't fly. . .Planes scare the crap out of me." It really didn't help that his response was so shaky and unsure. That hole was getting deeper now, way deeper.

Manda wasn't buying it, not in the least, but it was still fun making him squirm. "Really? I would think that, as a former Tomcat pilot, you would be more comfortable in plane. . . Captain Harmon Rabb Junior. . .You're a helluva hero."

To his credit, Harm didn't squirm, didn't turn beet red. But, coming up with an explanation to what she knew was true was going to be just a little more difficult. 'God, Mac. . .I'm sorry.' He thought with remorse.