Firstly, thank you for all of the feedback, you guys have been great. Can't believe you stick around fo this, I know I dish out a lot. So Thanks!
Second, all ye Vukovic haters - you're still going to have a loooooong haul with the guy. No, I am not trying to torture you. . .well. . .maybe I am. . .;) Anyway, he's just a key player. Eventually bad stuff will come to him. Doesn't he just suck in this story? Makes ME want to slap him, and I'm the writer!
Third - The title for this chappie comes from a song of the same name by The Mission.
Enjoy!
Jackie
PART 14 – Beyond The Pale
December 28, 2010
1215 Zulu
Location Unknown
Pain. Ravishing, horrible pain was racing up his leg. Harm held out, willing himself not to scream. He raised his head up, finding both Connor and Ella still asleep. Good. He thought, struggling to stand up in order to step outside of the house. The day prior hadn't gone too well. Though they'd taken every measure possible to heal the gash on his leg, it was clearly infected. Ella had prepared more mixture with Lavender and Harm had taken the last six aspirins they had. Nothing had helped keep the fever down. It was somewhere in the middle of the night when he'd finally fallen asleep due to exhaustion.
Half crawling, half walking, he pushed open the door and stumbled outside. Lying on the ground, he curled up in fetal position and cried. He couldn't imagine anything hurting, little did he know that he'd been in worse pain once he struck the deck during his ramp strike.
The memories hadn't returned and frustration was burning deep within him, festering, growing. Harm felt alone and lonely. He felt hurt and unsafe. Most of all, he was angry at himself, at God and every other saint in the sky. At the woman in the picture he kept in his pocket. He was just angry, period. Frustration and anger, not a good mix.
The pain managed to subside slightly, enough for him to come to his feet using the bamboo stick as a crutch. Maybe there was something to his memories? A key that could unlock it. An elusive key which he was beginning to doubt existed. What if he had to spend the rest of his life like this? "So be it." He said under his breath. With no life, no friends, no. . .nothing, he would rebuild. That is if this stupid infection didn't kill him first. "Talk about adding insult to injury." Glancing out towards the horizon he saw the storm clouds beginning to form. "Not again."
In just a few days on the island, he'd experienced more rain than he thought possible. If the sun came out, it was meant to be enjoyed as, no less than an hour later, the clouds would roll in and then quickly roll out. Everything was soggy, wet, disgusting. And though the inside of the house wasn't wet, the humidity was so high that everything stuck to him. It made healing the wound impossible. Frowning, he removed the cloth and took a good look at his leg. It was the first time he'd actually seen it, the sight making his stomach turn. His flesh was purple, green, red and pink all at the same time while the leg started to burn again. It was swollen badly and some of the stitches had begun to rip off.
The reality that he was probably going to die before he got home was rather unsettling. Slowly, he removed the drawing from his pocket and stared at the woman he knew as Sarah. It was a little odd feeling something for a woman he didn't know. What he felt, he wasn't too sure. Love? No, because it was impossible to love someone who wasn't familiar to him. If not that, there was something else. Lust. He grinned at the picture. Yes, there were certainly lustful thoughts abut this woman, those lips on certain parts of his body.
Raindrops began falling on him, some of it smearing the drawing which he quickly put away in order for it not to get damaged. In his fray, he misjudged the extent of which his leg was capable of moving and wound up flat on his face. "Help. . .Help!" The pain was radiating again, shooting up his leg with such a force it was blinding. "Help me!"
A shirtless Connor stepped out of the house and hurried to his friend's side. "Mack, what the hell are you doing?" He took the man, half walking, half dragging him back to his makeshift bed. "You can't go out there, we've told you this. . .And you have to stay off of that leg." He stared at the wound and frowned, that wasn't looking good. Not at all.
0940 Local
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
Mac, Sturgis and Tali stood before the General's desk waiting for instructions. The man was on the phone, yelling to whoever the poor soul was on the other line. "Vukovic, you are a disgrace to your uniform!" Alright, so maybe it wasn't a poor soul. "I want you to listen to Captain Loftness. I'll have someone over there as soon as possible. . .Stay out of their way and that's an order!" He slammed the phone down onto the cradle making everyone but Mac flinch. Cresswell raised his hands as if he were choking an invisible person. Then he looked up at his officers, scowl firmly in place. "I need to make some. . .changes in your team. . .Lieutenant Commander Vukovic is being investigated."
Vic had done stupid things, Mac knew that quite well, but she never figured he would do something so stupid that it warranted an investigation. "Investigated, sir?"
"At ease, have a seat." Sighing heavily, Cresswell dropped into his chair. This wasn't going to turn out well, he could tell. "A plane Captain, Airman Vincent Arjan, went overboard yesterday. . .He was rescued but died due to head trauma. Apparently he hit his head on the side of the deck before falling in. . .They found a letter, it was a suicide."
"What did the letter say, sir?" Sturgis' baritone voice carried over the room. "Did it mention why?"
Cresswell shook his head. "The only thing they found were the words 'Forgive me for what I've done.' Nothing else."
"How does Vukovic play into this?" Mayfield was curious, more than curious. She knew him better than most, knew what type of things he would do in order to get to the top. It was disgusting, she still couldn't believe they were serious once. The thought made her angry.
"Well, Commander, we aren't too sure. . .The Skipper spoke to two purple shirts which said that they'd seen Commander Vukovic and Airman Arjan in an argument. . .Arjan's bunkmate states that the boy was never the same after. . ." He glanced at Mac and frowned. "After Captain Rabb's plane went down."
Mac's mouth opened slightly, her head spinning with implications and thoughts. "Was Airman Arjan Captain Rabb's plane captain?"
"Yes, Colonel." He knew how bad it looked, especially if Vukovic was involved. The argument could have been random, but what if it hadn't?
The next blow was one which Cresswell was preparing for, only, he didn't know who he was dealing with. "Permission to lead the investigation, sir."
"I knew you would ask and the answer is no, Colonel. . .Commander Mayfield. . ."
It was completely against protocol and something Mac had never done with such conviction. "No, sir. . .You will not send anyone else."
"You're walking the thin line of insubordination, Colonel. . .And I don't like it."
"No, I don't suppose you do, sir."
Sturgis and Mayfield traded looks of shock and surprise. Never had they seen something of this sort, especially not so openly. "You've been looking for a way to head out there. . .I know you think that this is that opening, but it isn't. . .All it will do is destroy you."
"I can find him, sir." Mac was still certain that her gift wasn't long gone. Maybe it just needed a change of location? Maybe she needed to be closer. "I know I can."
Cresswell threw his hands up in the air. "Did you not hear me the first time, Colonel? The answer is NO!"
For the life of her, Mac couldn't say what came over her. Why she'd tossed all of her training and discipline away. It could be blamed on love or the fact that she knew she had to save him or no one would. As uncharacteristic as it was, she let her emotions show and slammed her fist onto the top of Cresswell's desk. "Then I resign."
"Resign? Just like that you would give up everything?"
"They mean nothing to me without him."
Cresswell was now beyond frustrated. "You're insane, Colonel."
No, she wasn't insane. For the first time in her life she knew exactly what she wanted and needed. She would be damned if anything took that away. "Sir, put yourself in my shoes. . .If it were your wife out there. . ."
That got him thinking. If it were his wife or even his child, in seconds he would be out there, consequences be damned. "I would. . .I would do the same." Sighing, he settled back into his chair, this slight tête-à-tête taking the wind out of his sails. "I can't let you go. . .You're too valuable to me here. And, don't threaten me with your resignation. . .if you DO resign, Colonel, you'll never get out to the Henry."
"With all due respect, sir, that's not quite true. . .I don't need a military transport. I have friends in the CIA who owe me for a life time and I've been waiting for the right moment to collect. . .If you're worried about me, sir. . .then don't. I've already gone beyond the pale."
For the first time in his life General Cresswell was speechless, something that those in command were never quite used to. He hated giving in, especially when he knew this was a mistake. Maybe, not a mistake, but it wasn't appropriate. "And what about the Wolf case?"
"Our investigation last night gave us a new witness that will blow the case wide open. . .Commanders Turner and Mayfield are completely capable to handle this case . . .I have my full trust in them." She turned to Tali and Sturgis. "Sturgis you were one of the best. Tali, you're going to be one of the best. . .Do your jobs."
"Colonel, you're making my job extremely difficult." Cresswell said, his voice gruff. Grunting, he shoved his finger into one of the buttons of the intercom. "Petty Officer, I don't care who you talk to, but get Colonel MacKenzie a ride to the Patrick Henry. That's an order." Turning to Mac, he shook his head in disbelief. "You are going to owe me for this, Colonel. . ."
"Thank you, sir." Her smile lit up the room and those eyes which had clouded with sadness since Harm's disappearance seemed to have a renewed spirit.
It was very amusing how quickly news traveled, especially within the military. It had been no more than two hours since Mac's departure from Andrews when Cresswell received a call from none other than Secretary of the Navy Caroline Hewitt. Just like her predecessors, Hewitt was a royal pain in the ass. Unlike her predecessors, she wanted daily reports on everything pertaining to JAG. Once she had received word on Mac's departure to the Henry, she was livid. "Madam Secretary, I assure you, it was in the best interest for the Navy."
(Hewitt wasn't too sure about that. She needed MacKenzie on dry land,not chasing some dream on a ship that was in hostile territory. "General, I've never disagreed with any of your suggestions, but this is ludicrous! How could you send a high ranking officer to investigate something which a junior officer is perfectly able to do?" One of the last things that she needed was Mac and Vic facing off, it wouldn't bode well for future negotiations.)
"The Colonel threatened to resign, Madam Secretary. And if she is as important to you as it is rumored she is, then you wouldn't want that resignation either."
("Of course the Colonel is important to me! A female Marine in such a high position, in a man's world. . .You do the math, General." Oh, but it was much more than that. So much more than that.)
"I can assure you that the Colonel will not like anyone toying with her position. Especially if it means a politician is the one doing the toying."
(Hewitt laughed whole heartedly. These JAG's were just too much fun. "General, that sounded somewhat like a threat. . .I don't like threats.")
"It's not a threat Madam Secretary, just a warning. Be careful of what you do in regards to Colonel MacKenzie, you may lose more than a good officer. . .In her words, she's gone 'beyond the pale.'"
("I like your spunk, General." Her tone was not very friendly nor amusing, just border line condescending. "Perhaps when you are done playing JAG, you'll come work for me.")
Or not, Cresswell thought with a cringe. The one thing he despised about his position was the politics involved. The ways in which the government used the military was sometimes disgusting. "I would be honored, Madam Secretary."
He lied.
December 29, 2010
1235 Zulu
50 Miles away from the USS Patrick Henry
Location Undisclosed
Mac could barely keep her eyes open any longer and exhaustion was starting to get the best of her. "Ma'am, we're about fifty miles out." She heard the helo Captain say over the intercom to their only passenger.
"Roger." The muscles all over her body were protesting the lack of sleep in a normal bed. Since she'd blackmailed the General into letting her investigate she'd been on the move. One rough ride in a C-130 with sixty, hard up, Marines from Andrews to the Naval Air Station in Key West. She waited there a good two hours until all the red tape for a flight into South America had been approved. Boarding an AirForce C-5, Galaxy, her flight ended in of all places, Paraguay.
Four years ago, the United States had come to agreement with the Paraguayan government. A former Paraguayan Army base was turned over to the United States as a joint military base. "You look like you've been here before, ma'am." A helo pilot had told her, noticing a longing look in Mac's eyes.
"I was. . . a lifetime ago."
He smiled. "It's a magical place."
"That's not quite they way I'd put it." It was so magical she'd managed to stick her foot in her mouth and forever change the course of their history. "When are we heading out?"
"Twenty minutes. We'll rendezvous with the Guadalcanal and from there, I understand there's another helo waiting for you. . .If I may be so bold to say, helluva trip."
Mac couldn't agree more. "And I can't wait for it to be over. . .See you in twenty."
That seemed like eons, not just half a day ago. She leaned her head against the side of the helo, thinking twice when the rattling practically shook her brain out of her head. The Patrick Henry was getting closer, changing from the size of a grain of rice to that of a postage stamp. This was the worst phase of the trip, taking the helo across the ocean from the LHA to the carrier. The weather had been awful and they'd seemed to have flown right into every bad patch of air possible. "Prepare for landing." The pilot said and Mac braced herself as they touched down on the ship.
"Yes." She let out a whimper. Hopefully, the skipper would allow her an hour or two of rack time before beginning the investigation. Once they allowed her to disembark, she stepped off, saluted a crew member and headed towards the island. Inside, it wasn't too long before Mac was standing across from Loftness. "Surprised to see me, Skipper?" It was clearly evident that neither Loftness nor Keeter where quite aware of who would come to replace Vukovic.
Loftness looked like he'd seen a ghost. "Yes. . .To be honest, I thought your CO would try to keep you away from here. . ."
"He did. . .I threatened to resign my commission. . ." She said smugly. "I'm sure you need this investigation with Vukovic wrapped up quickly, but I do need some rack time if you can give it to me."
"Of course, Colonel. . .Take all of the time you need." He turned to glance out to the rolling seas and the clouds which seemed to be nearing. "Colonel, I. . .I know how difficult all of this is for you. Don't you think being on board. . .won't it exacerbate the situation?"
Exacerbate was not the word she'd use. If anything, she was hoping it would accelerate that little gift of hers which was, obviously, taking a vacation. "No, Skipper. . .It may be just the thing I need."
Whatever that meant Loftness couldn't be sure. "Get some rest, Colonel. . .We'll talk more later."
Surprisingly, sleep came easy, even in the cramped, uncomfortable rack in her quarters. Mac didn't dream and though she awoke rested and refreshed, she would have given anything to have dreamt about Harm.
After speaking with Loftness, she sought after Vic who had been stripped of his duties aboard ship. As a request from the Captain, a Marine Corporal was to escort him around everywhere. That same Marine stood guard outside of the officer's mess while she had a little talk with boy wonder. "Let's get down to the chase. . .You do know why I am here."
"I would like to think that the General didn't let you travel all the way over here for Captain Rabb."
Ouch, talk about the wrong way to start a conversation. He'd wondered if Hewitt knew anything about th reason why Mac was onboard.
"Funny that the first thing out of your mouth is a reference to the Captain, which I wasn't talking about. I'm here to talk about you." The conversation she'd had with Loftness right before meeting with Vukovic was, shall we say, enlightening. It would be a true test of her character not to throttle the man for certain allegations that had been pieced together before her arrival.
Nevertheless, Vukovic deserved an impartial investigation, she was going to try to give him that. "I don't believe in coincidences and find it rather. . .disturbing that you were having an argument with, of all personnel on board, Captain Rabb's plane captain, Seaman Arjan. . ."
"He came to me for legal advice ma'am and when you are aboard something the size of a postage stamp with tensions running high, as they are. . .you tend to rub people the wrong way."
Thing about Vic was that he seemed to rub just about everyone the wrong way. Mac was never sure why his disdain had to cut so deep even to those who could, potentially, help him out of a bind. Something about his character reminded her of one Lieutenant Lauren Singer, an officer who alienated and, frankly, pissed people off so badly that her death itself was practically ignored. "I've been onboard before, Commander. . .I know what life here is like. . .I know about pissing people off." With that, she reached into her briefcase, pulled out a tape recorder and set it on the table, in between them. "I know you won't mind that right?"
Mind? Like he had a choice? Vic shook his head. "No, ma'am. . .I have nothing to hide." It was true, he had nothing to hide because he was hiding everything. Arjan's death was a blessing, but with it came a whole gaggle of things he wasn't prepared for. Blackmail should have been enough to keep the man quiet, it was, after all, Hewitt's suggestion that he take a more active role in keeping Rabb out of the picture. And that brought up another problem. Secretary of the Navy Caroline Hewitt's patience was running on thin ice. Before MacKenzie had arrived, she'd phoned the ship, spoken to Vukovic and warned him. What was worse, though, were the words she used in an anger that was legendary. He could still hear her yelling over the line, calling him names. The degradation was fine, he could handle that, but her being so upset at him. . .that was a different thing altogether.
Mac pressed the record button, and settled back into her chair. Thankfully, there was a rest between the time that flights were to begin again and the interview could be conducted quietly, without disturbance. "Let's start at the beginning. . .How did you know Seaman Arjan?"
Vic raised his hands. "Before we do this, you mind if we have coffee? I missed my morning dosage and. . .this isn't going to get anywhere without some caffeine in my system."
Reaching over, she pressed the stop button on the recorder. "Sure. . .grab two cups and bring the pot over to this table." The last thing she was going to do is have him pour her a cup. Maybe she was panicking, but the last thing she needed was for Vic to slip something in her drink.
It wasn't much time, not much time at all, but Vic needed to prepare, to remember all of the plays he went through in his head. Much of the night he spent in his rack thinking of possible questions a JAG officer would ask. Little did he know that he would have MacKenzie to face. He was hoping they would send a junior office, maybe even Mayfield. Vic would handle her, he always could. But, MacKenzie, lately she was immune to his charms. Hell, he doubted she would even stop if she'd find him dying in the middle of the road. That had to change though, sooner or later. "Alright, ma'am."
Mac pressed record again and took a long swig of the bitter drink before addressing the man across from her. "Let's start at the beginning. . .How did you know Seaman Arjan?"
Uncharacteristically, Vic scrubbed a hand over his face and leaned in slightly. She'd barely started and already he was getting knots on his stomach. This line of questioning was killing him. "Vinnie. . ." He paused for a moment. Yeah, calling him Vinnie was a good idea, Vic! His friends called him Vinnie. "Ah, Seaman Arjan liked to be called that, anyway. . .Vinnie came to me just as I got on board. . .He was having trouble with his wife back home. . .She wanted to leave him and he was pursuing all legal variables to, I guess, help her stay." Ah, there went the characteristic eyebrow. Sometimes Vic wanted to smack that look off of her face. That whole, indefinite 'I don't believe a damned thing you are saying' look. Frankly, each and every time she's used that on him, Mac was right.
For her part, Mac was trying not to laugh as her next question percolated.. "And are you a couple's therapist?" Images of a nerdy Harm and a jackass named Hughes popped up in her mind.
"Not that kind of help, ma'am. . .He was. . .perusing the avenues of divorce and what he would be entitled to."
"You wouldn't happen to have a file with this information would you?"
"It was in passing, ma'am. . .I never wrote it down."
How convenient, Mac thought. "Commander, one thing about being a successful lawyer: write EVERYTHING down." She said, punctuating the words with the tap of her pen against the table. "Even when it's free advice, I write it down and store it with the name, date and anything else that may be notable."
"Well, I'm sorry I am not as perfect as you are, Colonel. . .Then again, that's why I am a squid and you are a Marine."
The redness on Mac's face came almost instantly. "I suggest you stow that condescending tone, especially when I am here to try and get you out of a mess that you have managed to find yourself in." She took a sip of her coffee, then placed the cup down and stared at Vic for a good minute. "Alright, so there are no files of your conversations with Seaman Arjan."
Vic shook his head. "No, ma'am. .. He never really sat down and did anything officially."
"Did anyone see you speaking to Arjan?"
"Not that I can think of, no."
"Well, on a ship the size of 'a postage stamp' as you put it, you'd figure someone was passing by the legal office when you were with Arjan."
Damn the woman, he felt as if he were on trial! "If there were people passing by, I wasn't paying attention to them. We pretty much mind our own business here. . .The tension can't afford anyone screwing up."
Ah, yes, the tension. Mac was wondering how many times that word was going to show up. Maybe that 'tension' he was referring to was the sexual one she knew he had for her. "Moving on to the day of the argument. . ."
He interrupted, "Alleged argument, ma'am."
"Why do you say that?"
Vic laughed, he was a lawyer and knew the word games that they played, she couldn't be so stupid to think he'd fall for that trick. "Because, I'm a Washington Weenie that no one likes because I approved Captain Rabb and his wingman to go into hostile territory. I am the one that send them up there with the knowledge that though they had zillions of dollars worth of armament onboard, they couldn't use it until someone SHOT at them. . .How the hell do you think that makes me feel?" His performance would certainly be worthy of an Oscar nomination. It was played out to perfection, even the mock tears that he was able to squeeze out by rubbing a finger on his lower eyelid. A finger that he'd coated in cologne just for that reason. "He is lost now, the others were shot down. . .I'm not the most favorite person on board. . .It's easy for the flight crew to think that Arjan and I had an argument and use that to get my six in trouble. We were out on the flight deck, wearing cranials and goggles. Hell, you could be out there singing opera and with those things on no one would know the difference."
He did have a point there, but people weren't stupid. An argument was an argument and even with cranials and goggles, it was evident just by the person's posture. "What were you two discussing, then?"
"I couldn't really hear him. . .So I asked him to come by the office later. That's all."
Mac made some notes on her pad and then turned up to him. "Two green shirts reported that the conversation was, at least, three to five minutes long. . . When you told him to visit your office, were you speaking in slow motion?"
Vic grinned, sometimes that spunk of hers was damned fun. "No, ma'am. . .And it was shorter than that. . .Not even a minute long."
She made a note of that as well. Something wasn't adding up and all of the negatives were pointed at Vic's direction. "By request of Captain Loftness, he had two Marines search, tag and bag anything in Arjan's and his roommate's quarters after he had passed on. . .Do you know what they found?"
This was the part he was dreading, an implication that he was the King Pin that terminated Captain Harmon Rabb's life. "No, ma'am. . .By that time the Skipper had me confined to quarters." And damn did he try to escape but those stupid Marine guards are as tenacious as anything. "I was barely allowed to have chow."
"Well, they found a letter written by Airman Arjan just before he decided to jump off the ship. . .One a little more elaborate than the first note." Carefully, she watched his expression, waiting for the man to pale or redden. Neither happened, but she didn't see the sweat dripping down his neck, past his shirt collar and down his back. The only 'tell' was the clenching and unclenching of his jaw, his eyes were unreadable. Reaching into her briefcase, she pulled out an evidence bag, in it was the letter. "Would you like to hear what it says?" She taunted him, knowing full well it was probably killing him.
Vic shrugged, feigning indifference. "If you want to tell me, sure. But, I don't see where this is going." He chuckled, a nervous habit. If that letter said what he thought it said, he was toast.
Mac raised the letter up. "God forgive me. I am a traitor. I betrayed my country. The LAW betrayed me.' He wrote LAW in all caps, 'I won't go to jail. Someone else should go to jail. I am a coward. I'm sorry. – Vincent Arjan." She placed the letter back in her briefcase and turned to face Vukovic. Still, that impassive look was on his face. Mac would have given anything to know what he was thinking. "It's short but, there's something about it."
"He's implying that someone helped him." He helpfully pointed out with a sigh. "That means someone on this ship. . ."
"I'm not obtuse, Vukovic. . .Neither are you, so stop pretending." She slammed her fist on the table, the action finally getting a reaction from the man across from her. "Airman Arjan did something he obviously regretted. Something that someone put him up to."
"What does that have to do with me?"
Mac stood up so fast, the chair flew out from under her. "What did you do to him? Why do I have the feeling that you. . .you told him to tamper with Harm's plane!" That's it, she couldn't play the commanding officer or act proper anymore. This time, it was hitting too close to home. It was personal and if Vukovic was involved, she was going to make sure he paid. The moment she saw another excuse about to emanate from his lips, she took out another paper and slammed it on the table. "It's a preliminary investigation, they aren't finished. . .But, so far, they know someone tampered with the plane. Specifically, the pilot ejector seat. . .Earlier today they found the engines, those will be tested as well. . .When things are so tense around the carriers, no one is allowed to go near the planes. . .The only persons who could have gotten THAT close to the plane were the plane captain, pilot and RIO. Now, I doubt sincerely that the pilot and RIO want to fuck with their ejector seats or anything else." She walked away from the table, pacing just a few feet away, trying anything to calm her raging nerves.
It was then, that she finally saw the light. That her gift began to awaken from its slumber. Mac stumbled forward, her head becoming heavy and dizzy. She felt herself falling into Vukovic's arms, he'd barely managed to catch her before her head collided with a table.
The vision came with dreary colors and sounds. It was raining and a faint smell of Lavender lingered in the air. She felt hot, feverish and cold all at the same time. Then came the pain, a searing, blinding pain on her leg, it felt like someone had severed it in two. "Medic! Get a medic!" Vukovic yelled as he removed his shirt in order to place under Mac's head. "Mac, you'll be alright." Despite all she was trying to do to him, he still couldn't stop feeling for her. Now, if she would only stop feeling for Rabb and turn her affections towards him.
Mac was feeling worse by the second and as those sick feelings intensified, she could see him clearly. "Harm." He was lying on the ground inside some sort of primitive home. His leg bandaged, his clothing civilian an unfitting. He was alive. "Harm."
As Vic watched the war rage inside of her, he never had such a mixture of emotions. He wanted to kill her for calling out another man's name. He wanted to protect her from whatever nightmare she was having. "No, he's dead, Mac. . .It's me Vic."
"Harm!" She said louder now, her eyes becoming heavy, sleep trying to claim her. As the vision came to an end, she felt herself being lifted up and placed on some soft, padded surface. She could hear noises whizzing past her and the hyper change from light to dark and dark to light A hatch closed behind her and someone was pressing a cold object under her khakis and onto her heart.
The last thing she remembered was a vision of Harm, badly hurt and needing her. He needed her more than ever now. One painful jab to her arm and two seconds later the darkness consumed her.
