Alrighty! One more after this one and then we're DOOOOOOONE You guys have been wonderful! Thank you for all of the feedback and even you lurkers, thanks for lurking. ;)
Enjoy!
J.
Part 30 – Charges and Specifications
June 15, 2010
1030 Local
Courtroom Six
Joint Legal Services Southwest (JLSS)
San Diego, California
Petty Officer First Class Andrew Tompkins glanced towards the jury and then towards the defense's table where Vic sat with an unarmored expression of hatred. If it wasn't because all of the witnesses were under protection, at Colonel MacKenzie's request, testifying would have been out of the question. Nervously, he turned his head back towards Mac who stood, patiently waiting for him to answer. "What was the question, ma'am?"
Mac offered a compassionate smile and a nod of assurance. "I understand this is difficult Petty Officer. Please tell the court what you witnessed on the flight deck, December 23rd."
Andrew nodded solemnly and took a breath. As usual, the flight deck had been a massive wave of controlled chaos. Even so, he'd noticed something peculiar about it all. "We were readying the F-14's for launch. Captain Rabb, Commander Hawkes, and their wingmen: Commander Dodson and Commander Lutheran were aboard the planes. Just as Captain Rabb's plane was taxing towards catapult, I saw Vinnie. . .uh, Airman Arjan, run across the tarmac towards Lieutenant Commander Vukovic."
"Objection your honor." Robiard stood up quickly as Mac knew that he would, no doubt, challenge the validity of who it was that Andrew had seen. "It has already been established that, with cranials and goggles, it is close to impossible to determine who the man or woman who spoke to Airman Arjan was."
Biting her lip to prevent herself from smiling, Mac turned towards Judge Bidermeyer. "Sir, if I can have a tiny bit of leeway, I will clear this up."
Bidermeyer scowled and his frown clearly stated he wouldn't like Mac's tactic, whatever it was. "You said 'tiny' Colonel, I didn't. . .Wrap it up, supersonic."
Turning back towards Andrew, Mac folded her arms across her chest. "Andrew, are you one hundred percent certain that the person you saw speaking with Airman Arjan was Lieutenant Commander Vukovic?"
"One hundred and ten percent certain, ma'am." He stated with conviction.
"How can you be so sure?" She probed further, moving a little closer towards the stand in anticipation of the small piece of information that Robiard had clearly missed. It was not done on purpose, she'd simply forgotten to write it down in her notes seeing as she'd had her arm in a sling and her abilities to write were taken away temporarily. However, a good lawyer would know to pursue the facts. It wasn't her fault that he hadn't done that and she hadn't really withheld anything that he couldn't have found out during discovery. "And please remember, you are under oath."
Andrew nodded, "As we were doing the final checks on the planes, I was having trouble with the cranials. For some reason, they hadn't slid on properly. So, I decided to step inside of the island and have a look. When I did, Lieutenant Commander Vukovic was there holding the cranials in his hand. He seemed weirded out, like if he didn't know how they went on. So I offered to help and wound up straightening the vest and making sure his cranials were in place, as mine were giving me trouble. We stepped back outside at the same time and the Lieutenant Commander waved Vinnie over. It was clear that they were arguing. I mean, the Commander grabbed Airman Arjan's vest and shook him roughly. . .Then the mishaps occurred. . .Vinnie. . ." He trailed off and sighed deeply, the thoughts of his friend causing a rip within. "He was a fun guy, always smiling. But, after the mishap, he was acting guilty. Nervous as hell, skittish. And then he killed himself. Vinnie didn't have a reason to kill himself. He wasn't upset, he wasn't depressed. He'd gotten the girl and was accepted to flight school. He had everything he ever wanted. . .Something made him jump."
Mac hated the tactics she was using. She hated having Arjan's friends bring up his suicide over and over again but there was no choice in the matter. She only hoped that justice would be served. "Thank you, Petty Officer. Your witness." She said to Robiard, managing to side step him when he made to, purposely, walk into her.
Robiard buttoned up his jacket and made a project of staring directly at Mac and no where else. "Petty Officer, you and Airman Arjan weren't close, were you?"
"We used to be."
"Used to be, huh? What happened?"
Andrew shook his head, his eyes scanning out for Andrea who was seated at the back. "We fought over a girl. . .the last couple of months, or so, our friendship suffered because of it."
Robiard grinned evilly, then spun on his heel to face Andrew. "Then it is plausible, isn't it, to say that you may have thrown him from the carrier."
Exasperated at his bullying tactics, Mac stood up quickly. "Objection your honor! Petty Officer Tompkins was interviewed as were others that stated he was in his bunk when Airman Arjan allegedly jumped."
"Sustained."
Annoyed, Robiard tried another tactic. "Were you angry at Airman Arjan?"
"Yes." He answered honestly.
"Enough to kill him."
"No!"
"In fact, you paid someone to do it. To throw him off of the deck that night."
"No, sir!"
"And then made up this whole story with Lieutenant Commander Vukovic as your pawn!"
"That is a lie!"
"Is it? You said you were angry with Airman Arjan. It wouldn't be the first time or the last time that someone killed a friend over a lover."
"That might be true, but I didn't have him killed and I did see Lieutenant Commander Vukovic arguing with Vinnie! I may have been pissed off at him but. . ."
Robiard reached for a paper on his desk and turned fully on Andrew. "Andz, that's your nick name, isn't it?"
Andrew stopped, eyebrow raised, confusion on his face. "Yeah, when they stuck all of us together, we made a joke of our names, adding a 'Z' to the end of it. I'm Andz, Arjan was Vinz, James was Jimz. . .Why does that matter?"
"It's funny that you mention James. . .Even funnier that he wasn't on the top of the Colonel's witness list." He was right about that, Mac had buried him between other witnesses when James had given her a little loophole that she preferred the Defense not know about. He turned accusingly towards Mac and then read out loud. "'Andz was pissed off as hell when he found out that Vinnie and Andrea were seeing each other. . .We caught them making out at the fantail and Andz tore them apart, slugged Vinnie and exclaimed that he was a dead man.'" Robiard stopped for a moment letting the words sink in fully. Tompkins was not on trial, but that didn't mean he couldn't place blame on the man. "This was the testimony given to me by Airman James Benson when I thought to re-interview him last night." He handed the paper over to Judge Bidermeyer then smirked evilly at Mac. "There were five thousand people aboard the carrier. That's five thousand potential culprits assuming that Airman Arjan didn't just kill himself after what he'd done to Captain Rabb's plane. . .Nothing further."
Mac couldn't bear to look at the two men sitting across from her. It wasn't until Bidermeyer suggested she redirect, that her mind began to work again. Remaining at her seat, she shot a gaze up at Andrew who stared back with sorrow in his eyes. "What happened when you found out Vinnie had been injured?"
"Andrea, James and I went to see him, but there was so much going on in sickbay that we weren't allowed."
"Who was standing outside? Who was the person which the nurses had thrown out?"
"Lieutenant Commander Vukovic, ma'am."
"That's right. . .And you were there, Andrew, and before you were barred entrance, did you see Vinnie?"
Andrew gulped roughly. He had seen Vincent's thrashing around on the bed, machines making God awful sounds as the staff tried to control his friend. It seemed, at least to him, a last effort of sorts. "Yes, I did ma'am. . .He was pointing at Lieutenant Commander Vukovic and yelling 'JAG!' Then he died."
Nodding, Mac stood, rifled around through the things on her desk only to retrieve a plastic baggie with a letter inside. "Please, Petty Officer. . .Read this for me." She handed him the letter and gave him a nod of encouragement.
"God forgive me. I am a traitor. I betrayed my country. The LAW betrayed me. I won't go to jail. Someone else should go to jail. I am a coward. I'm sorry. – Vincent Arjan." Andrew glanced up at her, then handed the letter over. "The word 'law' is in capital letters."
"Yes, it is." She handed the evidence to Bidermeyer then turned towards Vukovic. "Nothing further, your honor."
After a short recess, the jury was brought back in for Robiard's shots at his witnesses. His plan was to place blame on anything other than his client. While that may have worked in a smaller case, this was just too monumental. Too many factors to consider and, though all of Mac's evidence was circumstantial, he hadn't come any closer to completely removing the blame from Vukovic. "Put me on the stand." Vic pleaded with his lawyer, his eyes shooting at him with a steely determination. "Robiard, I know how Sarah MacKenzie operates. I know how to counter her questions. . .Put me on the goddamned stand."
But he didn't, for Robiard knew too well that that people with a beef would find all loopholes possible to get what they wanted. And Sarah MacKenzie wanted Vukovic's head on a platter. "The defense calls former Admiral Albert Jethro Chegwidden to the stand."
Mac whipped her head so quickly she was sure she'd given herself whiplash. Her lips parted slightly, making a perfect 'O.' Last she heard of Chegwidden, he was in Italy with the love of his life. Why in the hell would he be called in as a witness to something he. . . "Objection, your honor. The prosecution was never alerted to this witness. Furthermore, and with all respect due Admiral Chegwidden, he couldn't possibly have information that is pertinent to this case." She turned to a very pissed off AJ Chegwidden. "My apologies, sir."
"He's a character witness, your honor. . .Someone who could tell us, without prejudice, about Captain Harmon Rabb Junior, one of the so called 'victims' of Lieutenant Commander Vukovic's alleged crimes."
Bidermeyer was nearing the end of his rope. Part of him wanted to disallow Chegwidden's testimony, the other part was truly curious. "Colonel, if you like I can give you half an hour to interview the Admiral."
Mac raised an eyebrow in annoyance. 'And ask him what!' She wanted to yell, but stood behind her Marine façade and sucked it up. "That will not be necessary your honor. . .But, if possible, I would like you to grant me the right to question Captain Rabb again, should it become necessary."
"Granted. . .Admiral, step up."
AJ shot Mac an apologetic glance and then traded one of anger with Robiard who was standing by his table, grinning. "How have you known Captain Rabb?"
"He was an officer under my command for the eight and a half years I was the Judge Advocate General for the Navy."
"Was he a good officer?"
"One of the best." He grinned, recalling some of Harm's most stellar moments, like the time he'd tenaciously helped save his daughter, Francesca.
"Is it true that Captain Rabb maintained his billet at JAG AND stayed current as an aviator?"
"This is true."
"How does one stay current as an aviator?"
" The Captain would do his carrier qualifications. I'd sometimes send him out on a case when it pertained to a carrier for this reason. Kill two birds with one stone, so to speak." AJ wasn't the only person in the courtroom wondering where Robiard was going with these types of questions.
"Did it upset you, this dual lifestyle?"
In all honesty, sometimes it tended to infuriate him. AJ had often felt that Harm should pick one thing and stick to it, wanting to hold on to the past had never done anyone good. "Sometimes it did. I felt he was holding too tightly to something he thought was taken away for no reason. . .It was also a bit of a complication with the Captain away during the times when we were understaffed."
"As a pilot, how good was he?
Mac stood quickly, suddenly picking up on Robiard's attempt to put blame on Harm's piloting skills or, one could argue, lack their of. On paper, he was a liability. The Navy didn't care how many sorties he'd successfully flown or how many metals he had pinned to his chest. When you messed up, you messed up. His accidents were as permanent as murder on a rap sheet. "Objection your honor, the Captain is not on trial. Nor is the Admiral adept to be questioned about avionics."
Robiard glared down at Mac, his obvious distaste for the woman growing by the second. "Your honor, the Colonel claims that Lieutenant Commander Vukovic's allegedly blackmailed Airman Arjan into tampering with the F-14 that nearly caused Captain Rabb's death. I would like to entertain that theory for a moment, if allowed."
Oh yeah, the end of the rope was near and after this case Judge Bidermeyer was considering a long vacation. "Overruled Colonel. . .Mr. Robiard, entertain all you like. . .but I do believe you're about to hang yourself." Which was something he'd be quite pleased to see. No, he really didn't like civilians.
He pinned his sights back on AJ. "Same question, Admiral. . .How good a pilot was Captain Rabb?"
AJ shrugged, avionics wasn't his specialty to say, with certainty, how good Harm's piloting skills were. "I wouldn't know. . .I was never part of the aviation sector of the Navy. . .However, considering he has three DFCs, two for saving the lives of fellow aviators and one for saving an entire carrier, I'd say he's an excellent pilot."
"Hmmm." Robiard seemingly nodded in agreement, then scratched his chin as he formulated his next question. "Did Captain Rabb ever have any accidents as a pilot?"
It was years ago and yet, AJ could clearly remember taking a call during Mac's rehearsal dinner and hearing Captain Ingles state, with an anxious voice, that one of his officers was missing. Even worse still was the look on Mac's face. She'd blamed herself for reasons he couldn't ever quite fathom. "Yes."
"How many?" The question faded into the silence of the courtroom and when AJ didn't answer, Robiard asked again. "How many?"
"I don't remember." He said, shaking his head. As the JAG he had more things to worry about than the exploits of all of his officers. There also came a time that, admittedly, he'd given up on Harm filling his shoes. The disappointment was evident when he'd treated the younger man so badly over rescuing the woman he clearly loved. "I don't remember."
"Too many to remember, interesting." Grabbing a folder from the table, Robiard paged through it, took two sheets and then handed them to AJ. "Sir, please read the list."
"'November 1991. Lieutenant Harmon Rabb Junior, 28, too low on the glide slope and unable to see the Meatball due to night blindness, crashes an F-14 Tomcat against the rear of the USS Seahawk. The ramp strike caused the death of his Radar Intercept Officer. Lieutenant Rabb's wings are stripped and as a result to his injuries, is placed on temporary leave."
Robiard nodded. "That's one. . .Please continue, Admiral." The information he'd found was short, a sentence really. So, he'd elaborated, adding a bit of theatrical flair for the benefit of the jury. "Two?"
AJ glanced at Mac, hoping to portray the sorrow he felt at going through this. He hated seeing her hurting, but there was nothing he could do. "January 1997. During an investigation involving several mishaps of squadron 259 Lieutenant Commander Harmon Rabb Junior is seriously injured when a mid-air refueling plane's hose smashes into the canopy of his F-14 tomcat."
Mac shuddered at the thought and brought her hands up over her arms, rubbing them to warm herself. It was the first time since that day in '97 that she'd thought about the mishap. She and Bud were on the carrier, waiting for their return from the missing man formation when chaos had erupted. A pang against her chest grew ever painful as she heard his voice, the struggle as he maintained his bearings and managed to bring the plane down. It was nothing short of a miracle. Mac now knew, it was the first time she'd begun to fear Harm's involvements with the F-14. It was horrible to be so helpless. So, rather than admit her fear, she teased him about flying as a way to cope with the horrible thoughts she'd had in her head.
The next spot on the list wasn't an accident, but a near-miss when she was Harm's backseater and they'd been following Captain Hochausen, Harm's mentor. Due to Hochausen covering up vision problems they'd nearly crashed into power lines as a result. How the hell had that been Harm's fault? Part of her wanted to object, the other part, which held her logical reasoning, knew that it would sound like she was playing favorites. Defending Harm zealously would do her no good. It would make her seem like a cold hearted, vindictive prosecutor, out to avenge her boyfriend's tormenter. In this case, she had to separate her personal feelings from the business side of her job. So, she swallowed down the bile that had risen in her throat and sat there, listening as the list grew.
Mac was half expecting their little ride in a MIG to show up, but that was not just classified, it was unknown by all save Mark Sokol and the pilots that had shot him down. She smiled slightly at the memory, recalling when Harm told her that he'd never been shot down before. His pilot ego had taken a hit that day. And then, came that dreaded night in May of 2001. Mac could have sworn that, up to that point, she'd never cried so much in her life.
AJ stiffened visually, his eyes searching out Mac who was suddenly blocked off by Robiard. "May 2001. Commander Harmon Rabb Junior, 38, loses controls of his F-14 Tomcat over the Atlantic Ocean." He nearly rolled his eyes at how dramatic these phrases were sounding. "Commander Rabb and RIO Lieutenant Elizabeth Hawkes, eject. While Lieutenant Hawkes is found fairly quickly, Commander Rabb is lost at sea, recovered hours later and suffering from hypothermia."
One by one, each set of sentences was read, glazing over Harm playing tag with a nuke as if he were some sort of a thrill seeker, to his, supposedly, shooting down a dignitary over the Gulf when the passenger plane entered a 'No Fly' zone. "December 2010. . ." AJ trailed off, dis-heartedly flipping the paper over to find it blank. "There's nothing else."
"Well, that's because we know what happened. . . That's some list isn't it?"
If Harm's aviator skills would have been mentioned solely on the list, there wasn't anyone around who would give him his wings. However, Harm had been a seasoned pilot and the amount of sorties he'd flown compared to the, so called, 'accidents' were rather minimal. "For the amount of flight time the Captain has, the list is rather short."
"AH, but it does show that even the best of pilots, with three DFCs can have a bad day. . .And that is what the accident probably was, a bad day. . .Captain Rabb is human and as such mistakes can be made, no matter how well trained one is."
"Objecting your honor, defense is editorializing."
Ah, so he was. He spun on Mac, rolled his eyes visibly in her direction and then stated, "Nothing further."
"Redirect." She'd been itching to get her turn, though, in truth, Mac was rather nervous to question her friend and former CO. "Admiral, sir. Let's move away from Captain Rabb for a moment and turn to the man in question. . ." Turning, she faced Vukovic head on, making sure that AJ could see him, as well, from his vantage point. "A year before General Cresswell had become Judge Advocate General and you were still in that office, did paperwork about then Lieutenant Vukovic ever pass through your hands?"
"Yes, colonel, the Secretary of the Navy had sent me his files along with a few others for potential candidates for new Judge Advocates which were to be stationed in our office in Falls Church."
She'd remembered that fairly well. It was one of the many things that Chegwidden had lamented about his last year as their CO. "What did you do with his file?"
"I shredded the papers."
"And why was that?"
"Poor fit reps, alleged crimes that were just tossed away without going to any type of trial. . .Claims that he'd fought with other service members which were done away with two punitive letters of reprimand. . .I didn't believe he was fit to work in my office."
"Did you tell former SECNAV Sheffield this?"
"Yes." He had, in fact, AJ Chegwidden was certain that, after his rejection of then, Lieutenant Vukovic would never get a promotion ever again.
"But he wound up in the office a year later anyway. . . a man that you wouldn't have picked."
"That is correct."
"Nothing further. . .thank you Admiral." Sighing, she took her seat and waited for Robiard to re-direct. When he didn't, a sinking feeling came over her. Had they won? Had her dislike for Vukovic shown so much that everyone believed what Robiard accused her of – Vindictive Prosecution? Now, it was all in the Jury's hands.
1245 Local
Joint Legal Services Southwest (JLSS)
San Diego, California
Most of the group sat in the bullpen, waiting for the jury to come back with their verdict. Mac was in her office, fielding questions from reporters who wanted just a taste of a comment. Wearily, she put down the phone and glanced up to find Harm, in his Naval Whites, standing in front of her desk holding a cup of, "Tea?" She made a face and stuck her tongue out. Not that she really minded the tea, but at the moment, she needed something a little more potent. "Okay, I'll take it." Mac said, before his arguments about it being better for her could see the light of day. She took a sip of the liquid, sighing gratefully as the taste of mandarin and ginger assaulted her senses. "Thank you."
Harm smiled and slid into the chair across from her desk. "My pleasure." During the case, he'd been sitting outside with the media who'd been watching the trial over closed circuit TV. He was angered at the paper which Robiard made Chegwidden read. Not that any of it was classified, but still, those were mistakes, all of them. The only one he could really blame himself over was that ramp strike and still, he'd come to realize that it was meant to happen for whatever reason. Had it not, he'd never joined JAG and never had met Mac. Even the really, really bad stuff had their plus side. "You did good not objecting." He said casually knowing she'd understand what he was commenting on.
"I wanted to." Mac stated solemnly, then sat up and placed the cup on her desk. "Between my want to object and my want to kill him. . ." Trailing off, she glanced right at him and sighed sadly. "You know, today I finally realized when I came to fear you flying."
Surprised, his eyebrows rose towards his hairline. "It wasn't in 2001?"
"No, that mishap just heightened it. . .It was when the plexi broke during that refueling that went wrong. . .I remember standing next to Bud listening to you talking over the radio. . .I felt so helpless." She sighed again, then closed her eyes, hoping tears wouldn't fall at the moment. "I never wanted to feel that way again when it came to you."
AJ chose this moment to step into Mac's office. He wasn't in uniform nor was he their CO anymore and yet, it was amusing when Harm nearly came to attention. "At ease, Harm. . .I'm not in the Navy anymore, remember?" Motioning to the seat next to him, he asked. "May I?"
"Please." Mac stated. "Admiral. . ."
"AJ." He corrected.
She nodded and smiled. "AJ. . .Don't come to apologize. . .You did your job."
"I still can't help but think. . .if I'd remained in JAG for another year. . ."
Harm shook his head. For whatever reason, Vukovic was meant to torment them. If not then, then now. It would have happened one way or another. "Sir. . .AJ, it's not something you had a hand in. . .Hell, you tossed his file. . .Sheffield was being blackmailed." At his former CO's shocked appearance, he waved off slightly. "We'll explain at another time. It's. . .complicated."
"I'm holding you to that, Rabb." Settling himself into the chair, he glared accusingly between both of his former officers. "So. . .Guess you two finally figured things out?" The matching blushes they wore volumes. "About damned time."
"Colonel." Coates stated from the door, excusing herself when the three of them turned her way. "The Jury is back from deliberation."
Mac's internal clock had told her it had been less than an hour. "Damn."
"That might be a good thing, Mac." Harm pointed out, ever hopeful that their tormenter would see the other side of justice.
Stepping into the courtroom, Mac was surprised at the turnout. Almost all of the seats were full, save for the bench behind her which was reserved for the members of her staff. Lieutenant Commander Tali Mayfield shot her a grateful glance. Mac had decided not to subject the younger woman to any more torment from Vukovic. If she was going to win the case, she would win it on her terms and not by bullying people to do what they didn't want to. Tali had faced him once and won, there was no point in opening old wounds, not if Mac could help it.
Once the judge stepped in, the whole room came to their feet and were quickly seated again, impatiently waiting for the result. "Have the members come to a decision?"
A Naval Captain came to her feet and turned towards the Judge. "We have, sir."
"Lieutenant Commander Gregory Vukovic and counsel, please rise. . .Captain, you may now read your findings."
Taking a breath, she began reading the lesser charges and then worked her way up. "On the charge of Article 108 – Loss, Damage, Destruction or Wrongful Disposition of Military Property of the United States, the members find Lieutenant Commander Gregory Vukovic – Not Guilty." Mac knew that was a difficult charge to sick, but Loftness had insisted she try anything possible.
Stoically, Vic stood, facing forwards, eyes unflinching as the charges continued. "On the charges and specifications of Article 128 – Assault – the members find Lieutenant Commander Gregory Vukovic – Guilty." He grimaced slightly knowing that all of Mac's witnesses had sealed that coffin since most had claimed he'd assaulted Arjan. That was fine, the penalty wasn't quite as bad as the one for espionage.
"On the charge and specifications of Article 133 – Conduct Unbecoming an Officer and a Gentleman, the members find Lieutenant Commander Gregory Vukovic – Guilty." Once again, it was not surprising.
"On the charge and specifications of Article 199 B – Involuntary Manslaughter – the members find Lieutenant Commander Gregory Vukovic – Guilty."
That was one of the big ones which Mac had hoped would land a guilty verdict. It wasn't quite what any of them wanted, but without concrete proof that Vukovic had forced Arjan to do anything, she had to choose the lesser charge.
A hush came over the crowd as the final charge was brought up – Espionage. This was the big Whopper, the one that would make or break the case and, quite possibly, her career. You didn't go around blaming people for treason if you weren't certain. And, with this case, seeing it from the other side of the fence, there were circumstances that just didn't make sense. Mac only hoped she hadn't totally seemed to be grasping desperately at straws. "On the charges and specifications of Article 106 A – Espionage, the members find Lieutenant Commander Gregory Vukovic – Guilty."
Harm leaned forward, his hand brushing Mac's shoulder affectionately. He saw her sigh deeply and deflate into the chair. Her job was done and though sentencing was yet to be passed, this was a victory with the knowledge that, at least, Vukovic will see hard labor.
Vic squeezed his eyes shut, his mind trying to wrap around the fact that the military now considered him a terrorist of sorts. In truth, he was – that stunt he'd pulled with Harm was nothing short of a terrorist action considering the time and place that he'd opted to bring down his type of law. But, damnit, he had to save Sarah from Rabb. The man just didn't deserve a woman like her! "Corporal, take Lieutenant Commander Vukovic into custody. . .Sentencing will be held tomorrow at 1300, sharp."
Marine Lance Corporal Damien Kain stepped towards the defense's table, "Mr. Robiard, sir, step away." His attempt to reach Vukovic was stopped as an angry Alexander Robiard lunged himself towards the prosecution table where Mac stood hugging Harm.
"You little bitch!" He said, jumping towards Mac with a blind fury. Harm managed to pull her away in the nick of time, and half a second later Lance Corporal Kain was grabbing the man as Marine Corporal Kevin Duquette pushed through the throng of people that were chaotically strewn around the courtroom. The sound of Bidermeyer's gavel frantically banging was muffled by the sounds of people screaming and yelling.
Above all of the confusion, one person had his bearings. Unfortunately, that one person had nothing to lose and a point to make before he was sent into oblivion. Despite his better judgment (like he actually had any?) Vukovic came up behind Lance Corporal Kain, quickly making work of removing the man's side arm. Using the butt of the gun, he knocked the Corporal out, then point blank, shot Alexander Robiard in the chest. Once both men were out of his line of sight, he narrowed his vision towards Harm and Mac. "You son of a bitch. . .You don't deserve her, you never did!" He raised the weapon to shoot only to stop as Mac stood before him, arms akimbo as she tried to protect Harm. "MOVE SARAH!"
Mac shook her head, stubbornly keeping her position even when Harm tried to move her away. She knew that in Vukovic's twisted mind, she meant something to him and hoped he wouldn't shoot at her. "No. . .If you want to shoot Harm, you have to go through me."
"Mac, no!" Harm cried out, a lump rising in his throat as the thoughts of witnessing her murder fought fleetingly in his mind. "Vukovic, put the gun down! This isn't worth it!"
But, he didn't comply. Instead, he used whatever shred of weapons training he'd had to point the gun over Mac's shoulder where Harm stood a head taller than her. He still had a shot and he was going to take it. "Bye, bye, Rabb."
Five shots ran out as the cacophony of screams grew. The press outside was trying to make light of the situation and even Judge Bidermeyer was in complete confusion over what he'd witnessed. Mac's body lay on the floor with Harm's frame covering her. By his limp state, she was sure he'd been shot and killed. A strangled sob came out as she begged for help. From her vantage point she was able to see the blood as well as the shell casings and the gun that rested a foot away from what was left of Vukovic. It was apparent that the other Marine guard had shot and killed the man. To her, that wasn't enough. Not if Harm was dead.
She felt the weight come off of her body and was tempted to lay there and grieve forever until she heard Harm's voice, a little weak, urging her to stand. Glancing upwards, she found him alive and slightly well, nursing his shoulder, which one of the bullets had grazed. "Oh God." She fell into him, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. "I thought I'd lost you again. . .I. . ."
"It's over, Mac." Harm held onto her, the feel of Mac in his arms distracting him from the pain in his shoulder. It was a flesh wound, but it still hurt like hell. His eyes fixed on the blood and the lifeless corpse that now lay in the center of the red pool. 'I'm not a murderer.' He recalled how vehemently he'd said it in a hotel room when he'd believed that Vukovic had raped Mac. It was a sheer miracle that his anger hadn't ended the other man's life. Now, his regrets for not finishing the job dissipated as he realized that Vic was marked for death – proof that evil didn't go unpunished. "It's over."
From the corner of his eye, he spied a familiar figure and noted a silvery object which she held in her hand. Making a quick scan of the room, he noted that the other Marine guard still had his side arm in his holster which could only mean one thing - soon to be former Secretary of the Navy Caroline Hewitt had shot her son. "I'm sorry." She mouthed the words at Harm, then smiled sadly. It had to be done. She knew that the monster she'd created needed to be put to rest. It was better this way, she realized. And though her days in politics were over, there was other fun to be had – things to invest in. Soon this would be all behind her. Hewitt slipped the small pistol into her purse, then weaved her way out of the courtroom and past the press.
Sometimes, the prices people paid for freedom were astronomical.
Harm would keep Hewitt's secrets and, in turn, she had set him and Mac free. It was a nominal fee but then, she'd paid so much more. It was only fair, he supposed, seeing as neither he nor Mac had set out to hurt anyone. They'd been pawns in the game.
Game Over.
