Assignment for Webb
By Bernadeen

Chapter 5

Two hours later, Mac pulled up on front of the combination office and hangar at the small air field. As she stepped out of the car, a man she recognized as Zeke came out of the office. "Hey, Sarah," he exclaimed excitedly, and rushed forward to give her a strong, brotherly hug. "It's great to see you."

"Zeke, you look good. How're things?"

"Oh, you know. I'm getting by. Hey, you'll never guess who showed up a few days ago .. Harmon Rabb. Got himself into a little trouble with the Navy and he's going to work with me now. Thought you'd be glad to see him," he finished with a sly grin.

Mac smiled a secret smile and said softly, "Yeah, I'd love to see Harm again."

Zeke wondered briefly what kind of relationship this woman really had with Harm. Either there was something there or she was one great actress. "Come on in."

They walked through the office and out into the hangar. A man in coveralls was making adjustments on the engine of the plane. A tall figure with a preflight clipboard in his hand stood at the far side of the hangar.

"Harm," Zeke called. "Sarah's here."

Harm hadn't liked this new arrangement one bit when Zeke told him about it. First of all, he was worried about putting Mac in danger. He also wondered how well they would work together after so much tension between them. He wished it could be like it had been for their first two years as partners. They had been really good together; almost reading each other's minds; anticipating the other's actions. But now … oh, well, show time …

Putting the clip board aside, he quickly walked toward Mac with a welcoming smile. "Zeke told me you were coming for a visit. It's great to see you, Sarah!"

Mac stepped forward to meet Harm and said softly, "Hey, Stickboy." By using a nickname she had tagged him with early in their partnership, she hoped he would understand that they needed to forget recent differences. To emphasize the role they would play, she moved close to him, draped her arms around his shoulders and pulled his head down for a warm kiss.

With no more than an instant of shock, Harm recovered and drew her close. The memory of a forbidden kiss on the Admiral's porch flashed into his mind. This kiss wasn't forbidden, however, and he intended to make the most of it. Her lips were soft and welcoming and tasted wonderful. He moved his lips against hers, softly, sensually, and ran the tip of his tongue over her bottom lip as he drew away. Both were slightly breathless and Mac had a dazed look in her eyes. Keeping one arm firmly around her waist, Harm stepped back to glance at Zeke and back at Mac. "Best thing I've done lately was looking up Zeke," he said.

"Much as I'd like to spend some time with my sister, it looks like you two have more catching up to do. Anyway, I've got a couple of things to take care of. Harm, why don't you take Sarah to the Inn. I'm sure they'll have a room available. I'll see you later." And with that Zeke slapped Harm on the shoulder and walked toward where Stan continued to work on the plane, ignoring the family reunion.

"Good idea. Thanks, Zeke," Harm called. With his arm still possessively around Mac, they went back through the office and out to their cars. Once out of sight of Zeke, Harm reluctantly dropped his arm and put distance between them. He wanted to go on holding her but he didn't want to deal with a pissed off Marine.

For her part, Mac was astonished at the joy she felt when Harm kissed her and how safe and loved his continued embrace made her feel. She was disappointed when he stepped away as soon as they were alone. So it was just an act. "How about leading the way to the Inn Zeke mentioned. I hope they have a room, or we'll have to share. Just like old times."

Harm grinned, almost the easy grin she hadn't seen for so long. "Just like old times." He repeated.

Mac followed Harm to the Tumbleweed Inn, parking beside him in the small gravel lot adjacent to the building. She started to pull her bag from the trunk, but Harm took it from her and led the way inside. Mac looked around the small lobby. Though a bit shabby, it felt comfortable and welcoming. Almost like home, Mac thought, though she hadn't had much experience with how a home should look. If circumstances had been different .. if she and Harm were here on a romantic vacation, it would have been heaven.

What on earth made her think that? His kiss had chipped a bit of ice off her heart, she admitted to herself, and allowed her to dream again, just a little.

With a start, she heard Harm speaking to her. "There's a room available, Sarah. Shirley just needs your credit card."

Mac suddenly realized that her credit cards wouldn't have the right name on them. Thinking quickly, she looked ashamed as she said reluctantly, "My … ah, my credit cards are sort of … maxed out. I'll get some cash for you tomorrow, if that's okay."

Harm quickly handled the situation by pulling out his wallet. "Here, Shirley. Use my card. Sarah, you can pay me back later."

Shirley handed Mac her key. "Number 27, right down the hall from Harm. I hope you'll have an enjoyable stay. I'm sure Zeke'll like seeing family."

"Thank you, Mrs. Smith. I'm looking forward to the visit," Mac answered, accepting the room key.

Harm allowed Mac to precede him down the hall to room 27. She unlocked the door and walked into the room while Harm followed with her bag. The room was warm and stuffy. Since it had been unoccupied, the air exchanger was off. Mac switched the unit on and turned back toward the room. Harm lingered uncertainly beside the bed where he had placed her bag.

Conscious of Clay's warning, she walked over to him, put her arms around Harm's neck and with her lips close to his ear, whispered, "We have to stay in character. The room could be bugged." She snuggled her face into his neck and kissed him before stepping back. It was wonderful to be able to touch him and hold him. What was she getting herself into here? It was supposed to be an act, but she knew for her it wasn't. And for once, she needed to live for the moment and to hell with the consequences.

She heard Harm's sexy chuckle. Then with his hand along her cheek, he forced her to meet his eyes. What she saw there made her tighten her grip on his arms because her knees were suddenly so weak they threatened to give way. "God, I've missed you, Sarah," he whispered before capturing her lips in a sweet and passionate kiss. It sounded like he meant it, she thought, and this kiss certainly feels real. She felt herself losing her grip on reality as her mouth opened to receive his probing tongue. When she wrapped her lips around his tongue and sucked, she heard him moan. His hand was at the back of her head so she couldn't escape .. not that she wanted to … as he moved away from her lips to kiss and lick his way along her jaw and down her neck to the spot where her pulse pounded. She wanted him so badly and she could feel that his desire was just as strong. With an enormous force of will, she whispered, "Harm … stop …"

When she had put her arms around him and said they had to stay in character, Harm felt a wave of pure pleasure wash over him. And she kissed his neck like she had a right to do that to him. Even if this was a game, he wasn't about to let this opportunity slip past him. By God, he would have some memories of Sarah MacKenzie to take with him when this mission was over. He tasted her lips and explored her mouth. As he moved down to kiss the pounding pulse on her neck, he heard her request to stop, and suddenly reality hit him like cold ocean spray. His whole body tensed and he stepped back. "I'm sorry." He said shakily.

This might be their chance, Mac realized. Maybe their last chance. If she let him think she didn't want him, they could lose it. Yet they were in the middle of a dangerous assignment that required focus and concentration. When Harm dropped his arms and stepped back, Mac felt a chill. But she didn't do anything to discourage his withdrawal. Mac watched Harm's face change as disappointment and scorn took over.

With a regretful sign, Harm said harshly, "Look, Sarah, I know we parted badly. I don't know what game you're playing by being here, but I'm not going there with you. Your brother and I are friends, I need this job, and I won't let you cause trouble. If that clear?"

After so much recent experience, Mac easily dropped into the her prickly mode. "Well, I wouldn't want to be a temptation for you!" she said sarcastically. Then she sighed and hesitantly tried again. "Harm, I know it's been over for us for a long time, but for Zeke's sake, I'd like to try to be friends again. We had some good times, you and I. And we used to be best friends.

In an effort to defuse the emotionally charged situation, Mac grinned shyly and stated, "I'm starving. Is there a good place to eat around here?"

Harm laughed in spite of himself. "Some things never change. There's a great little café two blocks down. If you want some company, we could test this friendship theory of yours."

"Give me a few minutes to freshen up. Why don't you call Zeke to join us. I'll meet you in the lobby."

"Probably a good idea. I'll see you in a few minutes." And Harm left her room.

Mac sat down on her bed and put her head in her hands. She felt like crying but was too self-disciplined to indulge herself. Her nerves felt like a rubber band strung too tightly and threatening to break. 'Come on, Marine, get a grip!' she chided herself. 'You just got here and the dangerous part hasn't started yet.' This thought brought a grimace. That kiss had been pretty dangerous to her peace of mind. It was going to be hard to forget that and focus on the assignment. Maybe she should really get into the part of Harm's ex-lover trying for a reconciliation. It was a temptation, but it would be a distraction for both of them if she succeeded and too hurtful if she failed. She had to stay cool and stay in the game for everyone's safety.

A few minutes latter, Mac walked into the lobby. Harm was waiting for her. She saw that he had changed into a blue sport shirt and black jeans. He looked good enough to eat, and she grinned at the thought. He saw the grin and wondered what she was thinking, but didn't quite feel comfortable asking. Instead he only said, "Zeke will meet us at the café. Let's go eat."

Supper was a pleasant meal. The trio talked as though they were, in fact, family. Harm told Zeke about some of his more unusual cases. When he referred to his partner, Zeke knew he meant Mac though they were careful not to reveal that in their conversation. Zeke told them about some of his adventures, though not the illegal ones.

As they finished their food, Zeke leaned across the table and said quietly, "I've been contacted. They want to see you tomorrow at 0900. I'm to take you to the meeting place."

"Where is it?" Harm asked.

"Remote cabin about 20 miles east of here."

Harm sat back and said in a normal voice, "Sarah, you've been traveling all day and I expect you're tired. If you and your brother want to stay to talk, that's fine. But if you're ready to head back to the Inn, I'll walk you back."

Mac suddenly had to stifle a very real yawn. "I guess I am ready to turn in. Sorry, Zeke. We'll have time tomorrow to catch up, okay?"

"Absolutely."

Harm let Zeke pay for supper since it was his town and his sister. Next time he'd buy. Outside the café, Zeke leaned over and kissed Mac on the cheek. "Good night, Sis. See you tomorrow."

"Good night, Zeke. I'll call or stop by to see what you're doing."

Harm and Mac turned toward the Inn, and walked in slightly uncomfortable silence. Harm's thoughts were on their last meeting in DC; on the cruel things he had said to Mac in an attempt to drive her away and not interfere with his mission. Obviously he hadn't succeeded. Just before they reached the Inn, Harm decided he shouldn't delay his apology any longer. "Sarah, about the last time we saw each other…" he had to make sure that Mac understood he had not meant the things he'd said. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean those things I said .."

"I know, Harm. It's okay." She looked into his eyes so he would believe her. "I now realize what caused you to do it."

When they arrived at her room, she unlocked the door and turned toward Harm. They were suddenly more awkward with each other. She could see that Harm intended to say goodnight and leave her at the door. Quickly she laid a light hand on his arm. "Harm, I'll …I'll see you tomorrow?" she said tentatively.

'I'll be around," he answered cautiously. "Good night." There was finality in his dismissal and Mac sadly opened her door and went into her room. 'It's what you wanted,' she told herself. 'It's the way it has to be for now.'

Harm entered his room, threw his keys on the dresser, and flopped down on the couch with a tired sigh. This was going to be hard, harder than working with Mac when they were friends. Then they were in synch and worked well as a team. Now they were out of step and he desperately hoped they could regain their rhythm before something critical happened on this mission. Otherwise, someone could get hurt, and he worried that it would be Mac. Why had Webb and the Admiral sent her into this dangerous assignment? Strategically, it made sense because she provided a good method of communication between Harm and Webb, but he worried about her safety. When Zeke told him that Webb was sending in another agent to back him up, his former partner, pretending to be Zeke's sister and Harm's former girlfriend, he had been angry at Webb for putting Mac in danger. He still didn't know how it had come about that Mac was here. But if they could remember how to be partners, their chances were more than doubled for getting each other safely through a dangerous assignment.

Harm decided that this mission was like so many others that Webb was involved with .. nothing ever went as planned and there was every chance some of them wouldn't make it out alive. With another tired sigh, he pulled off his jeans and shirt and flopped into bed.

Next morning
0855 CST
East of town

Zeke drove his Chevy four-by-four toward their meeting with the cartel. Harm appeared relaxed in the passenger seat but if Zeke had known him better, he would have realized that Harm was in full combat alertness. Tucked into the waistband of his jeans, at his back, was a small handgun that Zeke had supplied. Leaning against it during the drive was uncomfortable, but the security its presence provided more than made up for the discomfort.

The cabin appeared to be deserted as they pulled up. Both men were alert to their surroundings as they stepped out of the pickup truck and walked into the small building. The inside was also empty. Harm's unease grew. "I don't like it," he said quietly to Zeke.

As they stood undecided on their next move, they heard steps on wooden porch and two men appeared in the doorway. Both men were of Latin descent. One was nearly as tall as Harm and powerfully built. Clearly he was the muscle of the pair. The man two steps in the lead appeared quietly confident. Harm guessed he held some power in the organization. He didn't need aggressiveness or cockiness to assert his power .. he was already certain of it.

"Hello, Zeke," the lead man greeted Zeke. "And Commander Rabb, it's an honor."

Harm looked at him closely, trying to find the mockery in his tone, his expression. Instead, the man appeared to be sincere. Harm raised an eyebrow in question.

With a smile, the man offered, "I mean it. If you were hiring a pilot for your company, wouldn't you check his personnel file. I was quite impressed with yours. It's unfortunate that the Navy couldn't overlook one slip in twenty years of service. Oh, well, the Navy's loss is my gain, I guess."

He paused as if waiting for Harm to respond, but there was nothing Harm wanted to say. After a few seconds, the man continued. "Call me Charles. Zeke has helped us out from time to time. Right now we need two pilots and we'll make it worth your while. Commander, are you ready for this?"

"I wouldn't be here if I weren't," Harm responded rather abruptly.

"All right. Good. We've had to put shipments on hold because of our shortage of pilots. Each of you will fly a delivery tonight. There's a small airstrip near the Mexican border .. Zeke, you know the one. Be there at 7:00 for instructions." He pulled two envelopes from his breast pocket. "Twenty thousand for each of you now. Another twenty each when you complete the delivery. Any questions?"

Zeke glanced at Harm, then asked, "We'll be back by morning, right? I mean, I have a business to run and I wouldn't want my partner to start asking questions if I am unexpectedly absent."

"We don't want him asking questions, either. You'll be back by morning." Charles assured them.

"All right, we're done here." Charles turned toward the door. Just before stepping outside, he turned back. In the same mild, friendly tone, Charles added, "I understand your sister is here for a visit and that you're both very fond of her." His expression remained unchanged, but his eyes suddenly looked as icy as the winter wind across North Dakota.

As Charles turned away, Harm took an involuntary step forward, reacting to the threat to Mac. Zeke stopped him before his movement was seen by Charles or his bodyguard.

Zeke and Harm waited until they heard a car drive away before letting out a sigh, not realizing they had hardly been breathing. As they looked at each other, silent messages were sent and understood. It was clear that Charles had spies in town. How else would he know just how close Harm and Mac were. But the good news was that Charles had believed that Mac was Zeke's sister. Zeke and Harm knew they couldn't say anything aloud on the drive back to town. It was possible that even Zeke's truck was bugged.

When they were almost back to town, Harm pulled out his cell phone and dialed Mac. She answered at once. "Hey, baby, what're you doin'?" Harm asked.

"Just exploring the town a bit. Where are you?"

"Heading back to the office. Listen, Sarah. I have to break our date for tonight. Zeke and I have a job and I can really use the money."

Mac knew they didn't have a date so she assumed this meant that Harm and Zeke had a drug run. She put a pout into her voice as she responded, "Well, if a little money is more important than the girl you haven't seen in months …"

"I'll make it up to you. I promise." Harm grinned.

"I'll see to it," Mac answered in her most provocative tone.

"Can you take time from the exciting life in town to have lunch with two men who are very fond of you?" Harm joked.

"Absolutely. At that little café we were at last night?" Mac knew she had to play the game. To anyone who didn't know Harm so well, he would have sounded just as he intended .. relaxed and flirting with a pretty woman .. but Mac could hear the underlying tension. She sensed there was something more than the drug run, though that should have been enough to bring on some tension.

After a slight pause, Mac continued. "Listen, Harm. I saw a pottery shop that I'm going to check out before lunch. I read somewhere that they have special clay in this area for pots."

"Good idea. The special clay is very important," Harm answered seriously. They both knew the reference to clay meant that Mac was going to contact Webb. Harm ended the conversation with, "See you at noon."

Mac then dialed Webb's cell number. When he answered, Mac used a loosely developed code that she and Clay had used on another case. "John, it's Sarah Desmond."

"Sarah! It's been awhile. How are you?"

"I'm fine. John, I'm in south Texas and happen to be free this evening. My boyfriend broke our date to work! Can you believe it? Anyway, you've been wanting me to come meet your wife. I know it's short notice, but how about this evening?"

"That would be great. Where are you? I'll give you directions." Webb gave directions to a nearby town where he and several agents had set up a mobile command post.

After ending the call, Mac drove to a small pottery shop she had seen earlier .. just in case she was being watched.

At noon, she walked into the café where she was to meet Zeke and Harm and saw them already seated in a booth near the door. She slipped onto the seat beside Harm and squeezed his arm affectionately. During the meal, Harm leaned close to Mac, in the appearance of intimate conversation, while conveying information about that evening's job. Zeke quietly described the location of the airfield that would be their contact point.

As the meal and their discussion neared its end, Harm leaned close to Mac. "Sarah, you have to get out of here this afternoon and go to Webb. Charles made it clear that he knows you're important to both Zeke and me and that if we don't hold up our end, you'll be in danger."

"I've already arranged to go to Webb this evening. I'll let him know he should expect me sooner."

Harm looked a bit surprised at Mac's easy agreement to leave. "I thought I'd get an argument about leaving."

"Look, I'll be of more help with Webb's people." She looked at Zeke to include him in her assurances. "His people are good and he's got the best technology." She looked at Harm. "Besides, I always know where you are," she added with a saucy smile. Then looking between Zeke and Harm, she said softly, "Please, both of you, be careful."

As Harm and Zeke walked back to their car, Zeke asked, "What did she mean, she always knows where you are?"

Harm chuckled. "It's something that developed when we worked so closely as partners. Some kind of sense that she has that helps her find me when I'm in trouble. She saved my life a couple of times with it."

1900 CST
Airfield at unknown location

Harm followed Zeke to the airfield so each would have a vehicle when they returned since it was unlikely that they would return at the same time. As they walked toward a small metal building that served as an office, Harm noticed two small twin-engine airplanes at the edge of the runway, one with several men around it. Inside the office Charles was waiting.

"Gentlemen," he greeted them. "Zeke, your plane isn't quite ready." Looking at Harm, "Rabb, you're ready to go." He walked over to a map and pointed out the route, gave Harm his heading, the altitude to minimize chances of detection, and the coordinates where he was to deliver his cargo. "We're short on pilots so neither of you will have co-pilots. They're both short flights so that shouldn't be a problem, right, gentlemen?"

Zeke and Harm knew Charles would only accept one answer, so both agreed, "no problem," "fine."

Charles escorted Harm to his plane, an older Piper Chieftain. Harm climbed into the plane. As he moved through the aisle toward the cockpit, he noticed that all seats except the two rear-facing ones directly behind the pilots had been removed. Various boxes and crates were held in place by cargo nets on both sides of the aisle. Though it appeared old and in need of some exterior work, Harm was surprised to find a modern, well-equipped cockpit with the latest navigational equipment available for a plane of that size. Harm wasn't specifically checked out on this type of plane, but there wasn't much that he couldn't fly. He quickly scanned the instrument panel, easily locating the essential controls. The flight manual and a map lay on the co-pilot's seat. Harm ran through the preflight checks and fired up the engines. Charles still stood watching. Just before Harm began taxiing, Charles gave him a slack-handed salute which Harm returned.

Harm took off into the night sky and turned south. He had been given a route that was supposed to avoid border patrols. About thirty minutes into the flight, Harm crossed the U.S.-Mexico border without incident. His destination was another hour into Mexico.

Harm was within a half hour of the designated coordinates when he felt a hiccup in one engine. A check of the instruments showed no problems. For another five minutes, the engines droned on smoothly, as Harm continued to closely watch all gauges; then he felt another hiccup, actually almost a sputter. This time he also heard a momentary drop in engine speed, and his instruments showed reduced power in the starboard engine. Harm quickly calculated his speed with one engine and determined that he could still make his destination, though he probably wouldn't be able to maintain full altitude. Then the port engine hiccupped …

TBC