A/N: I've finished Chapter 28 but I'm having some creative problems with some storylines, I'd like to get at least to Chapter 38 before ending the story. I've only got three storylines after Chapter 28; please bear with me if my updates aren't the most regular after I post it.
Jim Grant sat in his house on the base. He'd wanted to drink tonight but he couldn't. He never drank while he was in the field. It had been only since becoming a JAG that he drank and never to excess, only one or two. He couldn't smoke either, one cigar a day was enough for him and he only rarely even smoked that. "Can't drink, can't smoke that only leaves…"
"Sex." The familiar female voice jarred him back to reality.
"Angie? What are you doing here?" Jim's voice was suddenly racked with concern.
"I'm counter-intelligence now, remember? I can find out pretty much anything I want to. The Admiral told me you were on assignment, an assignment whose importance is all that's being talked about in Marine circles at the Pentagon. You could get yourself killed down here, stud." She smiled and sat in his lap.
Jim lifted his hand to her cheek turned her face toward him. "Angie; sweet, beautiful Angie. God, what happened to our Corps that I even have to be here?"
"You're doing your duty. That was originally what worried me about us. I wasn't sure if you were keeping me alive because of your oaths to God, Country and Corps or because when you looked at me, you felt what I did. You're a good and decent man, but the problem is that you never asked anything for yourself. You gave whatever was asked of you and took whatever was given." She spoke to his very soul, she knew he was a good man. To her, he was like Bob Cratchit, a man content with being lorded over by the Scrooges of the world. "What is it that you want?"
In his forty-two years, no one had ever asked him that. His whole life had been about what people were willing to give him and that was fine. She shifted in his lap so that his arms were around her waist and her back was against his chest. She could feel warm, hesitant breaths on the back of her neck. "Angie, no one has ever asked me that." His reply was heart-felt and honest.
"I figured; I'm asking you now, what is it you want? There is no country, no Marine Corps, none of the things that complicate matters. You, James Grant have the chance to ask one thing of the world and have it granted to you. What is it?" She felt his arms encircle her and pull her tight into him.
"To open my eyes and see you every morning. To see you before I close them every night. To finally have the chance to find solace in something other than my job for the first time since I was sixteen." He was being honest, not just with her but with himself. He'd been married but Nikki was more in love with the idea of him than him. In Nikki's eyes he was this tin soldier that was hers to play with when she wanted him but he had never admitted that to himself until that moment.
He broke in that moment, everything that had ever been true in his life, all the illusions and walls that he had built around himself over the years had come crashing down, leaving him bare, vulnerable and unprotected. He clung to her and she cradled his head with her shoulder. "I've only ever been in love the way you're supposed to love another person, with you. I know it sounds wrong and I know that it's hard to believe but you know me, Angie. No one else I've ever known has taken the time to do that."
"You are the sweetest man I've ever met. I'll never know how you kept me alive in Albania but you did. You kept me alive, you kept me fed and you kept me going and all the while you managed to make me feel safe and cared for." She placed her hands on his. "I fell madly in love with you because for the first time, this tough Texas girl broke down and even though I still tried to be tough, you knew that I needed to be cared for and it didn't matter how much you were bleeding, you were going to care for me." She leaned back and kissed his cheek. "For the first time in your life, James Grant, you will get what you want. I will be there when you open your eyes in the morning and when you close them at night."
0137 ZULU
UNKNOWN LOCATION
JACKSONVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA
Harmon Rabb was being guided by Pierce and Graves through the brush to place where this meeting was supposed to take place. Tonight, he was going to find out exactly how much of the base had been infected by this racist poison. All he wanted was to get back to DC, back to trying to build a life with his Sarah. He stumbled through the brush to a clearing. There were no cliché white robes and burning crosses, no swastika tattoos and you'd have to look hard to find any semblance of the stars and bars in the immediate vicinity.
He saw Captain Hurst and Lieutenant Colonel Benton and his suspicions along with the Admiral's were confirmed. The whole Force Recon structure at LeJeune was corrupt from the top down. Along with Hurst and Benton there were a few other members of the Second Force Recon Company. The only thing that put Harm's mind at ease was that Master Sergeant Andrews wasn't here, it meant that Jim at least had someone in the platoon besides himself that he could count on.
"Alright, we all know why we're here. General Walsh felt the need to give Force Recon another kike X.O, God only knows why. Anyway, Major Goldstein is causing some real problems, I can't have some Jew running a bunch of perfectly good Aryan Marines into the ground." Benton started and he looked around the group to see approving nods from everyone else.
"So, what are you suggesting, Colonel?" Pierce was ready to lay it out on the table after they way Jim had messed with him earlier in the day.
"I arranging a rescue op drill tomorrow. The drill will simulate conditions of a hostage or prisoner of war rescue in territory similar to those currently being faced in Serbia. Frag him but make it look like an accident. Like he fell off a cliff or drowned in a river or something but get rid of him." Benton was really taking the lead on this one.
"I don't like having to answer to this Goldstein as X.O, not when I'm due up for my O-4 in a few weeks and I can take that position rather than being shipped out to Mobile or some other godforsaken place." Hurst added with a very cynical look on his face.
"Pierce and Graves, you two are going to have to help Gunny Post with this one." Benton indicated the three men. "Andrews is a traitor and Jones is a nigra so they might actually help the Major so when you're looking to get rid of him, make sure that at least one of you is off with Jones and Andrews."
"Yes, sir." Harm responded, overjoyed that he and Jim had been convincing enough to catch these guys as fast as they had.
"Alright, you three have your assignment and I will be very disappointed if it is not considered. Do to Goldstein, what you did to Rabinowicz and Hafiz." The Colonel instructed with a cold glare in his eyes.
"Yes, sir!" Pierce responded with an almost demonic smile. Harm was glad that Jim had a talk with the Intel officer earlier that day. The Intel officer had given Jim a microphone that looked just like the button on an everyday pair of blue-jeans. That microphone had been privy to the whole conversation that was just had and tomorrow, the JAG officers were going to nail their suspects.
1100 ZULU
COMBAT SIMULATION AREA, CAMP LEJEUNE
JACKSONVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA
"Gentlemen, this is a timed simulation. There is no live fire but you have thirty minutes from insertion to escape to rescue two hostages. This will test exactly how far I have to take you in the course of the next few weeks." Jim paced in front of his team. "There are some of you…" Jim was standing in front of Harm who as wearing a second surveillance microphone, this time disguised as the chevrons pinned to the collar of his cammies. "Who have what it takes but need to be pushed. Then there are some of you…" This time Jim was standing in front of Corporal Jones, the only African-American on the team. "Who have it in you and are willing to let everyone know it. Finally, there are some of you…" This time Jim was standing in front of Pierce and Graves. "Who are simply wasting my time."
The team was piled into the back of an armoured transport. They sat three to a side with Harm sitting on a side with Pierce and Graves while Jim sat across from him next to Andrews and Jones. "When we hit the ground, we're looking at a few miles of ravine and brush before we come to an old horse barn. Pretty modern construction, steel frame but wooden doors. Pierce and Post, you're with me. Andrews, you'll take Jones and Graves." Jim ordered as the transport hurried along the dirt roads out to the simulation insertion point.
Pierce couldn't believe his luck. Goldstein was actually going to go into the thick brush of the simulation area with himself and Post, this was the perfect opportunity to follow through on Colonel Benton's plan. The armoured transport pulled to a stop and the Recon team hopped out and made their way around to either side of the vehicle. Jim relayed the approach to Master Sergeant Andrews through hand signals before the team made their way into the bush.
Harm followed the skulking figure of his friend the Marine Colonel through the bush to a location where the forest began to rise high on the backs of a few hills. The floor of the brush was carpeted with descending foliage, as was typical of autumn. Benton sure had planned this exercise out perfectly. The old horse barn was situated near a steep rock face the climbed at least sixty feet above a river with a strong current. Harm could swear that he never heard Jim's boots make a single sound as he crept along the forest. In Syria, when Phillips had rhymed off the short list of Jim's medals it had been hard to maintain his shock but actually seeing him in his element like this, was different.
They neared the back of the old horse barn when Pierce decided to take over Colonel Benton's order. Not realizing that most of the team would notice Major Goldstein's absence when they entered the barn. Jim was ridiculously close to the edge of the rock face but he had to be for their trap to be set. Pierce had forgotten the order that Benton had given him and lowered his gun to fire at Jim. Harm lunged for the pistol and jolted Pierce's arm but not before Pierce could unload one shot into Jim's right shoulder. Jim cried out in pain and fell back on his heels. Harm struggled to pin Pierce to the ground but the man got free from Harm's grasp
Pierce rushed Jim, ready to strike him with the butt-end of his rifle and send him down into the raging waters.
"Major, No!" The voice was that of rushing Corporal Jones who sprang, seemingly from nowhere, and tackled Sergeant Pierce. Pierce was sent to the ground with a heavy thud and Harm dashed over putting his foot square on Pierce's chest to hold him to the ground. The momentum had almost sent Corporal Jones over the rock face but Jim had managed to reach out and catch his wrist. "I'm slipping, sir." The young man sounded panicked.
"The hell you are, Marine! I'm not letting a good Marine die after he saved my neck." Jim's fingers wrenched into Jones' wrist creating a death grip that would make rigor mortis proud. "Harm, it's going to take every last ounce of strength in my arm to pull Jones up and it's also probably going to dislocate my shoulder. When I howl in pain, don't flinch, keep your boot firmly on Pierce, you hear me?"
"Yes, sir." Harm replied, completely ignoring the fact that Jim had broken cover. He saw his friend dig in and with a mighty howl and a loud pop, almost like the launching of a firecracker, he saw Jim haul Corporal Jones back up as his shoulder –as expected – dislocated, causing the Marine to cry out in pain.
"One arm dislocated and shot, looks like you're getting out of this one relatively unscathed, Colonel!" Harm tried to add some levity to the situation.
"Colonel, sir?" Jones asked with a confused look.
"I'm Colonel Jim Grant, that's Lieutenant Commander Harmon Rabb; we were sent here to stop bigots like Pierce and Graves from preventing good Marines graduate from their Force Recon training." Jim winced noticeably.
"Thanks for helping out there, Jones. Without you, Colonel Grant could be being dragged under the waters in that river down there. You're a hero, son." Harm smiled at the young man who was beaming with pride.
The howl caused Master Sergeant Andrews and Corporal Graves to come running over. "Master Sergeant, I'm Lieutenant Commander Rabb, JAG Corps, take Corporal Graves into custody. We're heading back to the base." Harm held out his ID and the Master Sergeant did as he was told and Harm took Pierce back to the rendezvous point with the transport vehicle. Corporal Jones was a little shocked to know that Jim and Harm were JAG officers but he didn't regret saving Jim.
Harm radioed ahead from the transport to Mac and General Walsh who had the MPs round up Captain Hurst and Lieutenant Colonel Benton. When the transport arrived back at the base, they were greeted by Bud, Mac, Angie and General Walsh. "You two have to be the craziest lawyers I've ever met." Walsh greeted them and Jim and Harm shared knowing smiles.
"You know, we've heard that a lot lately." Harm stated with a smile as Walsh's MPs unloaded Graves and Pierce from the transport. Harm hopped down off of the transport and swept Mac into his arms. "There's something I want to talk about later, could we?" He asked in whisper so only she would hear.
"Yes, of course." She whispered back.
"You know, I knew who you were the entire time, right?" Walsh stated as Jim cradled his right arm.
"Really? Should I be intrigued or worried?" Jim stated with a smile.
"Intrigued, I sat on your O-6 board last year. I'm also one of the biggest proponents for making you the Chief of Recon Operations for the Marine Corps." General Walsh supplied as he shook Jim's good hand.
"Good to know I've got fans in high places, I should probably get my shoulder popped back into place and get that pesky bullet pulled out, though. Where's your corpsman?" Jim smiled and the General pointed him off in the right direction. Jim and Angie walked together toward sickbay and a few minutes later, a howl could be heard through the base and Jim's shoulder was wrenched back into its proper place.
In Mac's quarters, she and Harm were sitting together on a bunk. It didn't exactly take a psychology degree to see that he had a lot on his mind. "Harm, what's wrong?" Mac looked concerned into Harm's distant expression.
"I'm worried, Mac." He stated plainly
"I can see that, what's good you so worried." She slowly stroked his arm with her hand.
"It's just this case, Mac. I had to play in a role that went against everything I am. I had to hear and even participate in the kind of discussion that turned my stomach. I mean, God, Mac, they were talking about you at one point and I just…I worry that I'm not cut out for this kind of undercover assignment. It ate at me, Mac. I got so disgusted at what was going on that I hesitated for a second and Jim has a bullet in his shoulder to show for it!" He stated as he buried his face in his hands.
"What do you mean, you hesitated?" She inquired; it broke her heart to see the pain, the anguish in his eyes.
"During the simulation, when Pierce went to strike Jim, I saw the whole thing almost like it was being slowed down and I hesitated Mac. I got too disgusted by the marks this time and it skewered my attention for that split second." He held her tightly, as if she was the last piece of humanity that he had left. She cradled his head and let him drain his sorrows into her shoulder. Something had finally gotten to Harmon Rabb.
"Shhh, baby, it's okay." She whispered in her attempt to comfort him. "Even superman had to face kryptonite, right? You were surrounded by one atmosphere for days in which you were forced to immerse yourself. You had to face the most vile of human emotions and even though you held up against it, no human being could get away completely unscathed."
"You're too good for me, you know that?" He whispered into her ear with a smile.
"I don't know about that, I'd say that we're perfect for each other though." She smiled as she brought their foreheads together. "Harm, don't be so hard on yourself, you did what you had to while undercover and in doing so, God knows how many lives you might have saved. We're all human, we all make mistakes, you're Navy so you're more prone to them, sure–"She smiled as he looked into her eyes.
"More prone to them, really?" He teased as he lowered his hands to her ribcage. He started tickling her fervently which made her burst into giggles as she fell backward on to the bed. He lay next to her and pulled her on to him. "Marry me, have our children and spend forever with me." He whispered as he looked into her eyes.
"I've already agreed to that, sailor." She smiled at his romanticism.
"Then we should probably get working on it." He leaned up and quickly kissed her on it.
"The marriage or the kids?" She responded the product of thinking of either was one very wide smile.
"Well, we're not really in the place to start working on the kids, no matter how hard it is for me to keep my hands off of you. So, why don't we talk about the marriage?" He stated as both of his hands nestled at the small of her back, sending a chill up her spine. "When do you want to get married?"
"June, it's the time of year when spring melds into summer. The perfect cross between love and heat." She whispered into his ear as her breath caressed his neck.
"June works. Do you know where you want us to get married?" He leaned up and gave her a quick peck on the lips.
"It has to be some place that's significant to us. I don't imagine Red Rock Mesa or your room at the American embassy in Columbia being particularly wise logistical choices. I'd like us to have the reception at the Willard, though." She smiled weakly yet hopefully.
"The NATO Ball, I remember that night. God, you looked so beautiful in that dress. It took all my composure to not take you in my arms, get a hotel room and have my way with you." The two of them shared a laugh.
"And you would've gotten your way, sailor." She added with caused him to raise his eyebrows in surprise.
"Alright, so we know that we want the reception at the Willard but where do you want the wedding?" He pressed his question.
"This isn't supposed to only be about me, you know. This is a big day for you as well." She retorted as she flicked the end of his nose.
"Sarah, if you get the wedding you want, I know that will make you smile and that smile alone will make my day." He whispered and she savagely caught his lips with hers in an attempt to make him understand what his words were doing to her.
"Harm, you're going to have to stop being so damn sweet, otherwise we're going to be working on the kids right now, too." She whispered.
"I will try and contain myself." He pledged with the little Boy Scout hand gesture.
"I guess, I don't quite know where I want the wedding yet but when I find out, it will feel right and you'll be the first to know." She promised as she ran her index finger down his throat, finally stopping in the middle of his chest.
"Maybe, we should continue this discussion in DC?" Harm suggested.
"Probably a wise idea." She laughed and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek
Out on the steps in front of sickbay, Corporal Jones sat looking down at his hands. He was waiting for the man he knew as Major Goldstein to come out of sickbay. The man had saved his life, that much was true but there were so many questions floating around in his head. When Jim Grant came out of sickbay with his arm in a sling and Eagles on his shoulders instead of his undercover gold oak leaves.
"Sir!" Jones came to attention.
"At ease, Corporal. What can I do for you?" Jim stood in front of the younger man.
"Well sir, it's just…sir, in the few days that you were here you actually made me believe that I had what it took to be a Recon Marine, Colonel. I just wanted to know if you honestly thought that, or if you were just saying it to annoy those two bigots, sir." Jones had been mulling the question around in his head.
Jim had changed into his Class A uniform after getting his shoulder fixed. He looked down at the ribbons on his chest and had an idea. "Corporal, do you know what that ribbon stands for?" Jim pointed to his chest.
"A Navy Cross, sir." The Corporal sounded almost bewildered.
"Good, do you know what those two ribbons stand for?" Jim used his index and middle finger to indicate two similar ribbons on his chest.
"Silver Stars, sir." The Corporal was wondering why he was taking part in this medals recital.
"Corporal, they don't give you those medals for lying. The only things that I wasn't completely honest about on this mission were my name and rank. In twenty-plus years in Recon, Corporal, you are one of the best recruits I've ever come across. There's a reason for that. You follow your instinct and your heart instead of over-thinking everything. So here's what I'm going to suggest. You finish your Recon training, do a few missions with a Recon team and then if you want, call me and I'll review your service record. If you live up to the potential I know you have, I'll have a chat with your CO about getting you into OCS, okay?" Jim smiled as he saw the young man's eyes grow wide.
"Sir, do you really think I'm officer material?" Corporal Jones was smiling widely.
"Corporal, you almost got yourself killed today to protect the life of a superior officer. What's more, is that even with more than twenty years of Recon experience I didn't hear you coming until you spoke. You've got it in you to be a very good Marine and an even better officer. Just live up to your potential." Jim gave him a pat on the shoulder.
"Thank you, sir!" Jones shouted.
"Semper Fi, Marine." Jim called as he dismissed the Corporal. Jim walked over to where Angie was standing with Mac. "Where's Harm? I'd like to get the hell out of here and back to DC."
"In there, tearing your suspects a new one. I couldn't get anything out of them but racially slurs about my ethnicity. General Walsh is really dressing down Lieutenant Colonel Benton, I haven't heard anything that loud since the Admiral tore into Harm for firing off that HNK in court a few years back." Mac laughed.
"Now, there's a story I don't think I've heard." Angie commented with intrigue.
"Colonel Grant, I could use some help dressing down Lieutenant Colonel Benton, if you would be so kind." The General appeared at the door of the building where his office was. Jim nodded and headed up the steps to the building. Angie and Mac walked the grounds outside.
"You know, the more I hear about you and Harm, the more it sounds like a fairytale. The rose garden, the NATO ball. Granted, it's kind of a Tom Clancy version of a fairytale but still." Angie stated wistfully.
"Sometimes I find myself wondering if it's all real. Wondering what I've done to have earned having all my dreams laid at my feet. Harm says that it's happening because he was incredibly generous with some gypsy panhandler in an earlier life. I keep telling him he came Government Issue right along with my assignment at JAG." The two women shared a laugh.
"And what does he say to that?" Angie asked looking over at her friend.
"That the Navy obviously wanted him to have a wife so they issued him one. He is still kind of surprised at their choice of issuing him a Marine though." They laughed again. "He's been so many things to me since we met that it's hard to imagine parts of my life without him any more."
"See, now that's love." Angie commented cutely.
"Speaking of which, you're not doing too bad in that department, yourself. Fifteen years and you could be the wife of the Commandant of the Marine Corps." Mac stated almost plainly. It was no secret that Jim Grant led the candidates on the Marine Corps fast track.
"It's perhaps an odd thing that I don't find that scary, considering our relationship is only five months old. Maybe there's just an old softie inside this Texas Marine, what do you think?" Angie and Mac were fast becoming friends, despite Mac's initial reluctance to accept her when they're first met in the summer.
"I think you sound like a woman in love." Mac offered.
"And that's a bad thing?" Angie had gotten used to hanging around with lawyers.
"Not at all, he's happier now than I think I've ever seen him. It's amazing how after an investigation, all can seem right with the universe." Mac laughed almost sarcastically remembering the first time that thought head crossed her mind. She remembered sharing a dinner with Harm on his bed after that one.
"You ready to head back to DC?" Angie asked as she saw Mac looking off into the dying sun.
"Yeah, you think the guys will let one of us drive?" Mac inquired.
"After the week they've had, I think they'll be too sore to complain." Angie commented as the two women walked over to the Government Issue sedan.
"Hopefully, Harm won't be too tired for other things." Mac insinuated with a coy smile.
"Sarah MacKenzie, you're incorrigible." Angie and Mac shared a laugh as they leaned on the car and waited for the guys to finish their business before whisking them away back home.
Harm and Jim came walking out of the main administrative building toward the ladies waiting for them by the car. "Honey, have I ever told you how much of a fantasy of mine it is, to tear a Gunny's uniform off of that chest of yours?" Mac looked at him with he bedroom eyes.
"No but maybe later we can…" Harm started but he was interrupted.
"Are you quite finished? I realize that a week sharing a barracks with a bunch of sweaty Marines probably wasn't a vacation for your libido but you could at least wait until we're back in DC." Jim argued with a great deal of humour and a wide smile.
"You think that just because you're shoulder's in worse shape then post-war Dresden, you get to complain?" Harm inquired with his first real smile in what was a long week.
"I'm a Marine, I don't complain, I make reasonable objections in a less than mature tone." Jim corrected.
"That's right!" Angie and Mac affirmed which caused Harm to laugh boisterously.