Trinkets – Part 5

Nichols paused only for a second at Mac's plea for him not to inject Harm. He then raised his voice at her, "Having you tell me what to do or don't do isn't any better than having Clinton tell me!"

It did not go unnoticed by Mac that Jake had just named his partner, but there were more pressing things at the moment.

"You're right," she granted him in a more soothing tone. "This isn't my decision or your partner's decision. It's yours. … And I think that you've got the strength and wisdom to make the right choice."

Jake shook his head in frustration and stared at the needle. Then he looked from Harm to the phone that he had received the call on. After a few long seconds, he stepped closer to Harm and raised the needle.

Worried that Nichols was going to go through with it, Mac intervened, "You're not a murderer, Jake."

He turned his head to her. "It's not supposed to kill him."

"Are you really willing to take that chance?"

Upset by Mac's desperate concern over the Commander, Jake reacted, spewing, "Yeah, maybe I am! … Maybe it'd be better off if he's dead, huh? Hell, it'll put him out of his misery. And if he's gone, then you won't be able to be so hung up on him."

"Jake, … look at me," Mac begged. "Commander Rabb isn't a threat to you. He has never taken an interest in me as anything other than a friend. But you, … you like me, right?"

"Of course, I do. But …" Jake's left hand, the one without the needle, clenched with tension. "… you don't understand."

"Then tell me! What don't I understand?"

Jake just shook his head.

"Okay, … I'll tell you what I do understand," Mac said more calmly. "I do understand that, despite all of this, you're a good person."

She was answered with a snort. "How would you know?" he asked. "You never gave me a second thought."

"I never did thank you … for the gifts, did I? … At least for the first two."

With a little bitterness, Jake responded, "No."

"Well, they were sweet. And … they do tell me something about you. I'm sorry I didn't say it before, … but, … thank you."

"Yeah."

"I, um, was wondering about the first gift," she continued. "The dog figurine. Is it a particular breed?"

"… I don't know. It just … reminded me of you. Its big, brown eyes."

Mac smiled just a little, "I had a dog not too long ago. His name was Jingo. I had to give him away when I went TAD, and then I couldn't exactly ask for him back. I think he is happier with Chloe anyhow. It's a better environment for him. … Chloe is my little sister. Not biologically, … but through the big sister program."

Jake knew that Mac was trying to keep him from injecting Harm, and part of him thought that he should just shut her up and go ahead. But a bigger part of him wanted to hear her go on. He wanted to know about her, and especially about what she thought about his gifts. And, … in truth, he didn't want to inject anyone with anything, so he stood there, frozen, letting her continue.

"Anyway, I appreciated the figurine. It's cute. And I like dogs. Dogs are very loyal, and loyalty means a lot to me."

Seeming more vulnerable than he had at any point before, Jake complained, "You didn't say anything … after you got it."

"And I'm sorry. I've been really busy with work, but I know that doesn't excuse my bad manners in not thanking you."

"I wanted you to come to me," said Jake. "I thought the second gift would have …" he trailed off. He started a new sentence, "I was hoping that we wouldn't have to take the Commander."

"You and Clinton?" Mac asked, trying to find out more about this mysterious partner. Assuming it was not the former president or his wife, the name did not mean anything to her.

Nichols nodded. "Clinton said he'd help me get you. When the gifts didn't work …"

"… Clinton helped you kidnap the Commander," Mac surmised.

"The other way around," Jake corrected. "I helped him with that. … We became partners. I got him security information. He wanted some info from the Commander. He said you'd come after Rabb, so it was a win-win situation. He could get his information from Rabb, and I would get you."

"What information?"

"I don't know exactly. But I don't think Clinton wants Rabb dead yet, because he hasn't talked so far. So, I really don't think this will kill him." Nichols indicated the needle in his hand.

"The second gift …" Mac started, worried that Nichols was refocusing on his task of injecting Harm. "Tell me about its significance."

"The pin?"

Mac nodded. "It's beautiful."

"Yeah. It's not much in the way of jewelry, but … it was my grandmother's."

Mac's eyebrows rose in surprise. "I'm … honored that you would have given that to me."

"Who else would I have given it to? You deserve the world, Sarah. I want to give you everything. … And this guy …" Nichols kicked Harm's leg, "… takes you for granted."

Not expecting the contact, Harm automatically winced in pain from the kick to his already bruised body.

Nichols was too preoccupied to notice Harm's reaction, but someone else who had just entered the room was very observant of everything in the scene before him.

"Well, well, well," the voice came from the doorway to Mac's left. "It looks like the Commander has decided to join the party again."

Startled and confused, Nichols looked up at his partner and then down at Harm.

"Oh, he reacted when you kicked him," the voice explained. "He's awake, … and you didn't even use the shot, did you?"

"Uh," Jake's gaze went to the still-full syringe in his hand. "… No."

The man walked towards Nichols and Harm. "Well, that's very … fortunate … for you." There was something sinister and threatening in his voice. He bent over and grabbed Harm's ear, yanking it and bringing the attached head up. Harm's eyes opened. "Hello again, Commander."

"Leave him alone!" yelled Mac.

The man, who she assumed was Clinton, turned his head towards her, taking in a good look. He smiled wryly. "And this must be our newest guest, the glorious Sarah MacKenzie." The man abruptly let go of Harm's ear without looking at him and then took a step towards Mac.

"I've heard wonderful things about you from Jake, here," the man said. "Well, except that you don't appreciate his devotion to you. And you really ought to be more grateful," he scolded. "The man was giving his heart to you, after all."

Mac looked to Jake. "Is this Clinton?"

Jake, flushing for several reasons, nodded. He was embarrassed that he hadn't been paying attention to the security monitors for Clinton to have snuck in like that, he felt like he was in trouble for not injecting the Commander as he was asked to, and he was uncomfortable with how his partner was discussing his feelings for Sarah.

Clinton scowled slightly in response to finding out that Jake had divulged his identity to their newest guest. "Well, now that we all know each other, I think it's time for us to get on with this party."

Nichols intervened, "Whoa, our part is done now. You've got him, and I stayed until you got back, but I'm taking Sarah with me now."

"You can't take her anywhere yet. Now that Sarah has joined us, the Commander is awake, and I'm back, … we have a new party game to play."

TBC …