Moving right along... I'm hoping to wrap the story up in the next 5 chapters and then have an epilogue which you shippers are going to LOVE. ENjoy! Jackie

Part 25 – Bugs, One Creep and Mr. Fancy Suit

March 27, 2010
1650 Local
Mac and Harm's Home
San Diego, California

Harm rushed into the house and flew up the stairs, passing the office where Mac was sitting behind her desk, doing searches on the computer. He'd been gone a long time, longer than expected, even if chatting with Hewitt. Worst of all, he hadn't answered his phone. "Where the hell have you been!" She stood up when he walked into the room and wrapped her arms around his waist, holding him tightly. "Harm? Harm? What's wrong?"

"Everything is fine, Mac." Slowly, he unraveled himself from her, then turned his back to her and walked to the shelves where all of his investigative equipment sat charging. The camera which was placed in that room, in the angle that he'd seen it, couldn't pick up what he was doing, it was just out of the shot.

"I called you and you didn't answer your cell." She pointed out watching him with great interest. Something was up, she could feel it, this tension that was rolling off of him though he stood there proud and confident.

"Damned battery died. . .I think I need to buy a new one." He made a project of taking the cell phone out of his pocket and pretending to change its battery. In the process, he managed to palm a small bug detecting device which he slipped into his pocket leaving the cellphone on the shelf.

Mac shook her head, his behavior was odd. "Harm? What happened?"

Turning quickly, he stepped close to her, his hands came up to cup her face, his voice wavering slightly. "It'll be okay, Mac. . .Everything is fine." But even as he said his reassurances, she saw a steely determination in his eyes. Something was definitely wrong. "It'll be fine." He lowered his head to hers, kissing Mac a little harder than usual. He pushed her up against the closest wall, kissing her wildly, passionately. "Need. To. Talk." He punctuated the kisses, whispering into her ear so that the surveillance equipment wouldn't pick it up. "Bathroom." He suddenly said, knowing from prior experience that was usually the one place bugs wouldn't be.

"Let's hit the shower." Mac rasped against his throat, she'd already removed his sports jacket and was moving to the tie.

Still kissing, Harm guided her out of the office, into their bedroom and to the master bath. Once inside, he turned and closed the door. Sighing deeply, he took out what he'd named 'the bug zapper' and got to work. "Harm, what are you. . ." He covered her mouth with his hand and shook his head.

Pushing pass her he scanned the door, the frame and then worked his way over to the basin, medicine cabinet, toilet and the shower. Everything was clean. Glancing up, he found Mac staring at him strangely. He raised his index finger, indicating for her to wait one minute. Reaching into the tub, he turned the water on and placed the plug in the drain before pulling the shower tab. Sounds of running water assaulted the room. "Sorry. . .I just needed to make sure they couldn't hear us." He said, his body so close to Mac's that she could feel his breath on her skin.

"Hear us?" She didn't quite understand until it dawned on her. The thing that Harm was holding in his hand, she'd used before, helping him out on a small case. "Bugged? The house is bugged?"

Harm nodded, "But, it's a little more than that. . .There are cameras, one in the living room, one out on the deck, one in the office. . ." Damnit, he couldn't get the images out of his head, a small black and white video of him and Mac intimately wrapped together. The thought of someone watching them made him so sick. "And our room."

Mac's face fell, literally, it was almost as if she could see into his mind and the horrible picture that it painted. Unconsciously, she wrapped her arms around herself, but couldn't shake the feeling that she'd been. . .violated. "So she has videos of us. . .of us. . ."

"Yes." He said so softly she almost didn't hear him. Leaning in he placed his hands on her arms, rubbing his palms up and down. "She wants me to leave you." Mac's head shot up at this revelation, her eyes taking a darker shade – she was getting angry. "She thinks that if I do, you'll. . .lose it." He placed his hands on either side of her, against the basin. "They know about the drinking, Mac." God, did he want to forget about that, to ignore and pretend it didn't happen. But, he saw her on the screen, pouring herself a drink. He'd tasted the vodka on her lips. "I tasted it on your lips."

Mac felt like she'd been stabbed. The look in his eyes, sad and disappointed, it was the one thing that had stopped her from swallowing, from giving into the liquid oblivion which was taunting her. "I didn't drink." She almost had, yes, and Hewitt was right, she was losing it. But, it never went that far, almost, but not quite. "I spit it out, I never swallowed it down." Her head came down, eyes situated on an imaginary spot on the floor.

"But, you would have, eventually." He stated almost casually because he knew it was a given. Buying that bottle was the first step and it was only logical to take the second when she was hurting as much as she was. "Mac. . .Mac, talk to me, please." Harm tucked his index finger under her chin and then raised her head up, so he could look in her eyes.

"Harm. . .Yes! I would have had a God damned drink, alright! I would have and my life would have spiraled out of control again. . .I'm an alcoholic, that just doesn't vanish, you know?"

"I never said it did, but, if you were having problems why not go to AA?"

"It's not that simple. . .The program doesn't work if. . .if." She trailed off, eyes scanning the floor again. The guilt that she felt was immeasurable. But, it was the hurt in his voice that made the pain in her heart so much worse.

"If what, Mac?"

"It doesn't work if you don't want to work it. . .I lost you, I had no reason to work it, not anymore." Pushing away from him, Mac paced – as much as possible in the small space. "Remember I asked you once if you thought it was dangerous to feel this much?"

"Yes. . .And I agreed that. . ."

"Well, there is a danger. . .Damnit, I'm not always strong! Yes, I'm a Marine, but that doesn't make me any less human. . .It doesn't make me any less fallible!" She wound up and punched the wall but felt no pain, the one in her heart hurt more. "I've never, ever felt this way about anyone. . .And, it scares the hell out of me. . .And I know it scares the hell out of you too."

Being on a carrier away from Mac had afforded him plenty of time to think about them. Mac had always been special to him – someone who understood him while no one else did. And then, there were times when he wondered if she ever understood him at all. He wasn't kidding when he'd asked for operating instructions, but now, standing across from her, his pride and soul wounded, he realized one thing that had been eluding him – they weren't that different. It could be argued that they were the same person, searching for the one thing that could make them whole again. He'd found that in Mac, but it didn't come without its set of risks. Maybe it had been a blessing that they hadn't gotten together until now? Hell, he knew it was. If she was driving him crazy just sitting next to him, he wasn't sure how he'd survive working with her if they'd been intimate. "Hell yes, I'm scared!. . .I'm scared of a lot of things. . .I'm scared of losing you, of living my whole life without feeling what I do for you. . .I'm human too, Mac. . .It took that time apart for me to see that. . .that you were a part of me. That I couldn't let you go, no matter what I tried. . .That I needed you. . . and I'm not letting her take you away from me."

She sank onto the edge of the tub, stretching her legs out before her, little droplets of water wetting her back. "And I don't want her to take you away from me." Visions of him hurt, or worse, had kept her from going up against Hewitt directly. She would try to destroy Vic in court, but what exactly would that solve if the person behind it all wasn't affected? "What exactly did she tell you?"

"She wants to bring down the 'boys club' that we call the Navy. . .And that's where you come in. . .Hewitt figures it will get her votes. . .I have a feeling that she has most of her players in the game, but you're the superstar, the one she's missing."

Mac sighed. "It's an interesting perspective. . . Why me specifically? I don't have the cleanest record. . .I'm far from superior."

"Vic picked you." At her raised brow, he couldn't help but chuckle. "He was sent to spy on us in JAG HQ and found himself. . .enamored with you."

The look of disgust on her face couldn't be hidden. She was glad they were having this conversation in the bathroom should she have to hurl. "That good for nothing, piece of shit."

The images of Mac holding the bottle of vodka still tormented him, it showed in his voice. "She also thinks that the best way to get you to do what she wants it to knock you down. . .Madam Secretary believes you will turn to Vic when your guard is down."

"That'll be the day." She snorted, shaking her head. Out of all of the insane ideas, that definitely topped the bill. "Like I'd ever go to that creep."

"She wants me to break it off with you." At Mac's shocked expression, he shrugged. "Losing me once made you. . . you went. . .to the bottle. . .She thinks that if you lose me again, it will break you to the point that you'll concede with what she wants. . .To what Vic wants." Harm stood in front of her, then squatted down so that they could be at eye level. This was important, more important than his own life. People they loved and cared for were in danger. "What I am about to tell you, truthful or not, will make you understand why I'm conceding to what she wants." He didn't outright break it off with her, but the words he said were enough to leave a bad feeling in his heart.

"You're what?" Her eyes went wide with shock, was he seriously toying with the notion of leaving her? And for what? Because Hewitt's empty threats had choked him into giving in? "What did she threaten you with? My life? If that's the case you can tell her where to shove. . ."

"Our family." He said without preamble, sighing as he sat Indian style on the tiled floor. "She threatened to hurt Mattie and our godchildren. . .And I know. . .Believe me, I know that there's a huge possibility that those might be empty threats. . .But, if Vic nearly got away with murdering me. . ."

Mac's lower lip trembled with the repressed emotions, the ones she'd been holding back for fear of breaking what was left of her control. "I don't want to lose you. . .Not again."

"I don't want to lose you either, Mac. . .But, we're backed up against a wall here. . ."

"No." She refused to believe that it was over, that the bitch and her son had won. "There's still the trial. . .I'll use that to do some damage to Vukovic, maybe it'll tip Hewitt's hand?"

Harm scrubbed a hand over his face. The trial, while he believed it would do some damage, what chances did they have of it actually coming to fruition? Hewitt was likely to assign the best bull to the case and pay any cost so that her little boy comes out smelling like a rose. What then? He couldn't bare the thought of losing Mac, but the possible lives of innocents lay in his hands. In their hands. "Mac, let's just get out of here, for now. . .I'm tired, my head hurts. . .We have these damned bugs all over the house. . ."

"Where would we go? Chances are they're watching the house too."

He shook his head. "I thought of that and was watching all of the cars on the way from Coronado. . .I wasn't being tailed. . .Maybe we should go stay with my folks? They'd love to have you around for. . ."

"No, Harm. . .We're not getting your folks involved in this. . ."

She was right of course, and it wasn't something he was willing to do either. But, he needed some place safe. A place that he knew wasn't compromised. The sound of the water running gave him a unique idea – a neutral, safe and secure setting. In fact, you couldn't go in without a membership. "We can stay on the Lady Patricia. . .I'll go ahead and contact Gunny and Mike. . .Whether she likes it or not, I'm getting these bugs out of here."

"You know? We should also forego speaking over the cellphones. . .It's a cinch that they are probably bugged too." She stood up, suddenly remembering an ingenious device she'd seen at the gas station just a few days prior. "We can get those cellphones, the prepaid ones?. . .They don't collect any type of account information, just give you the number and unless you call to add minutes and use a credit card, it's virtually untraceable." Glancing around the room, which was quickly filling with steam from the shower, Mac couldn't help but sigh. She was being chased from her home, "There's a grand possibility that the SECNAV will become enraged when she finds out you removed the bugs."

While this was almost a guarantee, Harm wasn't about to allow her to infringe on their private lives more than she had. "I gave that some though on the way back. . .Frankly, she can kiss my ass. . .And that's exactly what I'm going to tell her should she contact me."

"That might not be wise."

"No, but I don't care." His hands came to her shoulders, then ran down Mac's arms. "Get a sea bag, some necessities, we'll sleep on the boat tonight. . .Maybe tomorrow we'll have a fresh perspective?"

"Harm, I don't want to give up without a fight." The look in his eyes though, conveyed just the opposite feelings from him. Was he actually conceding to Hewitt's design without really weighing in the facts and possibilities?

"Neither do I, Mac. . .Neither do I."

1802 Local
Secretary of the Navy
Caroline Hewitt's Mansion
Coronado, California

Despite the two cups of coffee she'd had, Caroline Hewitt was feeling the effects of a growing hangover. And damnit, it was only six in the evening, too early for hangovers. Had she still been a regular citizen, this would have been grounds to check herself into rehab, as it was, the whole twelve step program wasn't working at all. "So much for AA," she snorted, gulping down what was left of tepid hazelnut coffee.

Using her handy dandy remote, she pointed towards the picture bringing up the flat screen TV and its little images coming from the MacKenzie/Rabb house. To be fair, she never watched. Voyeurism wasn't really her thing, for that she had people that she paid well. People that listened in to, not only Mac, but other prominent figures that she believed would get her into the White House. All of the others were willing to go to bat for her without much coaxing, if any. Then again, most didn't know what she'd let slip to MacKenzie. "He's my son!" The words came out of her mouth in anger as a way to calm the waters. All it did was tip her hand into a plan that would have never been set to motion had Vukovic not been so stupid.

Then again, Gregory hadn't asked her for much, just to find a way to unite him and the beautiful Colonel. It was she that started seeing the proverbial dollar signs behind it all. Mac had made quite a name for herself in the San Diego military community. The Navy Times had continually followed her exploits as she excelled from one case to another. Her command was one of the smoothest running ones.

"Mother? What is that?" His voice had startled her out of her reverie. When Caroline brought her head up, she found Vic engrossed with the TV screen. "What is this?"

Shit. She though to herself, then quickly brought the painting down over the screen. "Nothing you should concern yourself with, dear." Hewitt had never let Vic see the footage for fear of what he would do. Yes, he was her son and though she stated otherwise, Caroline had a gut feeling those accusations of rape had a validity to them. And then, that thing with Captain Rabb. Thankfully Vic had the better sense not to outright put a bullet in the man's brain, but what he'd done was equally stupid. So much for discretion! Now, she was sure if he'd seen the footage of Rabb and MacKenzie in post coital bliss, the shit would hit the fan, literally.

Vic just chuckled it off. "You really do play hard ball, don't you mother?"

"Only way to play, Gregory. Only way to play." Groaning, she brought her hands up to her temples, rubbing in a circular motion. "I thought you were going back to your condo. What are you still doing here?"

"I was working in the library." He said, which contained a partial truth. Work gave him an excuse not to seethe at knowing that Rabb was once again with MacKenzie. Slowly, he walked around and sank into one of the chairs across from her desk. "How did the meeting with Rabb go? I tried to listen in, but your guard is an asshole."

"My guard is doing what I pay him to do." She stated cheekily. "Why are you so concerned anyway? Afraid that your mother hasn't a clue what to do?"

"No, just afraid that you have an agenda that doesn't involve me. . ."

Hewitt chuckled. Damnit, he was an adult and yet he had a tendency to act like a little boy who'd had his toy taken away. "Gregory, not everything revolves around you." Her tone was severely bitter, but she found that was the only way to get the message across to him. "While you want MacKenzie only as a trophy wife, she's the missing piece of the puzzle that might slip me into the White House. . .That's a helluva lot more important than your love life."

Vic stood up and slammed his fist into the desk. "You promised me! You told me that in order to make up the past, you'd give me something I wanted. Well, I want her! Since I met Sarah in Falls Church, I've wanted her. . .Hell, I know it won't last, but it sure as hell will be fun. . .And now, that Rabb is still alive, I want to see the look on his face when she chooses me!"

"You really are delusional if you believe she'd willingly choose you over him." Short of pointing a gun to her head (which she doubted would even work), Mac would never chose her son. Not without a good reason.

"Then I'll get rid of him. . ." Swiftly he turned, making his way over to the door.

"GREGORY!" Her voice made her headache just a little worse for wear, but at least she stopped him. "As romantic a gesture this seems to you, you're already being investigated. Don't make things worse for yourself. If you get caught, then it's bye bye MacKenzie!" Not that she cared about that part. Her concern laid more in the realm of the things, illegal things, that he'd done on her behalf. Maybe she should have bribed him another way, offered something else. Money, maybe? Hewitt always believed that MacKenzie would be a passing fancy. "Look, Rabb has offered to back off from her. . .He just wants a little time, that I'm going to give to him. . .I owe them both that much."

Mirthlessly, Vic chuckled. "Time is the worst thing you can give them. . ."

"Maybe, yes. . .But, I refuse to take another life to boost my career or your pathetic fetishes, Gregory. . .Not when there are other ways. Not when he took himself out of the game."

Alright, so she had a point, but there was one key thing that disturbed him. "Harm will always be around. . .He'll be looking out for her for the rest of his life."

"I'm certain he will. . .But, Rabb is a man of his word, if he says he'll back off, then he'll back off, if only to protect her."

Vic wrapped his hand around the door handle and squeezed hard. "He better back off, because, Madam Secretary, if I don't get what I want, I'll make damned sure you'll never get what you want."

"Gregory, don't threaten me, you don't have the means to carry it out."

"No, but accusations seem to work pretty well in politics. . .Sober up, ma'am." He said, then waved as he stepped out of her office.

1830 Local
San Diego, California

Driving around in a Red Corvette wasn't exactly inconspicuous, but at least it had the speed to get away from anyone – within reason. Mac was behind the wheel as Harm tried to non-chalantly keep his eyes on all of the cars on the road. They had taken every shortcut known to man, but still had to take main roads which was where Harm found their pursuant. "Three cars back." He said, keeping his eye on the side view mirror which Mac had adjusted for him.

At a stop light, she was able to freely glance at the rearview mirror. "Yeah, I see him. . .or her. . .They've been tailing for the last ten blocks. . .I'm going to pull into the 7-Eleven up the block. . .They sell those phones I told you about. . .We can pick up something to eat as well. . ."

Harm nodded. "Good idea, stay with the car though. I didn't find a tracking device on it before we left and I sure as hell don't want to give them the chance to stick one on us now."

"I'll gas up then." She pulled the Corvette into a vacant gas pump, then stepped out. Knowing they were being tailed, Mac pulled out her credit card and slipped it into the slot on the gas pump, using it as a cover to look out for the car. Then, to her surprise, the vehicle actually drove right up and parked on the opposite side of the pump.

A man in a sharp, fancy suit stepped out and grinned at her as he stepped to the side to grab the windshield cleaners. "You gonna use these, ma'am?"

Mac plastered on a charming smile and shook her head. "No, you go ahead." Willing herself to catch her breath, she punched in her zip code then chose the appropriate gas for her vehicle. The nerve! She thought, still seething at this turn of events. It had been the first time someone of his kind had literally just driven right up. On the norm, they kept their distance, this time, she figured he had to be really good or just really confident to pull a stunt like that.

She slipped the pump nozzle into the gas tank then turned towards the establishment. Harm was holding a green basket filled with all sorts of food supplies. Mac watched him intently, willing him to turn and acknowledge her. When he did, she made a slight gesture with her head that he caught immediately. Nodding back to her, he continued to search the store, careful to keep an eye on her as he moved. His eyes widened with fear as the man stepped behind her. "Mac." He mouthed, but the moment she caught it, Mac felt someone tap her shoulder.

"Nice car." Mr. Fancy Suit said with a stunning smile. "How long you had her? Looks brand newish."

To her credit, she was flabbergasted only for a second or two before recovering. "She's actually an oldie. . .going to be eleven in May. . .She got a paint job for her birthday last year and I make sure she gets serviced a few times a year." Part of her wanted to grab the pump and whack him over the head with it, but maybe it was better this way? To make them believe that they were had.

"Very impressive to find a woman who takes care of her vehicle."

Mac laughed without much feeling, "Yea, well, when you have a price tag like this baby had, it's more convenient to keep it running well. . ." When the pump clicked to signify the tank had been filled, she turned quickly, dripping gas over Mr. Fancy Suit's expensive shoes. "Woops! I'm so so sorry! I'm such a klutz!"

The man, now clearly irritated, took several steps backward, moving out of the foul smelling puddle at his feet. "Yes, well. . .have a good evening."

From his perch near a Coca-Cola cooler, Harm stood, watching the exchange with a sly smile. He patiently waited for the man to leave before paying for the groceries and returning to the car. "I got those phones." He said, whipping one out and tearing through the package. The clerk said they were easy to use. Even comes with batteries and a charger. Just need to charge it for about twelve hours."

Mac nodded, "That gives us some time. . .What do we do about Mr. Fancy Suit?" She pointed towards the adjacent street noting that his car was parked to the side of the road.

"Weeeell." Harm began, conspiring smirk in place. "You said you wanted to fight. . .I say we give him a run for his money. . .See what this baby can still do." He patted the dash board and turned to give her an evil looking smile.

The car revved to life with one turn of the ignition and Mac turned towards him with a challenging smile. "This car can still do what it was meant to do and then some. . .I added an Airaid a couple of years ago. . .makes her run a little faster and a hell of a lot more efficient." She moved cautiously out of the 7-Eleven and them made a sharp turn, not down a main street, but down an alley just behind several establishments. From the street across they could hear screeching tires, Mr. Fancy Suit was in hot pursuit. Turning to the side Mac found Harm grabbing to the dashboard like it was a life raft. "You okay, Captain?. . .Thought you fighter jocks loved the speed, the thrill of the chase."

"Just watch the road, Mac!" He pointed to an oncoming stack of boxes which they flew through, sending cardboard up into the air. "So much for the new paint job!" He said, still holding onto the dash as she took a sharp right out of the alley and onto a main street. "You're going the wrong way!" He yelled when he found Mac heading towards the airport.

"Harm! Shut up!" She yelled back at him, speeding through streets, praying that she wouldn't hit someone or something in the process. Mac weaved her way past several cars, keeping on eye on the rearview and a car that kept gaining. "I'm going to head into the MCRD."

Okay, so he hadn't thought of that. "With the new security measures he won't be let in, will he?"

Mac shook her head, lately, if you were a civilian, you had nothing to do on any military installation unless you worked there or were expected. "Nope, but we will. . . .There's an exit on the other end. By the time he goes around the perimeter, assuming he goes the right way, we'll be long gone."

1855 Local
San Diego Yacht Club
San Diego, California

The plan had indeed worked, allowing Mac and Harm to arrive to the Yacht club without anyone else following. She'd parked the car in a slot where it wasn't visible from the road, then headed down the docks to The Lady Patricia. Harm jumped in first, using his spare key to open the door to the galley and then taking each bag from Mac before helping her onboard. They descended into the darkness which was quickly bathed with light with one flick of the light switch. Sighing, Harm settled into the dinette, Mac following suit and sitting just across from him.

Mac glanced around, unable to stop memories of the first time she'd been on the boat. It wasn't that long ago and yet, it seemed like eons had gone by. They had quite a time and it was something she wouldn't trade for anything in the world. Frowning, she ran her fingers over a worn piece of the dinette and sighed. "I really believed that our second time on this boat would be so. . .romantic." She breathed out, feeling like a lovesick fool. But, she was tired of hiding her feelings from him. They loved each other, what was the point of shying away from comments that affirmed that? "We'd pledge our undying love to each other, have dinner, then spend the night covered in nothing but sweat."

Automatically, Harm's hands wrapped around hers, his gaze pulling her to look at him. A tired smile came across his lips. "Well, no matter what, this boat is pretty charming, romantic. . I already pledged my undying love for you. And if you're in the mood to sweat we can do some engine work on her."

"Not funny." She said, the upturn of the sides of her mouth, saying just the opposite. "I am starved though. . .Maybe we should make something to eat, it might give us some perspective?"

"Sounds good. . .I'll rummage through the bags and you put the cell phones to charge in the stateroom. Once it gets some juice, I'll give Mike and Gunny a call." Harm pulled out several packages from the bags, none that could be considered ingredients for a healthy meal. Everything in that place was full of sugar, salts and enough cholesterol to stop a healthy man dead in his tracks. It could have been worse, he figured. He could have been back in that hospital. Shaking his head, he opened up two cans of Chunky soup and poured them into a pot that he'd taken out of the cupboard. Mac wasn't the only one thinking about another trip on this boat, he'd been trying to drag her out since the Patterson and Jarvis debacle. They just never had the time. And now, time was running out, ticking away in such a frantic pace.

He knew that he couldn't let her go and yet, if it protected those that they loved, maybe that was exactly what he had to do? Yes, they were both fighters, but sometimes fighting doesn't solve the problem, only exacerbates it. Grabbing two bowls, he poured the now boiling soup into each and then reached for a box of oyster crackers. "Mac, dinner's ready."

When she returned back into the galley, all signs of sadness had literally evaporated. Her current look, he knew quite well – it screamed: 'Marine on a Mission.' "I have a plan."