Unknown Carrier

Unknown Ocean

I set my coffee cup down in frustration. I am so annoyed, this isn't funny. If this is a joke or some huge gag, I am going to resign my commission and become an assassin. That way I can devote myself to identifying every single person who is in on this and track them down, making sure they die a slow death.

I look around at the empty Officers Ward Room. Everything looks normal. There is coffee on the warmer. Mugs stacked neatly next to the coffee, spoons, sugar packets, creamers, and coffee stirrers. Everything appears normal, except for the fact that it is as quiet as a tomb. No noise except for the sound of my own breathing, and the hum of the coffee warmer.

I stare into my cup looking at the dark liquid in it and sigh. I know that this can't be a joke. I know that there has to be something seriously wrong for there to be no one aboard an aircraft carrier but me. Well me and possibly Harm, Chloe and Sturgis. I doubt that they are actually on this crate with me though; they wouldn't run away from me. This leaves me with the conclusion that I have finally gone over the edge and I am insane. I begin to massage my temples when the 'memory' of being in a hospital flashes in my head. Why do I keep going back to the thought of a hospital? Sometimes I can almost swear I can smell that antiseptic-medicney smell that all hospitals seem to share in common. It is NOT a smell that one would expect to smell in the Officers Ward Room aboard a carrier. Okay Marine, it's time to be pro-active, I tell myself pushing away from the table and standing up. I will go to the bridge, if this isn't my imagination SOMEONE will have to be on the bridge to steer this floating city. Glad to finally have a direction to go, I feel a little bit better, more in control of my situation.

I step into the passageway and suddenly I am standing in the middle of West Bend Park. I turn around, doing a full three-sixty, taking in my new surroundings. I am on my favorite jogging trail. This isn't right, I was just...I suddenly can't remember where I just was and why there is anything strange about being here on the trail. I mean I am dressed for running, why wouldn't I be here. I begin my normal stretching routine, preparing my muscles for a run. A warm breeze causes the leaves above me to flutter, creating a spectacular dance of shadows and light on the trail around me. I stand up and inhale deeply savoring the beauty of the day. But something isn't right, the breeze smells wrong. It reminds me of a hospital, now why in the world would the air smell like that? Sighing I shake my head to clear my senses and begin my morning run.

Admiral AJ Chegwidden's Office

JAG HQ, Falls Church VA

(..."No Bud, she wasn't talking about Colonel Mackenzie. Chloe always referred to Mac as Mac, never anything else. She directed that comment at me specifically, me and Sarah. Not me and Mac." I stare intently at Bud as the answer finally dawns on him...)

"Sarah! It reminds her of you and SARAH! Your bi-plane! I'll go get maps of all the airports and airfields within a three hour drive of West Bend Park." Bud says excitedly.

"Why three hours Bud?" I ask with some confusion.

"Well because of the time stamp on the video Commander. The Colonel called you around 7:15 a.m. So if she was hit in the head she probably lost consciousness for some time, we know she usually goes running at 6:15 a.m. so we have to assume that Chloe was taken between 6:30 a.m. and 7:00 a.m." Bud pauses to make sure everyone is following him.

"Okay I will buy that Lieutenant, continue." Chegwidden tell him.

"Well see sir, the time stamp on the video said that it had been taped at 10:23 a.m. That means that when you figure in time to subdue Chloe and making sure no one see you dragging a girl around against her will, and what with getting the equipment ready to tape the demand, you are only left with three hours at the most for drive time. Excuse me sirs, I am going to go get on finding how many airports and airfields we are looking at." After receiving a dismissal nod from the Admiral Bud leaves the office.

"Well once the Lieutenant gets that information we will have our hands full weeding through them. Commander Turner, I will leave it to you to inform and coordinate with D.C.P.D. concerning this new development." Dismissing Sturgis, AJ turns his attention back to me, "Commander Rabb, tell me about the afore-mentioned blood test results."

"Well, Sir, the lab work came back. It shows that the blood on both the knife and the sweatshirt is O positive, Chloe's blood type is AB negative." I relate the information to my commanding officer.

"So there is no way is hell that the blood is Chloe's! That is wonderful news. Do we have any idea whose blood it is?"

"Not at this time. Sir, there is more. According to the report the blood on the knife is not consistent with a stabbing. The investigators who examined the knife believe that the blood was poured onto the knife, and then left to dry."

"Why go to all the trouble of staging a crime scene to make us think Chloe has been injured and then do such a piss poor job of it?" The Admiral snorted.

"Well, Sir, we think that this goes to support the assumption that Karen Lowne is working alone. She is not in any state of mind to consider the reality of the situation. Any other competent adult in today's society would have thought ahead to the blood typing and forensic work that is done."

"I agree completely Commander." A new voice enters our conversation. I turn in my chair to see Detective Adams standing in the Admiral's doorway, Commander Turner behind him.

"Come in please, Detective." The Admiral invites, standing to come around the desk to shake Mark's hand. "Please take a seat."

"Thank you, Admiral Chegwidden. I was on my way over here to discuss the possibility of seeing some of the records from when Karen was in the Navy, when the office called and told me that Commander Turner here had called and said it was urgent. So here I am. What Commander Rabb was saying is right on. At least it agrees with what our profilers at the station came up with."

Pulling some papers out of the side pocket of his briefcase Dt. Adams handed one to each of us before continuing. "This is a summary of what they came up with. Basically, Karen Lowne is mentally unstable. She has no real understanding of the ramifications of her actions beyond her own goal. She is operating with tunnel vision; everything will be made right if Colonel Mackenzie is publicly convicted of the death of her brother. There is nothing else but that in her reality. She is determined to do what ever she has to in order to obtain that one goal. That includes murdering other innocent people. In her mind she wouldn't be to blame that also would be the Colonel's fault. The way Karen Lowne would view it is simple. We forced her to murder Chloe because it was the only way we would give her the 'justice' she is fixated on."

Mark finishes his statement and waits for our reactions. I continue to skim the official profile, but soon realize that Adams had done a good job of summarizing it for us. I look up from the paper and Sturgis catches my eye.

"I told the Detective that we had received a tape but didn't have time to say much more than that before we came in. Do you want to tell him about the clue Chloe gave us before or after he watches the tape?" He asks me.

"After, it is easier to explain that way." I get up and go over to the VCR. I rewind the tape and then press play. I sit down again and the four of us watch. I thought it would be easier to watch it the second time, I was wrong. This time I am noticing little things like the angry red streaks in the bruise on her face, or the blood that slowly drips from the corner of her mouth after the first round of defiance. My chest hurts and I can barely breathe as I watch the wariness come into her eyes. I wonder what Karen must have done or shown to her for Chloe to look like that. The screen goes black and Sturgis moves to shut it off.

"What did she mean by 'this place reminds me of you and Sarah?' I can only assume that she was talking about the Colonel, except every other time she referred to the Colonel she called her Mac. So who is Sarah, Commander Rabb?"

"It is good to know that you are good at what you do Detective." I smile and say before answering his question. "Sarah is my Stearman bi-plane. I have taken Chloe up a couple of times. She always tells me that she can't understand why I like working on planes so much, the aviation fuel smells funny. We believe that she is being held on or near an airport or airfield within a three hour drive of the park."

Mark Adams was quiet a minute before responding. "That would be about right, taking into account the time stamp on the video. The time stamp itself is another piece of evidence supporting the profile we have of Karen. Careless clues may just be her down fall. Do we know how many airports or fields we are talking about here?"

AJ spoke up, "Not yet, Lt. Roberts is working on that as we speak. I had asked Commander Turner here to inform you and coordinate the plan from here on out with you."

"I appreciate that Admiral. I think the best thing to do right now is for me to call my team and have them come over here. Together our combined teams can sort through the possible locations and weed out the possibles from the not-likelys. At that point we can gather up canvassing teams to go in as aviators or mechanics or whatever and nose around the possible sites. See if anyone has heard anything suspicious, seen anything out of the ordinary, without tipping our hand. Maybe we will get lucky and find something that will end this whole situation positively." Mark Adams stood, "Now with your permission Admiral, I would like to get my team over here and updated on this information."

"Permission granted. You can have the main conference room as the investigation headquarters, and my people are at your disposal. I do need a list of names of those on your team to give to Security so they will admit your guys onto the property." AJ picked up a legal pad and a pen, handed it to the Detective and waited while Adams made the hasty list.

"There you go, if I have missed anyone I will come back and let you know." Mark finished writing and handed the pad and pen back to the Admiral.

"Thank you, Commanders please show Mr. Adams to the Conference room." Then raising his voice he said "Tiner get in here!"

The Petty Officer waited until the three of us had exited before trying to get through the door. As we walked away I hear a little of what the Admiral is saying to Tiner.

"Since you no doubt have been listening in on the situation, would you kindly take this list and make sure Security gets it before the Investigation Team gets here?"

I smile as we make our way through the bullpen, knowing the Admiral was correct in his assumption of Tiner's activity. I decided that I should take a moment to go to my office and check to see if I have any urgent matters that I need to attend to immediately.

"Hey, Sturgis." I pause before going on, waiting to see that he has heard me. He stops and turns towards where I stand, having stopped several feet behind him. "I need to make sure there isn't anything urgent on my cases, you know something that can't wait until later."

"Fine by me. You can find us in the conference room after you are done." With that he motions for Adams to continue on with him and they walk away, towards the elevators.

I sit down at my desk, I check my e-mail, nothing there that can't wait. I glance down at my phone and see that the message light is blinking. I hit the speaker button and dial in the appropriate code to retrieve the messages.

"You have two messages." The tinny female voice tells me.

"Commander, this is Ensign Larte. I just received a message saying that you have been temporarily detained and that our interview needs to be re-scheduled. I am just returning that call. I am available next Tuesday and Wednesday after 5:00 p.m. If either of those times works for you please let me know. My number is 555-7890. Thank you."

I make a note of the number and erase the message.

"Harm? It's me Chloe."

I sit up at attention in shock. Chloe? I glance at the phones LCD display. It says the message was received at 11:43 a.m. this morning. How is this possible?

"This lady isn't very smart. She told me to empty my pants pockets, I told her I didn't have any, which is true, so she just let it go. I didn't tell her that I had my cell phone in the pocket of my sports bra. Sorry let me get to the point. I am at some airfield, it is small. I haven't heard or seen anyone but us. Why is this happening, Harm?"

The fear that now comes through in her voice causes my chest to tighten, I wish I could hug her and tell her it will all be okay.

"Karen isn't here right now. She locked me in this windowless room, well it has a skylight about thirty feet above me. It stinks really bad in here. It is all cement so I don't think anyone can hear me when I shout. I am scared Harm. Earlier I was so mad at her, I was too mad to be scared, but now I--I--she--Harm she says she is going to kill me if Mac isn't put in prison"

There is a pause and I hear her take a deep breath.

"Suck it up Chloe! Mac taught you better than this. Harm, she stuffed me in the back of a dark blue Ford Taurus. It looked pretty new. Maybe a 2000. It had a Pennsylvania license plate that began with 54G. That is all I can remember, I didn't get a very good look at it. We drove for a long time, I wish I could tell time like Mac. I don't know how long, I was passed out for some of it. She put a rag over my mouth and nose after she did the same to Mac. She hit Mac really hard in the head, I hope she is okay. I tried to run away but she caught me. I tried to fight back like Mac taught me, but then the rag was there and I couldn't stay awake. I woke up in the car, but pretended to stay asleep. I didn't recognize anything we drove by, but I did see a sign, it said there was a bar called Tree Stump 20 miles up the road. I am going to put my phone away now, I'm afraid she might come back soon. I have turned the ringer off, so call and leave me a message telling me what you want me to do. Please Harm hurry and find me. Oh no my battery is dying, Harm I may not be able to call-"

The message cut off there, as the battery died. I listen to it again and copy down the information she told me. I save the message and run toward the elevators. I need to get to the Conference Room. As I wait on the elevator, my cell phone rings.

"Rabb." I answer it.

"You are a hard man to track down today."

"Webb, I don't have time to deal with you right now. I am in the middle of something important." I am in no mood to deal with this Spook at the moment.

"I know that is why I called. I have some information about the woman who took Chloe. Karen Lowne may not be who you think she is."

"Okay Webb, you have my attention."