Assignment for Webb
By Bernadeen

Chapter 3

Harm's Apartment
North of Union Station
Wednesday, 1950 EST

Harm had put the next step of the plan into motion. Tomorrow he was booked on a flight to Texas. His cover story involved Ezekiel "Zeke" Desmond whom he had met in flight school. They weren't close friends and hadn't served together after graduation. A couple of years after Harm's ramp strike, he had heard that Zeke was suspected of drug use. The test was inconclusive, but Zeke had left the Navy. He returned to his native Texas and started a small air service, carrying freight and occasional passengers to remote areas not served by the larger carriers. His freight service occasionally included illegal flights into Mexico to smuggle various types of contraband back and forth across the border.

When his activities came to the attention of the DEA, the agency decided to try to bring him in as a source rather than shut him down. The connection had been a success. Zeke gave the DEA just enough tips so the criminals didn't know who was leaking information, and Zeke was able to recapture some of his self-esteem lost when he screwed up his career as a Naval aviator.

The DEA had worked with Zeke to enhance the story of his past friendship with Harm, in case anyone questioned it. Given this past friendship and the similar circumstances for discharge from the Navy, it would be natural for Harm to seek out his old friend. A dishonorable discharge would preclude Harm from working for any of the larger airlines, but not from flying for his friend's small privately owned operation. It would also put Harm in close proximity to members of the drug cartel that the CIA was after.

Harm had made all the arrangements to close down his apartment indefinitely. His bags were packed and sat by the door, ready for the morning's departure for the airport. This evening, he was doing something he hadn't done for a long time .. drinking alone. There had been a time after his ramp strike when alcohol had threatened to become too big a part of his life. Luckily he recognized the danger signs and backed away. It was one of the reasons he had admired Mac so much .. that she was an alcoholic who was able to conquer the demon. His indulgences were never an addiction, but he had come close enough to understand the allure that drugs or alcohol could have. This latest indulgence would be just for this one evening. Just a few drinks. No getting blindly drunk or tomorrow's flight would be torture with a hangover. As he sat savoring the aged whisky and running through the next steps of the plan in his mind, he was surprised by someone knocking on his door.

It was likely to be someone from the office and he didn't want to see Bud or Sturgis. The knocking continued. He had better check .. it could be Clay about the case. As he stood up, the room shifted slightly. Ok, enough for tonight! He waited a few seconds for the dizziness to pass. When the knocking was repeated once again, he shouted impatiently, "OK, OK, I'm coming."

He pulled the door open and was astounded to find Mac standing there. She looked angry. Now what the hell did she want? Rather than exercise control to cover up his slightly inebriated state, he exaggerated it by leaning against the door frame and slurring his words. "Well, well, well, Colonel MacKenzie," he said sarcastically. "It's been a long, long time since your beauty has graced my doorway." Between the alcohol and no longer being bound by the UCMJ rules, he found he could say things he never dared to before. He swept his arm toward the apartment, inviting her to enter. "Come in and meet my friend, Jack Daniels." He knew that was a hurtful remark because of Mac's alcoholism, and he would never have said it under normal circumstances. Tonight, though, he had to make her so angry and disgusted with him, that she would leave and stay away. If she got it in her Marine head that he needed her help, she could blow the mission and put them both in danger.

Mac walked into the apartment and, instead of the disgust he had hoped for, her anger melted and she looked sad and regretful. "Harm, what's going on?"

He closed the door and leaned against it as though needing it for support. For good measure, he added, "I might even be able to find enough in my stash for a line of coke for each of us." This time he saw her flinch.

"Harm, don't do this to yourself. I've been there. I know it's not a place you want to go."

Suddenly he was angry .. really angry. "Don't you dare come here to pity me! I screwed up and I'll have to live with the consequences. It's not the first time and it probably won't be the last. I'll get through it. Life goes on .. not the way we hope, but it goes on."

He turned away from her and picked up his glass of whisky. Lifting his glass as if to toast her, he continued, "Here's to you, Lieutenant Colonel Sarah MacKenzie, United States Marine. Tough, self-sufficient, the ice-maiden. You just grind up men that get in your path, don't you?" God, maybe he was more drunk than he thought to be saying these awful things to her. "I told Sturgis once that every man who has ever been involved with you was either dead or felt like they were. I've been trying to kill the pain of my encounter with you for months. Funny how alcohol and a few lines of coke only dull the edge but never make it go away." 'Stop it, Rabb! You're overplaying it. You don't need to hurt her like this to get her to leave you alone.'

He turned on her, the intensity of his eyes and threatening body language beginning to scare her. "Drink with me or get out. You have no right to come here and judge me!" he yelled.

With a gasp, Mac turned, jerked open the door and fled. As she ran down the hall, she heard glass shatter as Harm furiously threw his glass against the wall.

She reached her car and got inside. She was shaking so badly that she couldn't drive. 'All right, calm down. You shouldn't have come here.' She replayed the scene in her mind. Harm was completely out of control. A year ago she had accused him of never being able to let go. She had wanted him to lose control just enough to tell her how he felt about her. Later, after he nearly died, he clearly wanted to take that next step, but she was too afraid of getting hurt again. Harm was someone who could hurt her worse than any other man she had known if things went wrong. She hadn't had the courage to take the risk. By the time she wondered if she had made a disastrous mistake, Harm had withdrawn so far that she didn't think she could reach him. And now this …

She wanted to forget it .. forget Harm. He was out of her life now. She need never see him again. Isn't that what she wanted? Harm had certainly made it clear that he didn't want to see her ever again. God, she hadn't realized that she had hurt him so badly. While she knew Harm was responsible for his own mistakes, she felt a measure of responsibility for his downfall. There was a time when they had always been there for each other. But she had felt so betrayed when, after Mic left refusing to talk to her, she had gone to Harm .. at his request .. and found Renee there. Later she understood that Harm had acted exactly the way she would expect him to .. standing beside Renee after her father's death. He had acted honorably and at the time she had hated him for it. But he was an honorable man, that's one of the reasons why she loved him so much. How could she expect him to act any other way?

But he wasn't there for her when she needed him so badly .. when all the questions about her canceled wedding kept on and on .. and she had run away. And he'd followed her, only to have her freeze him out. He'd tried so many times to have the talk they had promised each other, but she had always avoided it. Until he stopped trying. When had that happened? About the time he started drinking and using drugs? Oh, God! She was responsible!

The tears that had threatened ever since she heard about his arrest overflowed .. slowly, silently the tears ran down her cheeks. Much as she wanted to, she wouldn't indulge in a good cry. Her mind was racing. Was there anything she could do to make things right between her and Harm at this late date? It registered in the back of her mind that his bags sat just inside his apartment door. He was leaving! But where was he going? She couldn't just let him disappear from her life. She had loved him too long and made too many mistakes. She was a Marine .. she wouldn't give up … there had to be a way to salvage the situation. He was too hurt and angry for her to approach him again now, but she couldn't lose track of him.

There was one person who could follow his movements and let her know what he was doing. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed. On the second ring, he answered. "Clay, I need to see you."

TBC