Assignment for Webb

by Bernadeen

Harm takes on a dangerous assignment to help bring down a drug cartel. A Harm and Mac adventure that brings about important changes in their relationship.

2. Chapter 2

Assignment for Webb

By Bernadeen

Chapter 2

JAG HQ
Wednesday
0755 EST

The Admiral had ordered a staff call for 0800. This was an unusual event for mid week. Staff briefings tended to be Mondays to get assignments for the week or Fridays for wrap up reports. Mac looked around the room. Harm and Bud were both missing. As chief of staff, she should have known where they were, but she didn't. An uneasy prickle ran down her back .. something she hadn't felt since the days when she was Harm's partner and he was in trouble.

At precisely 0800 a grim faced Admiral Chegwidden entered the room and sat at the head of the table. Even then he hesitated, as though reluctant to announce bad news. Mac's heart rate accelerated as the trickle of fear became more pronounced.

"Last night on the way home from here, Commander Rabb was stopped for speeding."

Sturgis felt his lips twitch. 'It was bound to happen sooner or later with that Vette,' he thought to himself. Any humor in the situation was stripped away with the Admiral's next words.

"A routine search of the Commander's car produced two ounces of cocaine."

There was a faint and collective gasp from the assembled staff. Mac felt the trickle of fear turn into a cold wind of panic. 'Calm down,' she scolded herself. 'There's got to be a mistake.'

The Admiral continued, "Obviously, this is a case the Navy wants to deal with itself. Lieutenant Roberts is processing the paperwork as we speak. He will defend, at the Commander's request. Given the Commander's high rank and his many years of service in this office, I won't order any of you to prosecute. I'll take care of that myself.

"This will likely hit the media as soon as some enterprising reporter sees the name on the police arrest report and puts two and two together. There is to be no comment to the press from anyone in this office. I will issue any statements after they are cleared with the SecNav. Is that understood?"

A chorus of "yes, sir," gave the Admiral the assurance that they understood the order.

"Commander Rabb is on administrative leave pending resolution of the charges. That'll be all. Dismissed." The Admiral rose and walked quickly from the room, hoping to discourage further discussion with any of the staff.

He had watched Colonel MacKenzie's face during his announcement. He had wondered at Harm's bitter words that Mac wouldn't care what happened to him. The former partners had been estranged ever since Harm had almost died in the Atlantic and Mac's wedding was cancelled. The Admiral tried not to get involved in his staff's personal lives unless it affected their work. The friction between his two senior officers was almost as difficult to deal with as the other situation that he had fully expected to occur. He was a good judge of people, and he was usually pretty accurate at reading what they were feeling and at anticipating their actions. The day Mac and Harm met, he saw something happen, and had warned them not to get too close because they had to work together. In spite of his warning, he expected someday to have to separate the two in the chain of command because of a romantic relationship.

While it was clear to the Admiral that there once were strong feelings between them, they had never acted on those feelings to his knowledge. Mac had been devastated when Harm's plane had gone down at sea. Afterwards, when Brumby broke the engagement and went back to Australia and Harm went to Minnesota with Renee for her father's funeral, Mac had been hurting badly. AJ wasn't sure which man's actions hurt her the most.

When Harm came back to active duty, AJ had watched and waited, convinced that the two former partners would become closer. It hadn't happened, but from what the Admiral observed, it wasn't for lack of effort by the Commander. Colonel MacKenzie was a stubborn Marine who, for reasons known only by her, had chosen to withdraw even her friendship from Harm.

The past months had been rough. With sadness, the Admiral had watched the Commander's energy and dedication slowly decline. Oh, he was still one of the finest lawyers he had ever worked with. But the fire was gone. Many military officers were single or had marriages that didn't last. It was a hazard of military life. Still, AJ had seen situations where the love of a life partner had made all the difference in an officer's career success. Unfortunately, he had also seen the other situation where losing that one important person's love could destroy an officer. Regretfully, that seemed to be the case with Commander Rabb. AJ watched, for once helpless to stop the erosion but not giving up hope of finding a way to help Harm refocus himself. AJ had been exploring the possibility of other duty assignments away from JAG headquarters. As much as he would be missed, AJ believed it might be better for Harm to cut the tie completely .. to forget Mac and move on with his life.

Webb's assignment was not exactly what the Admiral was looking for. All of the risks were just as he had enumerated them to Harm. But it would certainly force him to refocus, at least for awhile. Even in the best case scenario, AJ would suggest that Harm transfer to another duty station where he could make a fresh start and rebuild his reputation. AJ sighed. There just didn't seem to be an upside to this whole situation. The weight of command sat heavily on his shoulders this day.

DC Police Headquarters
0850 EST

Bud had arrived at the police station at 0745 to arrange for Harm's release from jail and transfer to his custody. There were repeated delays in seeing the right people and then there was paperwork to complete. Finally, as Bud signed the last of the forms, he saw Commander Rabb being escorted to him. Nervously, Bud began, "Sir, the transfer forms have been taken care of .."

With a weak smile, Harm placed a grateful hand on Bud's shoulder and said softly, "Let's get out of here."

As they walked toward the car, Bud glanced at Harm several times. Bud had never seen the Commander look this bad, even after nearly dying in the Atlantic a couple of years ago. His uniform was wrinkled .. obviously he had slept in it ... well, by the look of him, he hadn't actually slept. His eyes were red and puffy. The dark circles under his eyes and the day's growth of his dark beard gave him an almost sinister look. But mostly, he looked defeated. If the charges were true, it would be the end of his Navy career. Bud knew how much the Navy meant to Harm.

Bud still believed there had been some mistake. The Commander just wouldn't make the mistake of using drugs, knowing what it would cost him. Bud sighed. Now that he thought about it, he realized that the Commander hadn't been quite himself for awhile .. actually since he and the Colonel stopped being friends. But Bud was shocked at the current situation. He hadn't expected anything like this.

"Sir, the Admiral said you were on administrative leave. You should go home and get some rest .." Bud began tentatively.

"Bud, I need to go home and get cleaned up. But I want to talk about my case, too." Harm ran his fingers through his hair in a gesture of frustration. "I really screwed up this time. I just hope you can keep me out of Leavenworth."

"You mean it's true?" Bud was shocked. "I was sure it was a mistake .. some misunderstanding .."

"No mistake, Bud. It was my coke." He couldn't quite meet Bud's eyes, afraid of the disappointment and condemnation he would see there.

Bud started the car and they drove in silence to Harm's apartment. When they arrived, Harm opened the car door but hesitated. "Bud, I won't be able to sleep until this is resolved. Please, come on up with me. I'll grab a quick shower and we can talk a bit. My car was impounded so after we work out a strategy, maybe you can give me a lift to the office to talk to the Admiral."

"Sure, Commander. Good idea." Bud tried to sound enthusiastic as he followed Harm into his apartment building.

A short while later, Harm, shaved, showered and in a fresh uniform, sat down across from Bud to discuss his case. "Sir, while you were in the shower, Harriet called me on my cell phone. ZNN is carrying a news report of your arrest for drug possession and including highlights of your career ... I'm sorry, Commander."

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Lieutenant. You didn't put that coke in my car. It was my own doing and I'll have to pay the price." Harm knew that Webb had made sure that a certain ZNN reporter would write a high profile story emphasizing Harm's illustrious Navy career to demonstrate how far he had fallen. Even his friends would believe it and it hurt. He hoped this operation would be successful so that all this was worth it.

"The Admiral is prosecuting and the SecNav wants quick resolution and no perception of a cover-up." Bud hesitated, hating to say the obvious. "Sir, you know if convicted, you'll receive a dishonorable discharge, minimum."

"No …" Even though Harm knew this was the plan, he couldn't help his protest.

With a determination that surprised both of them, Bud continued, "You admitted to me it was your coke. Sir, we have no defense to the charges. We could only hope to limit your punishment because of your past accomplishments. And, while you earned two DFCs, your record isn't unblemished. If we make that argument, the prosecution can counter with those less favorable incidents. I've seen you succeed with the strategy of using a defendant's outstanding career to mitigate punishment, but let's face it, I don't have your eloquence in a court room."

Harm smiled as he said, "Don't sell yourself short, Bud. You have your own very persuasive style in court. But you're right. My record won't help us all that much in my defense." He paused and dropped his head in this hands. In a minute, his voice slightly muffled because his hands still covered his face, he continued. "Dishonorable discharge, loss of all benefits, no confinement." He looked up. "Do you think you can get me that deal?"

"If that's what you want, sir."

"Obviously, it's not what I want, Bud, but it's all I can hope for. Let's go see the Admiral."

JAG HQ
Wednesday
1330 EST

Bud had called the Admiral and they were expected. As Harm and Bud crossed the bullpen, Harm felt all eyes on him. From one of televisions he heard his name. Glancing toward the screen, he saw his service picture and heard the reporter talking about the other incidents that put him into the news. He blocked out the voice and continued toward the Admiral's office. Tiner came to attention and sent them in immediately.

The two officers came to attention in front of Admiral Chegwidden's desk. "At ease, gentlemen." They had not been told to sit down so they both stood at parade rest, staring across the room above the Admiral's head. AJ leaned back in his chair and observed both men. Roberts looked stressed and upset. Rabb looked tired and defeated. The longer this assignment went on, the more he hated it. Webb would pay if things went badly for Rabb, AJ vowed to himself. He hated that disillusioned look in Bud's eyes, too, and wished he could tell him the truth. Not now .. too risky. "You wanted to see me, Lieutenant?"

"Yes, sir. .. Sir, this case is receiving news coverage that does not reflect favorably on the Navy and its officers. It would be in the Navy's best interest to dispose of it without a court martial."

"What are you offering?"

"The Commander will resign his commission. No loss of benefits and no confinement."

The Admiral snorted. "Get real, Lieutenant. From the police report, there's not much doubt that the Commander is guilty. I can get a dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay and benefits and five years at Leavenworth, minimum, in a court martial conviction."

"But, sir, does the Navy really want a fully publicized court martial of one of its officers, particularly one of the Judge Advocate General's top litigators?" Bud hesitated a few seconds as though considering his next offer. In actuality, he had worked out his entire strategy prior to entering the Admiral's office. All of the lawyers present knew the negotiating drill. But they had to go through the steps. "Dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay and benefits, no confinement. Commander Rabb will be discharged immediately and the matter will be done by the end of the week."

The Admiral hesitated only briefly. "Subject to approval of the SecNav, it's a deal." For the first time AJ looked directly at Harm. "Commander, is this agreement acceptable to you?"

Not meeting the Admiral's eyes, Harm answered regretfully, "Yes, sir."

"All right then." The Admiral sighed. Before dismissing them, AJ needed to say something. He hated this but it was a show for Lieutenant Roberts. "Commander, I had hoped that when you left my command it would be because of career advancement. While your methods on occasion have been unconventional, you are one of the finest lawyers I've known. I am extremely disappointed that you have chosen to throw everything away for a few ounces of white powder. Dismissed."

Harm and Bud exited the Admiral's office. Bud hovered uncertainly while Harm went straight into his office and shut the door. A minute later the Admiral walked to the edge of the bullpen. Observing most of the staff standing around looking toward Commander Rabb's office or talking softly among themselves, he raised his voice to command level, "Back to work, people."

As the staff hastened back to their jobs, the elevator opened and two MPs walked into the bullpen. As they hesitated, the Admiral moved forward to meet them. It was standard practice that, once an officer is dishonorably discharged, he or she is immediately escorted from the premises and all passes and identifications repossessed. If this had been an actual discharge, the Admiral should not have allowed Rabb back into his office for fear of what a revengeful person could do to the computer files. AJ hoped the breach in procedure would not be noticed.

He knocked on Harm's door and opened it without waiting for a reply. Harm was sitting at his desk lost in thought. "Time to go, Mr. Rabb," the Admiral said sternly and stepped back so Harm could see the MPs. "You know the procedure. I'll have Lt. Roberts send you your personal items."

Harm had been staring into space, trying to get his mind to catch up with the whirl wind of events. When the Admiral opened his door and he saw the MPs, it was with a start that he remembered the required procedure. One more humiliation to endure. Harm stood and walked around his desk. He came to attention before the Admiral one last time. After the Admiral nodded an acknowledgement, Harm walked straight to the elevator, head high, never looking back, flanked by the two MPs.

Mac had seen the MPs come in and stepped to the door of her office to watch. She saw Harm's final look at the Admiral and his proud exit from JAG headquarters, though he left in disgrace. Watching him leave like this was a knife in her heart. She blinked quickly to stop the moisture in her eyes from turning into tears. This had to be tearing Harm up inside, and while she longed to go to him and comfort him, she no longer had a right to do so.

TBC