Assignment for Webb
By Bernadeen
Chapter 11
1246
Wednesday
Embassy Suites Hotel
Houston
Mac woke to the sound of someone knocking on the door. She had put out the DO NOT DISTURB sign when they arrived, so she doubted it was housekeeping. Instinctively she reached under her pillow, remembering, as her hand found nothing, that she had been unable to bring a weapon on the commercial flight. As she noted that she had been asleep for two hours and 12 minutes, she glanced toward Harm's bed. She found him awake and looking at her with a strange expression.
The knocking was repeated. As Mac threw back the covers, she remembered she was wearing only her bra and panties. With as much confidence as she could muster, she quickly slipped on her uniform and left the bedroom without looking at Harm again.
When she looked through the peephole in the door, she was surprised to see that their visitor was Clayton Webb. Quickly unlocking and opening the door, she asked the predictable question, "Clay, what are you doing here?"
"Hello, Mac. I was en route when we spoke earlier. My bosses want personal follow up with the other agencies involved, so here I am. I also have news."
Harm appeared at the door to the bedroom, now wearing blue jeans in addition to the t-shirt from earlier. "Clay, what did you find out?"
They sat around the table as Webb set down his briefcase and flipped it open. He pulled out several pictures clearly taken from a surveillance camera, and spread them across the table. They showed Charles Estavez and another man standing close together as though discussing something they didn't want overheard. Clay pointed to the unknown man and asked, "Do either of you know this man?"
Both Harm and Mac looked closely and shook their heads.
Clay continued, "We believe he is the cartel's computer geek – he manages the technical aspects of their security, has done phone tapping, provided devices to carry out long-range surveillance, makes sure their computer records are securely encrypted, and so on. He was not among those arrested two nights ago. Though he covered his trail very well, it appears he is the one who made the wire transfers of the money into and out of your account. He also planted a false electronic trail that you rented a car and withdrew money from an ATM, so it would look like you were making a run for it."
"So where is he now?" Harm asked.
Webb shook his head. "He's probably left the country. With most of the leaders of the cartel in jail, he wouldn't stick around. His attempt to throw suspicion on you was probably his last act of loyalty to Estavez. From what we could find out, it appears that Estavez and this man, whose real name we still don't know, had been having periodic … romantic encounters for several years."
"So where does that leave Harm?" Mac asked, concerned that this loose end would not allow closure.
"I'm on my way to the FBI headquarters here to sort that out. We have enough evidence to clear Harm of any involvement, but I'll have to get an official agreement from the DEA and the FBI on that."
As Clay put the pictures back in his briefcase and stood up, Harm and Mac prepared to go with him. Webb had other ideas. "I know you two want to get this cleared up in person, but you're better off staying here. Let me handle this."
"No way!" was Harm's firm disagreement. "This is my life, Clay. I've got to get this cleared up before I can set the record straight and get my commission back."
-o-o-o-o-o-
Two hours later Harm, Mac and Clay walked out of the Houston FBI headquarters. Harm let out a sigh as though he had been afraid to draw a full breath for hours. "That went better than I expected. I'm glad it's over."
Mac made a strange noise that sounded a bit like a snort, which brought Harm's questioning gaze to her. Mac ignored him as she thought about their recently completed meeting.
Upon arrival at the FBI, Harm, Mac and Clay had met with Agents O'Conner and Grinnell. Clay reviewed for the agents all of the evidence the CIA had accumulated against members of the cartel and to clear Harm of any connection other than the undercover assignment he had been carrying out for the jointly planned, multi-front strike against the illegal drug business. Clay then provided extensive written documentation of everything he had presented.
While O'Conner was slow to change his attitude toward Harm, Agent Grinnell came close to apologizing to Harm for ever doubting him, and thanked him for his willingness to participate in such a dangerous role in the operation. Harm, feeling the weight of suspicion slip from his shoulders, gave Linda Grinnell a full thousand-watt smile. Mac watched with a cynical twist to her lips as the FBI agent's eyes glazed slightly as she was hit with the full power of Harmon Rabb's charm.
Now all Mac wanted to do was get back to Washington. Harm needed to take it easy for a couple of days to give his wound a chance to heal and he needed to see the Admiral to sort out his future. But that was Harm's responsibility, not hers. As she had observed the sparks between Harm and the female FBI agent, Mac was forcefully reminded why she had erected walls around her feelings. Harmon Rabb could cause her hurt just by being Harm .. and she was tired of it. He seemed to need her when he was injured but his natural resiliency made those times brief and rare.
Clay had driven to the FBI in his rented car. Now he dropped Harm and Mac at their hotel so they could check out and catch a flight back to DC. Webb said he had other business and wasn't going back to Washington just yet.
And so a little over two hours after leaving their hotel, Mac walked briskly toward their room, with Harm breathing heavier than normal because a pain caught him in the side as he moved quickly to keep up with her.
Once inside the room, Mac continued through to the bedroom and grabbed the few articles of clothing she had pulled out of her bag and began repacking them. Harm stood in the doorway trying to figure out why Mac seemed angry. Wasn't she glad that everything was cleared up? That they could go home?
"Mac, have you confirmed that we can get a flight tonight?" Harm asked hoping to find a uncontroversial subject.
Mac stopped mid-way to her bag with more personal items in her hands. She suddenly felt silly being angry at Harm because he had a devastating smile that charmed most women out of their senses. Was she actually jealous! No! Of course not! But she knew she was lying to herself.
"I guess one of us better check on flights before we check out of our hotel." She conceded. As she felt her stomach growl, she added, "And we should eat."
"Well, I was beginning to wonder whether they sent an imposter for my Marine when you hadn't mentioned food all day," Harm teased playfully.
'His Maine? Did he just call me his Marine?' Mac thought to herself as she looked up in surprise. But Harm was looking at her with the same friendly teasing expression that she had seen a hundred times before. No hidden romantic sparks there. Just wishful thinking on her part, she decided.
"All right, you see what we can get for a flight back to DC and I'll call the concierge for a recommendation on restaurants."
-o-o-o-o-o-
As it turned out, they couldn't get a flight back until the next morning. They called the Admiral to update him and let him know they would be back the next day. The recommendation of the concierge brought them to a restaurant just two blocks from the hotel. Its menu featured both vegetarian entrées and 'dead animal' for Mac. She cut into a medium rare steak and showed almost obscene pleasure, in Harm's opinion, as she savored the morsel. With a teasing glint in his eyes and raised eyebrows, Harm asked, "Is there anything you enjoy more than dead animal?"
Mac's immediate thought was, 'I know I would enjoy sex with you more,' then blushed at her risqué thoughts.
Harm watched her reaction, wondering what on earth Mac was thinking. Puzzled, he asked, "What did I say?" Then in a more suggestive voice, "What are you thinking?"
This only made Mac blush more. Suddenly she felt like rocking Harm's world just a little. "I was thinking that I'd enjoy having sex with you more." The minute the words were out of her mouth, her reckless courage faltered, but she refused to back off.
Harm's expression was priceless – shock, embarrassment, then rather quickly evolving to something more provocative. He leaned closer and in the sexiest voice she had ever heard him use, he asked softly, "Would you like to test that theory?"
Mac held his gaze unflinchingly and answered, "Yes."
Harm had never expected her to call his bluff. He sputtered and backed away. Mac watched in amusement as he coughed slightly, cleared his throat, and finally decided on an answer, "Maybe we should test that theory another time, when I'm feeling 100. It wouldn't be a fair test otherwise."
"So you're standing by your offer?" Mac was suddenly determined to get some kind of commitment from Harmon Rabb, even though it wasn't the one she wanted. Of course, she wouldn't hold him to this, but it was entertaining to watch him squirm.
Harm's confidence and poise was quickly returning. "Yes, I'll stand by my offer. Two weeks from today my wound should be sufficiently healed to provide an effective comparison."
"All right, it's a date," Mac said firmly. She thought Harm would back away, but he was looking at her with a slightly wolfish gleam in his eye. He thought she wouldn't go through with it, she realized. He thinks I'm bluffing. And she had been .. well, she still was. But a resolve was forming in Mac's mind. She didn't want a fling with Harm. On the other hand, she was pretty sure that if they ever crossed that line, they would never regret it, never want to go back. Maybe for them, the physical love came before the words.
After that provocative conversation, each had worried about the intimate and potentially embarrassing situations that could arise from their sharing a bedroom at the hotel. However, both seemed to understand an unstated agreement that they would not push the romantic envelope any further this night. The only time they stepped close to dangerous territory was after they were both in their own beds. Harm remembered Mac's reaction when Clay had been knocking at their door and asked, "Before, when Clay came knocking, what were you looking for under your pillow?"
Mac looked slightly embarrassed, "My service pistol. Force of habit."
"You normally keep a weapon under your pillow?" Harm asked in surprise.
Mac met his eyes steadily and answered, "Of course. Don't all Marines?"
"I don't know. I haven't slept with any Marines… I guess I had better not disappoint you in two weeks. It could be dangerous!" And with that provocative remark, Harm arranged his pillow to his satisfaction and settled down for the night, while Mac felt her mouth drop open with mild shock. Then she grinned. She was really looking forward to that night in two weeks.
TBC