It was just before 0500 when the Helo landed on the White House lawn. Harm, Mike and Nate were whisked away by Marine guard detail and dragged into the White House. The corridors of the White House hung heavy with tension as they navigated them on their way to the Situation Room. Harm could feel the sweat start to trickle down from the back of hairline and down the back of his neck.
The doors to the room swung wide open and the Marines at the door saluted Harm as he and the group that was with him, entered the room. "Finally, the men with the information show up." The President greeted them.
"What do we know?" Malcolm Anderson questioned.
"Well, we know that Colonel Anatoly Zhermenev procured a canister of Cyclosarin for sale on to the Black Market. We know that three days ago he sold the canister to Yassir Faraz, which suggests the buy was set up in advance of the canister being secured." Mike started.
"I thought you three shut down Faraz's bank rolls last week?" Director Blake questioned.
"We missed one. An account in Monaco that wasn't big enough to raise any flags. We checked and that account was drained three days ago when the buy went down. Lucky for us, Zhermenev is a paranoid freak so he has surveillance around his house. We have proof of Faraz showing up for the buy." Mike continued.
"The AWACS from the Henry for the last three days are in and they show no convoys having moved in or out of the compound. That suggests that whatever it is, it's still there." Harm added.
"What are our options?" The President asked.
"Well sir, we could send in a Special Ops team but if this terrorist really does have a chemical nerve agent, he wouldn't hesitate to use it on our troops." The CNO spoke up.
"And gain his own martyrdom in the process." Deputy Director Reid added.
"We could, just level the entire compound." The CNO suggested.
"That would require assent from the Libyan government. Without that we would be at a de facto state of war with Libya." Harm added.
"We would also need to get serious international backing for this kind of operation. Otherwise, we'll just look like we acted without informing." Malcolm Anderson jumped in.
"Malcolm, the UN Security Council is about to meet in New York. Now, I've known Norman Wolfe, our Ambassador to the UN, for some time but Norman is no pit bull and that's what we need. I need a team that's going to sit in that chamber today in front of the Libyan Ambassador and the world and tell him that the United States isn't going to put up with this kind of apathy." The President commented.
"What are you saying, Mr. President?" Malcolm Anderson questioned.
"Recall Norman Wolfe for today, I'm sending Rabb and Ross in to pinch hit on this one." The President stated and Harm and Nate took on a looks of extreme surprise. "Don't look at me like you two just won the lottery. You know the info and you've got the killer instinct. I need a show of strength and you two are it."
"Does this mean that we're going with the bombing raid on the compound, sir?" Director Blake inquired.
"Depends, can anyone here give me a reason to believe that the Libyan government would assent to this?" The President looked around.
"I can, sir. We have a highly placed source in Tripoli that can influence the decision in our favour on this one." Mike stepped up to the plate.
"Are you talking about Aladdin?" Deputy Director Reid asked, leaning forward in his chair.
"That's exactly what I'm talking about, sir." Mike replied.
"Alright, Agent Bradley, you talk to your source. When we've got permission, Admiral Hudson, you'll give the order for the strike against the compound. Are we all clear on our orders?" The President questioned.
"Yes, sir." Seemed to chorus through the room.
"Alright; Mr. Bradley, you have to get out to Langley; Rabb and Ross, you two have to get to New York. Give my regards to the Secretary General and Mr. Ross please confine your curse words to English, if I'm going to laugh, I'd like to know why." The President dismissed the three men. None of them said any words until the walked out to the parking garage.
"Mike, when you're talking to Aladdin, tell him to keep his Ambassador in New York in the dark about everything that's going on." Nate instructed.
"Why?" Mike raised an eyebrow.
"Because the President just ordered me to be a pit bull. Someone's got to show the world what happens when you fall asleep at the switch and I'm going to make an example of the Libyan Ambassador to prove that point." Nate and Harm hopped into waiting limo while Mike jumped in a staff car headed for Langley.
"So, am I supposed to look like a diplomat or a Naval Captain today?" Harm questioned as the limo pulled on to Pennsylvania Avenue.
"Where your Blues. It looks the most like suit." Nate unslung his laptop carrying case from his shoulder and brought it to rest on his lap.
"We're dropping me off first, right? Because I need to pack for a trip to New York." Harm relaxed against the leather upholstery.
"Yeah, and try and manage a quickie with Meg before we head out again." Nate joked and Harm even smiled, however reluctantly, at that comment. "Don't worry about Sergei actually having to stand guard at the embassy. He's on reserve, they'll only call him if there's a riot."
"I never did thank you for that." Harm commented.
"Don't mention it. I was happy to help; the kid had a rough go what with a Chechen prison camp and all." Nate ran his hand over his hair.
"No, I mean I really do owe you. I act like a jerk before we leave and your first instinct was to get my brother the hell out of Chechnya. Not everyday I realize I have a friend whose willing to go to the wall and call in favours like that." Harm admitted.
"Just don't let him waste the opportunity to do something with his life now that he's here. I've got some friends at State who are scrambling to confirm his identity. Once they do, I've got the paperwork lined up to have him declared a naturalized citizen. Tell him, if he needs any favours, I'll call in every last one I've got to get him a chance at a good life." Nate offered with a yawn.
"You nervous about the council this afternoon?" Harm asked.
"You have to understand, every nation in the world sends their best bullshit expert to the UN and the best of the best sit on the Security Council. We have to sit in a room with them and pretend like none of them can touch us. Not only that, we have to lock on to one of them and blow his political career to shreds in order to prove a point when it comes to this war. None of what we're going to do this afternoon is taught in a political science course." Nate explained with a few small animated hand gestures.
"You make it sound as if what's going to be going on in the desert while we're doing this is just a symbol of what we'll be doing in that room." Harm's expression gained and additional gravity.
"In many ways it is. We're going to strike one very hard blow for the War on Terror today. Hopefully it's just the first of many." They were getting very close to Harm's neighbourhood now.
"You know, I was starting to miss investigating back at JAG, but there's a whole new thrill to the investigating we're doing now." Harm commented thoughtfully.
"We're here, Mr. Rabb." The driver called from the front seat.
"Thank you. See you in about ninety minutes, Nate?" Harm asked.
"Sure thing, give my best to Meg and Sergei." Nate replied as he closed the door behind Harm. Harm walked into the building and got into the elevator. He was tapping his feet incessantly. A lot had happened in the last few weeks. Hell, now Meg was back, his brother was on his way to becoming and American citizen and Mac………well, Mac and he were on what had to be the worst set of terms they had ever been on. He had always been able to call Mac a friend but after some of the words that they had exchanged, he wasn't so sure.
There quite a few times in the last week that he had considered calling Mac but there was little he could do now. She hadn't exactly been making his phone ring off the hook. Then again, he was the one who had gotten in the lion's share of verbal jabs on this one. He knew about Mac's weaknesses, her insecurities and save for mentioning her father or the bottle, he'd hit pretty much everyone of them. That wasn't what pissed Harm off the most. What pissed Harm off the most was that Mac and he just weren't talking, they had retreated into other people. He had Meg and Mac had Nate maybe not in exactly the same sense but he was certainly there for her……well, as much as he could be.
Nate. Now, there was a topic on which Harm had some really conflicting opinions. Sturgis was right. It was incredibly hard to hate the guy. He wasn't Brumby who had some seriously objectionable qualities, he wasn't Lowne who flaunted a shallow materialistic disdain for the military and their meagre pay practices and he wasn't Farrow who was preying on a vulnerable young girl. He was a bloody boy scout. He wasn't two dimensional, he was willing to make any sacrifice for the job, no price was too high and that's why it was hard to hate him. Because it was hard not to admire him.
The elevator reached his floor and Harm stepped through the door. He reached for the doorknob to his apartment to hear loud music coming from inside and he assumed the door was open. He turned the handle and opened the door to find Meg dancing a little while making breakfast and Sergei playing air guitar in the living room. "I'm home." He announced and Meg came rushing over from the kitchen.
"I missed you." She whispered as she wrapped him in a hug. "Next time, tell me when you're going into a war zone and bringing home family." Meg pouted. Harm softened up immediately.
"Brother, you need to get a room." Sergei called from the couch.
"You let him watch American TV didn't you?" Harm raised an eyebrow at Meg.
"We had to stop by my apartment for a few minutes to get some things and I came out to find him watching a late night phone sex infomercial." Meg was laughing cutely.
"It was wonderful, brother. The women in you country they are so…so…what is the word for it? Bouncy." Sergei smiled innocently.
"We stuck around for the first few minutes of a Baywatch rerun." Meg explained.
"Great, now my little brother thinks that America is the land of breasts." Harm rolled his eyes. "I have to go to New York."
"What? I talk the Admiral into giving me the day off and you have to leave? Tell me this isn't happening." Meg sounded exasperated.
"I'm going to be representing the United States at the UN Security Council this afternoon." Harm finished what he'd started to say before she interrupted them.
"I retract my previous statement. Wow, this is a great honour." She hugged him even tighter.
"As much as I would like to hang around here and continue this, the limo's going to be back soon and I would really like to shower and change before I have to confront the diplomatic corps at the United Nations." Harm started to walk off toward the bathroom, taking his shirt off as he walked. Meg whistled appreciatively as he disappeared from sight.
1819 ZULU
UNITED NATIONS
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK
"Speak with passion, remember, those men in there are as impressionable as any jury or any audience. Remember they don't have to like you they just have to respect you. Don't talk up to them or treat them like your superiors, they're not. Talk down to them if necessary. We're not here to win friends, we're here to convince a bunch of diplomats that we did the right thing by bombing a terrorist compound into the Stone Age." Nate was rambling.
"A little nervous, Nate?" Harm questioned turning toward his co-worker.
"No, why would you think that?" Nate was starting to breathe a little heavier.
"Because you've been acting like a chicken without a head." Harm replied and then Nate's phone went off.
"Ross…two hours ago?...complete success, you're sure?...AFMC teams are on the ground in Hazmat suits making sure……complete saturation……How's Aladdin working that telecom blackout to New York?...Perfect, thanks Mike." Nate closed his phone.
"We ready?" Harm asked.
"As we'll ever be." Nate replied as the two men stepped into the Security Council chamber. The two men walked down the long aisle and across a row at the centre of the room before setting up camp behind the little sign that read "UNITED STATES". They stood there and looked around the empty chamber. They both knew that in a few minutes, delegates and members of the press would be pouring through the doors that they had just entered through but right now, at this moment, there was no more gratifying feeling then to hold this domain as their own.
"This is oddly humbling." Harm remarked aloud. Soon after he said it, people began walking in from the corridors outside. Harm and Nate took their seats and set up their evidence in front of them. They had everything, right down to the surveillance tape of Zhermenev selling the canister to Faraz. Harm knew that they weren't trying Faraz, who was unquestionably guilty, rather they were putting the Libyan government and other apathetic governments on trial. And the court, was public opinion.
"This meeting of the United Nations Security Council will come to order." The President of the council pounded the gavel to bring the session to order. "It has come to the attention of the Council that the representative for the United States would like to hold the floor for a presentation of facts which concern the Security Council, are there any objections to this?" All the other delegates went silent, their eyes searching the room for possible objections. "Very well, the President yields the floor to the delegate of the United States."
Harm rose to his feet, it had been previously agreed that he would deliver the facts and Nate would field the questions. "Thank you, Mr. President. In the ninety-six hours since Monday morning, my colleagues and I have worked tirelessly to track down a canister of the chemical nerve agent Cyclosarin. The canister went missing from a Russian stockpile in a Russian Army compound near Groznyy sometime late Sunday night by out approximation. The Russian government cooperated fully with the United States in our search to gather information on the missing chemical. It was found that the terrorist Yassir Faraz purchased the chemical on the black market and had it shipped out of Russia to his camp in Libya. It greatly disturbs the government of the United States that the government of Libya would allow such a known terrorist to go unchecked in his use of their country as a breeding ground for his activities. Mr. President, I now yield the floor for questioning on this issue." Harm returned to his chair.
"The chair thanks the delegate for his remarks and would now hear questions from those members of the council wishing to question the findings presented to the council by the delegates of the United States." The President opened the floor. The Libyan delegate raised his hand to summon the attention of the chair. "I would call on the delegate of Libya to present his question."
"Thank you, Mr. President. I wish to know what right the American government believes it has in interfering in the affairs of my country." The Libyan Ambassador inflated his chest.
"A well known terrorist, with anti-American views and whose promised action against the American people takes possession of a canister of nerve agent and you have the nerve to question the right of the American government to apprehend this international criminal? The lives that might have been lost to a chemical attack might be inconsequential to you, Mr. Ambassador but I can assure you that the loss of those lives would have meant a great grief for the United States, one which we would do anything to spare our citizens of." Nate shot back.
"America believes it has the right to police the world!" The Libyan Ambassador spat back.
"America has to police the world because irresponsible governments like yours refuse to police yourselves. Now I've been on the phone for the better part of this day with people in your government making sure that you were aware that Faraz was in your country and you either chose to pretend like you didn't know or you didn't want the world to know that you in fact knew he was there all along!" Nate's voice rose in volume and intensity.
"What are you accusing me of, Ambassador Ross?" The Libyan delegate was seething.
"Ignorance, Mr. Ambassador. Either that or stupidity and in the current world climate, I'm not sure which should be the higher crime." Nate shot back and all eyes in the room were on him.
"The chair calls for order and recognizes the delegate from Germany." The President of the council cut off the dispute.
"Mr. President, I would just like to voice Germany's outrage at the apathy exhibited by the government of Libya in their inability to keep track of such a dangerous man within their borders." The German Ambassador stated. In succession, delegates from India, Brazil, Britain, France, Turkey and Japan all voiced similar opinions and after a few more hours of debate, the meeting was adjourned. Harm and Nate were the men of the hour in that room. They shook hands with everyone, even the Libyan Ambassador showed a grudging respect for his fellow political gladiators.
Harm and Nate were invited to a dinner at Tavern on the Green by the British delegation, an invitation that they accepted out of professional courtesy. Then they made their way through the corridors of the UN building on their way to the car. "Won't their cooperation today with the strike exonerate the Libyans?" Harm enquired.
"Almost the opposite, it'll be seen as an act of redemption. If they acknowledge that they knew about Faraz ahead of time, then they're admitting that they did nothing about him and if they admit that they didn't know where he was while he was in their country and we covered that angle by accusing them of ignorance today." Nate answered.
"Sir, the President wishes to speak with you." One of the aids from the American office handed Harm a phone.
"Sir?...Thank you, sir, we did our best……that is high praise indeed, sir, I'll pass along the word to Nate……Larry King, sir? I'm not sure about that, Nate's really more the political type…..well, sir, we're having dinner with the British delegation tonight……yes, sir, we'll call ZNN New York if we can make it……goodbye, sir." Harm handed the phone back to the aid.
"Well?" Nate questioned.
"The President is through the roof. ZNN wants us on Larry King tonight, they're scrambling to find out who we are and why they weren't prepared for what happened today. The President neutralizing this threat is a dream for the American war effort." Harm was beaming a major smile.
"Alright, let's get in the limo and check ourselves into a hotel. We're going to be in New York over night." Nate gave Harm a pat on the back.
2403 ZULU
TAVERN ON THE GREEN
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK
Harm and Nate were shown over to the table by the Maitre D and they were greeted by the members of the British delegation along with the German and Indian UN Ambassadors. "I hope you do not mind but we arrived early and had them bring over more bread." The British Ambassador commented.
"Not a problem. We were a little late, Captain Rabb seems to have forgotten that watches work no matter where in the world you are." Nate joked as he leaned into the centre of the table.
"That performance that the two of you gave in the chamber today was most impressive, if a little rough around the edges. Were you two personally tied to the investigation?" The Indian Ambassador was now doing the questioning.
"We just knew the facts of the case. The President thought that we were the best two man team for the assignment and he put us on it." Harm replied.
"I have not seen either of you before. You, Captain, are obviously a Naval officer and we don't get many of them around here. Your insignia bears that of the JAG corps so my guess is that you were called in for expertise in international law, correct?" The German Ambassador questioned.
"It's my field, but I like to think I bring certain other talents to the table." Harm retorted.
"But you, Ambassador Ross, you were not on Ambassador Wolfe's team so I was most intrigued to see the President calling in a hired gun for this assignment. When I found out how high up your position was at the State Department I was sure that the President wanted someone he could trust. Who of course is more trustworthy then the son of the nation's former top Marine officer, yes?" The German Ambassador raised his eyebrows.
"Well, I would like to think that the President trusts me because I've proven myself to be among the top members of his diplomatic corps rather then because of who my father may or may not be, Ambassador Fischer. But enough about today's events, we were all there, there's no need to analyze them to death." Nate called over the wine steward and ordered himself a glass.
The night dragged on and there were anecdotes and jokes exchanged. Cigars were smoked around the table and the order of the night seemed to shift from diplomacy to peace and friendship. The laughs were boisterous and the wine flowed freely. By 2200, the group dispersed. Harm and Nate were relatively sober, having consumed very little wine themselves. They walked out of the restaurant and out to the limo. "You think that the President is going to be pissed off that we didn't make it to ZNN New York?" Harm asked.
"No, he knows that we've had a long day. Right now, I just want to go back to the hotel and pass out on the bed, maybe leaving a wake up call for the year 2007." Nate lulled his head back against the seat in the limo.
"We did good work today, didn't we?" Harm questioned.
"Yeah, yeah we did." Nate admitted drowsily.
"You were right, Nate. Every negotiation is just like an interrogation. I could see the Libyan delegate seizing up as we laid into him. He knew that he had it. I mean when you really laid into him, I thought he was going to fake a heart attack just to end the session right then and there." Harm laughed lightly. "I still can't believe you told the man that he was either ignorant or stupid and that being either was in his case, criminal."
"Hell, I just can't believe that the President didn't threaten to remove me from the chamber for that remark." Nate yawned as the limo pulled up to the curb in front of the hotel. The two men got out of the car and walked into the hotel. Nate turned his cell on for the first time since he walked into the Security Council chamber earlier in the day and noticed that he had two missed calls, both from the same number.
Harm and Nate parted ways to go into their separate hotel room and Nate dialled back the number that had called him earlier in the day. "MacKenzie" The voice came on the other end of the line.
"This is Ambassador Nathan Ross." Nate replied in his best official sounding voice.
"Chemical weapons? That's what you were chasing around Russia wasn't it?" Mac charged.
"Yeah, yeah it was. But we got the guy, Mac. We got him good and Harm and I were able to show the world that apathy is no longer an option when it comes to letting these guys live inside national borders." Nate's enthusiasm fired up again.
"So, are you heading home tomorrow?" Mac questioned.
"Yeah, why do you have plans for me that I should be made aware of? I thought we were going running on Sunday?" Nate asked.
"We are, but you save thousands of Americans, I think you deserve something extra." Mac replied in a cute tone.
"So, we're going running tomorrow too, then?" Nate smiled weakly.
"I was going to suggest heading out to Quantico and having you teach me how to shoot long range." Mac started. "But, if you'd rather run, I suppose…"
"No, no, shooting's good." Nate compensated.
"Good." Mac chuckled.
"Why don't you come pick me up at the airport, I'm sure Harm would like to know that you're proud of him to." Nate's bold streak was running heavy. There was silence on the other end of the line.
"I don't know, Nate." Mac dragged out the words.
"Come on, Mac. He's still your friend, right?" Nate goaded.
"Yeah." Mac replied.
"Be proud of him as a friend then." Nate suggested.
"What time do you touch down at Andrews?" Mac responded, showing that she'd given in.
"1045, see you then?" Nate asked.
"Yeah, see you then." Mac replied before cutting the connection.
1545 ZULU
ANDREWS AFB
MORNINGSIDE, MARYLAND
Harm and Nate laboured down out of the Leer jet and on to the tarmac at Andrews. Mac and Meg were both waiting on the tarmac for them. There was some light exchange between the two, mostly work related but they both were just killing time before the jet landed.
Harm and Nate went walking over to their two person reception on the tarmac. "Where's Sergei?" Harm asked Meg.
"Still discovering American TV, he loves The Simpsons." Meg commented as she pulled Harm in for a tight hug.
"You did good work, Harm. I'm proud of you." Mac admitted and it was true, she was proud of him but she didn't think she should have to be the one to initiate first contact, not after all the things he had said.
"Thanks Mac, that means a lot." Harm was tense, since the sort of communication cut off had been going since the ball, he was sure that Mac would rather cut off a part of her anatomy then be the first to talk. "But you, you just had to play chicken with the UN Security Council." Mac pointed a taunting finger at Nate who merely smiled in response.
"I like to live dangerously." He replied as he and Mac climbed into the car and headed off for Quantico.