Chapter XIII - Incident at Potomac Park
1145 Local_ 1645 Zulu
Bethesda Naval Hospital
Bethesda, Maryland
Laurie looked herself in the mirror. She wished she could comb out her hair. She hated the disheveled look. Still, it wasn't a date, just Occupational Therapy. After her remarkable walking progress yesterday, her doctors decided Occupational Therapy would be a good next step. The nurse who was supposed to go with her though said she'd be here at 11:15. It was now a quarter to twelve.
Satisfied with how she looked, Laurie walked over to her door and opened it. The Lance Corporal who was usually there in the morning was missing. She looked up and down the hall. No sign of him.
Sighing, she decided that rather than waiting around for everyone, she'd just go down to Occupational Therapy herself. After all, how hard could it be to get there?
She walked down the hall to the elevator. When it opened she got in. A young orderly looked at her.
"Where are you headed, ma'am?" he asked
"Occupational Therapy," she replied.
The orderly smiled at her as he punched the button. Laurie smiled back. Unfortunately the orderly in admiring the injured, but pretty, woman, hit the wrong button.
It took the elevator a few moments to reach the floor. When the doors opened, Laurie turned to the orderly. "Thank you" she said with a smile. "Which way?"
"To your right, ma'am, have a good day," he said smiling at her.
Laurie stepped out of the elevator and stood in the hall. Okay Laurie, you can do this, he said to the right….
Laurie turned to the right and headed down the hallway.
There were no signs anywhere indicating where she was. Down at the end of the hallway there was an open room with what looked like gym equipment.
Ah ha, found it!
When she walked in, she found it wasn't gym equipment but an indoor playground. No one was around that she could see, so she made her way through the quiet play area.
At the back of the playroom was another open doorway. Laurie walked into another hallway past beds, some empty, some with young patients. She had somehow stumbled into a children's ward. The thing was, it was way off the beaten path as far as she was concerned. She wondered why?
She was about to turn around and head back the way she came when she heard the plaintive wail of a little girl.
"Nooooo!"
"Hold still Lacey, please?"
"No, it's gonna hurt! I don' wanna!"
Loren stepped into the room and saw a young red haired pediatric nurse with her hands full. The little girl was about to go to full blown tantrum.
About that time, the harried young nurse looked up and saw Laurie staring at them. What she couldn't see was Laurie seeing an image of her five year old self with a gruff old nurse who was trying to give her an injection of something she clearly didn't want. Her other arm was bandaged and bruised.
"Did you need help, Miss?"
Laurie gently shook her head to clear the image. "I was going to ask you the same thing," she replied.
The nurse looked at the tearful girl and then back at Laurie. "If you wouldn't mind. She needs a tetanus shot due to the nature of her injuries."
The little girl was mesmerized by Laurie's swollen stomach. "Hi, I'm Laurie," she said to the little girl as she walked over to her. What's your name?"
"L-Lacey," the girl said, then wiped the tears off her face with her arm, giving a big sniffle at the same time. "Are yoo gonna haf uh babie?" Lacey said in awe.
"Uh huh," Laurie replied gently taking the little girl's hand. As she did, the young nurse gently took her other arm and swabbed it.
Lacey jerked her arm away from the nurse. "Nooohhh!"
"Lacey," Laurie said softly to the little girl. "It's all right. She's not going to hurt you. She has to give you a shot to keep you from getting sick."
"I don' like shots!" Lacey declared hotly.
Laurie nodded her head in sympathy. "I don't either. Tell you what, why don't you talk to me about why you don't like them,"
Laurie could see that Lacey's distrust was warring with wanting to talk with her.
"'Kay," she finally relented. "I don' like them 'cause they hurt."
Laurie nodded. "I know they do, but only a little bit. How about you pay attention to me while the nurse gives you the shot. I find if I'm talking with someone, I sometimes don't even notice when I'm getting one."
"Do you get lots of them?" Lacey asked.
"Yes," Laurie said as flashes of various inoculation sessions flitted through her mind. "But when I talk with someone, I hardly notice them."
"Okay Lacey all done," the nurse announced having taking Laurie's distraction as the chance to quickly give the girl the needed injection.
Lacey looked in disbelief at her arm. Where the nurse had given her the shot was a bright Dora the Explorer bandage. "Wow," she said in awe. Then she looked back at Laurie. "That didn't hurt at all!" Laurie gave her a big grin which the girl mirrored.
The nurse looked gratefully at Laurie. "Whoever you are, thank you."
Laurie nodded. "So where are the other nurses and the orderlies?" she asked.
The young nurse shook her head disgustedly. "I lost a bet and got stuck here by myself during the lunch hour. There was supposed to be an orderly with me, but he's not the most reliable guy on the staff."
"Glad I could help," Laurie replied.
The pediatric nurse gave her a concerned glance. "Look, I know you don't belong down here,"
Laurie looked around, befuddled about how she got here in the first place. "Yeah, I seem to have made a wrong turn somewhere."
"What were you looking for?" the Nurse asked. Helping her find her way was the least she could do.
"Occupational Therapy," Laurie replied hopefully.
The nurse gave her a gentle smile, happy to allay her fears that she had gone too far astray. "That's one floor up. If you can wait just another minute or so I can walk you up there."
Laurie felt embarrassed that she was receiving this special attention. "Oh I don't want you to have to leave,"
The nurse gave her an understanding smile. "The lunch gang will be back any moment, and then I get to go to lunch. I insist. I can't thank you enough for your help with her."
"Why the shot for Lacey, if you don't mind me asking?"
The nurse looked over at Lacey and lowered her voice so the child couldn't hear her. "Her uncle sliced her across her abdomen with a rusty knife." The cut was superficial, but it was a rusty knife, so we can't take any chances." Something made Laurie want to ask more about what had happened, but her thoughts were scattered by the arrival of a group of nurses and orderlies.
"Ann Marie, what's going on?" asked a slightly older blond female who seemed to be in charge of the group.
Ann Marie, the red haired pediatric nurse, hissed disgustedly while shaking her head. "Peter flaked out, again."
The older nurse made her own disgusted hiss before noticing the young pregnant woman in her nightgown with a bandaged head. "Who's this?" she asked Ann Marie.
Ann Marie started to make the introductions. "Laurie um," then realized she didn't know Laurie's last name.
Laurie quickly spoke up, "Singer, Laurie Singer, pleased to meet you,"
"Are you a parent?" The blond head pediatric nurse asked.
"Soon to be," Laurie replied.
That didn't satisfy her. "So are you-"
Laurie didn't understand what the third degree was about, but she thought it best to lay her fears whatever they were, to rest. "Lost—I was headed to Occupational Therapy."
"I was going to take her up there, Holly." Ann Marie said trying to allay her boss's concerns.
Her demeanor had changed as soon as Laurie had told her how she got here – a wrong turn. People weren't supposed to be on this floor unless they were the parent and legal guardian of the abused child. "Well thanks for helping out. Ann Marie wasn't supposed to be by herself."
"I know, but I didn't mind helping," Laurie said with a smile.
"Laurie?"
Laurie Singer turned around and looked down at the child. "Yes Lacey?"
"Will ya cum back?" Lacey asked hopefully.
Laurie looked up at Holly and Ann Marie for quick confirmation that she could. When they both nodded and she smiled at Lacey. "Sure, just as soon as I finish my session this afternoon, okay?"
"Great! See ya!" Lacey ran back down the hall to her room.
1522 Local_2022 Zulu
Lieutenant Commander Tracy Manetti's Office
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
Commander Lindsey had settled into the chair in front of Tracy's desk.
"You know, of course, this interview is just perfunctory. We both really know what we are doing here."
Commander Manetti gave Teddy her best fake innocent southern smile. "No, Commander, please do enlighten me, what are we doing here?"
Teddy seemed taken aback by that statement as if she had said something wrong. "You're conducting your investigation into how JAG Corps Headquarters really operates when no one is watching! I'm conducting an audit into the wrongdoing they've already done! It would look odd for me not interview you since I am interviewing everyone on the Headquarters staff!"
Tracy was intrigued by the level of his obsession with this. In the back of her mind, alarm bells were going off. Had Sheffield picked the wrong man for this job? "Wrongdoing? Just what kind of wrongdoing has happened around here, Commander, and how do you know about it?" Again that innocent ignorant southern girl smile.
Lindsey looked around to make sure no one was listening at her closed door and then spoke in urgent low tones. "Surely you know that's why you're here! All the disasters that have taken place since Admiral Chegwidden took command! Commander Rabb during a court martial shot off a SEAL's HK MP-5 assault rifle while trying to make a point! Colonel MacKenzie has, at best, a checkered past and is a recovering alcoholic, and, loose doesn't even begin to describe her morals! Lieutenant Roberts was brought on board basically as a thank you for getting Rabb out of that mess he made of the Schonke investigation, and, Commander Manetti, that is just the tip of the iceberg on this place! Haven't you seen that to be the case during the course of your investigation!?"
Tracy Manetti could tell there was something seriously wrong with Teddy Lindsey. She decided to tread carefully. While not ripping into the JAG Corps, she wouldn't totally dismiss him either. Her smile disappeared. "My daddy says where there's smoke, there's usually a fire getting' ready to spring up and you're right, Chegwidden's command and its actions sometimes are unique to say the least. But I'm still conducting my investigation, Commander. So I'm not ready to make a final decision yet."
Lindsey's placid features morphed into something that resembled suppressed rage boiling under the surface but his voice was dangerously calm. "Well, you may not need much more time, Commander. What I have found in my audit I think will solve the SECNAV's problems with JAG Corps Headquarters. As far as I am concerned, this is long overdue. Thanks for your time."
As Teddy Lindsey hurriedly got up and made his way out of the room, Tracy felt a little like a dog that had just dodged an eighteen wheeler on the highway.
She quickly opened her document on her workstation and began typing. 'Rumors about Commander Lindsey's audit are true. He was the wrong person to do the audit and does indeed have some kind of vendetta against Admiral Chegwidden and Commander Rabb.' She stopped typing for a moment and then added 'Seriously suspect he will recommend firing the Admiral.'
xxxiiixx
Laurie had been so exhausted by her occupational therapy session and then visiting Lacey down in Pediatric Ward and the emotional roller coaster that entailed that she barely made it in the door and into her bed. She never even really remembered lying down.
Laurie could see herself watching through the JAG bullpen's glass double doors as Mac subdued the man that had to be Lieutenant Matt's husband. Unlike other scenes she witnessed, who the players were wasn't a mystery to her. She watched as Harriet and Bud looked on astonished that the husband had tried to hit Mac.
She smiled as she watched Mac hand the husband over to two MPs that Tiner had called up to the bullpen. Part of her really wished Mac had been around when her Dad had been beating on her and her Mom. She smoothed her hair and opened the doors to the Ops center…
Then the scene shifted.
She was holding the little girl she had been comforting earlier…Lacey. As she held her, she fought hard to keep the lump in her throat from causing her to break down. And just like the situation with Lieutenant Matt and her husband, she remembered who everyone was and what was taking place.
'Where is your Mommy, Lacey?' She remembered asking the little girl.
Lacey was very somber. 'She's in heaven wit' Daddy. Uncle Clem sent'em there.'
She remembered her anger and anguish at learning this girl's parents had been killed by the uncle in a fit of rage.
And then she was looking at the puckered [sutured] scar across the girl's tiny abdomen.
'Did Uncle Clem do this to you?' she worked hard to keep the anger out of her voice.
Lacey nodded solemnly. 'Uh huh, but he didn' mean ta, Laurie, he didn' mean ta hurt any of us.'
It was the child's sweet innocence and naiveté that made her heart ache the most.
Laurie woke up in tears. She wondered if Katelyn and her mother, Lieutenant Matt, had been able to get away from her abusive father. How long ago had that been…yesterday…last month…two years ago?
The more she thought about Lacey and Katelyn, the more she thought about her past. Like images fresh as yesterday, she could see her father hitting her, hitting her mother. She absently touched her face, half expecting it to feel tender from her loving father's blows.
As she reached for a tissue to dry her eyes, she thought about the irony of being able to remember being beaten up by her father as if it had happened hours ago, but no memory at all of graduating Annapolis, or her law career.
Or who had thrown her into the Potomac.
She could however plainly remember the legal codes and statutes of Maryland and Virginia for child abuse and parental neglect as if she had read them yesterday. In some ways she felt like an idiot savant.
It was obvious to Laurie that her naval career was toast as was her budding career as a JAG lawyer, and maybe that was a good thing. But now, she'd have to find work doing something else once they let her out of here. Maybe she could use this new found empathy and what was left of her legal skills for something good.
1600 Local_2100 Zulu
The Pentagon
Arlington, Virginia
Secretary of the Navy Edward Sheffield looked up at Admiral Chegwidden with a mixture of sadness and regret on his grave face, the darkened room made the atmosphere that much more somber. "I've come to a difficult decision. I've decided to act upon Commander's Lindsey's preliminary recommendations on your office and its operations."
AJ was stunned, but he put on a stoic face and just nodded his acceptance. "Sorry to hear that, sir."
SECNAV Sheffield shook his head as fanned the pages of the book-length report and then looked back up at him. "I don't like it AJ, but when you see here in black and white, it's…it's just indefensible. You can't blame the messenger, AJ."
The former SEAL's face remained impassive. "No sir," he answered without a hint about the storm of emotions he was feeling at the moment.
Sheffield continued reading the list of findings in Lindsey's preliminary report. "Nepotism in the office, conflicts of interest, budget overruns, then there's the bad press, unpopular verdicts in court…not to mention lawyers flying jets…." That last comment was directly aimed at AJ's top lawyer and troubleshooter. But Sheffield wasn't finished with the lambasting just yet. He had one more salvo to let loose at the Navy-Marine Corps JAG.
"And the Chief of Information wants to detail a new Public Affairs Officer just to look into the fallout from JAG Corps!" he thundered.
"Obviously Mr. Secretary, you've, uh, lost faith in my ability to command." What else could the former SEAL say? There was no way to defend what was in the report because all the lies in it were built around grains of truth. Lindsey had somehow gotten hold of some reports even he wasn't aware of and twisted them to suit his own purpose. It looked bad. AJ thought momentarily about submitting his resignation right then and there.
The SECNAV though, wasn't ready to fire AJ Chegwidden yet. After all, his JAG team had up to this point, a sterling reputation. Despite it being highly unusual, JAG Corps had spearheaded and succeeded in stopping the Atef brothers' plans to destroy a US carrier with a dirty nuclear weapon. Not to mention everyone from Force Recon to the IGO expressed their support for Chegwidden's command. And then there were his allies in Congress including Bobbie Latham. Still Commander's Lindsey's report was very damaging and it couldn't be ignored.
Weighing all of this, he gave AJ Chegwidden one chance. "I haven't finalized my decision. I get Commander Lindsey's final report tomorrow at 0900. I want you to take this and review it. Rebut if you can, and then come back to me with something that will get ChInfo back in the box and maybe I'll reconsider."
One chance though, is all that a SEAL needs. "Yes sir," he replied, grateful for the chance to fix this. He'd worry about how later….
"And don't take too long, AJ. Appropriation Hearings start next month and I won't be able to get the budget we need with this hanging over my head," Sheffield warned him.
The JAG nodded his agreement. "Understood."
"That'll be all," the SECNAV said dismissing him like a junior officer.
He walked over to Teddy Lindsey who had witnessed the dressing down. The weasel of a man was trying hard not to smile at the Admiral's predicament.
Edward Sheffield ignored the two officers. He had plenty to keep him occupied. AJ spoke quietly to the SECNAV's special assistant. "Commander, I may need to meet with you on this matter."
"I'll be at your service, sir," Teddy said with mock humbleness.
The former SEAL gave the man his best death stare. "I'm sure you will," he rumbled. In a manner of speaking, AJ was 'wounded' and if Teddy Lindsey had any sense at all, he wouldn't exacerbate the situation.
1717 Local_2217 Zulu
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
As Harm and Harriet were watching a ZNN report on the developing situation with Iraq when Harm looked around and saw the Admiral walk in through the bull pen glass double doors. The aviator/lawyer had worked long enough with the former SEAL to know he had received bad news. He left Harriet and walked over to the open doorway of his office. He knocked before entering, but the JAG didn't seem to notice. AJ had dropped his briefcase on the chair in front of his desk and was about to sit when he noticed his top lawyer looking at him with concern.
"How did your meeting go, sir?" Harm said tentatively.
AJ shook his head as he gave the Commander a weary yet sarcastic chuckle. "Well Commander Lindsey managed to dredge up every irrelevant smear he could put his hands on. Hm, never mind the Navy JAG Corps handles more cases with less personnel than the Army or Air Force! We get too much bad press, we're, uh, a problem for the Chief of Information! Hell, read the damn thing yourself!" He tossed a copy of Commander Lindsey's report to Harm.
Harmon Rabb could tell the report had been rolled up and tossed into the seat next to him when AJ got into his Escalade. He picked it up and started looking through the report when Bud Roberts stuck his head in the open doorway.
"Excuse me sir, could this have anything to do with the decision in the friendly fire case? Obviously SECNAV wanted a conviction and didn't get one-"
An incensed AJ was on a roll. "Oh Lieutenant, this is about everything! Unpopular verdicts for God's sake! Never mind that justice was served!" AJ's voice was strident.
Harriet and Sturgis, hearing the commotion, came in.
Sturgis was the first to speak. "What's the SECNAV going to do, sir?"
"Well, he's thinking about firing me." That bald statement earned the JAG a quartet of shocked looks. "Yeah well, it's happened on my watch, gotta take responsibility for it, so best course of action is for me to retire," he explained, more to himself rather than to the four junior officers in his office. It was obvious he was thinking aloud.
Bud was the first to voice his disbelief. "You can't be serious sir!" he exclaimed. This was not his CO talking. The Admiral Chegwidden he knew would have never caved in like this.
AJ looked over at Bud giving him the Admiral stare. "Why not?" he growled like a wounded animal, as if daring him to say something stupid so he could rip him a new one.
Harm quickly rushed to Bud's defense. "Well uh, Admiral-"
"What?" AJ snapped, so now Harmon Rabb, Junior was going to stick his nose in it. You'd better be careful, Rabb, he thought darkly.
Harm swallowed and tried to appeal for more level headed thinking. "It's appears to me you're making a decision in the heat of the moment-"
AJ shook his head in response. "Nah, not at all. I'm been thinking about it for weeks. I haven't seen my daughter in Italy for I don't know how long and…uh, Meredith and I are…well um, planning to get married, heh."
He was making this up as he went along, but Harm and the others didn't need to know that. Besides there was a grain of truth to everything he was saying. It had been a long time since he had seen his daughter and he did intend to ask Meredith for her hand in marriage, so hell, why not tell them?
Harriet burst into a bright smile. "Well that's great sir!" Until she saw the disturbed looks on Bud, Sturgis and Harm's faces. And the questioning look on his CO's face. Her smile dampened a little and her tone became a bit more professional. " I-I mean congratulations, that's great, sir,"
AJ though was still thinking about all that he just said. Was he really ready to retire? Get married? "Thank you," he said absently. Then suddenly realized he had a quartet of junior officers standing around in his office. He didn't summon them, any of them! They just came in unannounced like they were old friends.
"What the hell are you all doing in my office?" he barked. "Dismissed!"
The officers immediately snapped to attention and gave a chorus of embarrassed 'Aye sirs' as they all filed out of his office.
1947 Local_0047 Zulu
Harmon Rabb Junior's Office
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
Harm and Coates were having another meeting about the witnesses regarding the Heads Up Display. A couple of these had been sent overseas due to the deteriorating situation with Iraq, so Harm was helping her determine the next best choices.
As they looked at the list, they heard someone knocking on Harm's doorframe. They both looked up to see a smirking Teddy Lindsey watching them. Jennifer suddenly became very aware of her proximity to the aviator/lawyer.
"Am I interrupting?" Teddy asked as he eyed Rabb and the Legalman. He walked in and set his cover on the credenza next to Rabb's.
Harm looked at Jennifer and then back at Lindsey. "Uh, no, Commander, um, would you excuse us, Petty Officer? You can leave the files here,"
"Aye, aye, sir," the Legalman said smartly as she headed toward the door.
Excuse me, sir," Coates said as she scooted out of the room. She had had enough of dealing with Theodore Lindsey for one day. Harm and Teddy stared at each other for a moment.
"Saving the best for last Commander?" Harm said looking up at him. It's funny that when he first met Teddy, he thought he was an okay guy. But now with everything he had done today and earlier this week…and all because he blamed the Admiral for his own mistakes….
Teddy Lindsey had been waiting for this day for years. "Oh, I won't rehash incidents like turning your hallowed halls of justice here into a shooting gallery for practice or mention the fact that you've personally burned through a quarter billion dollars' worth of military equipment in your career, nine tenths of that after you left flight status to become a lawyer," he said with relish.
Harm gave him a heated look as he watched the hate dance in Theodore Lindsey's eyes. What had happened to this man?
"No, I came here to thank you for delivering the icing on the cake, Commander. You have more than enough witnesses to recommend to your Legalman so that she can proceed on the HUD malfunction case."
"Well thank you," Harm replied trying to get his goat. "What does any of this have to do with you?"
"Well, as per usual, when a case involves Tomcats and the chance to fly again, you can almost smell the jet exhaust coming off you," Lindsey sneered. "You're squandering the Navy's time by keeping this investigation open, and as per usual, what you want is what you get."
Commander Lindsey finished by chuckling contritely and shaking his head sadly at Harm as if he were some greedy kid with hand caught in the cookie jar. "And the Admiral thinks I'm not Captain material," he sighed with mock weariness.
"So that's what this is about, huh, Commander?" Harm replied with own contrite voice. "The good child's syndrome. You keep your nose clean, I don't, but I catch all the breaks."
Teddy Lindsey's eyes momentarily flashed anger but then he smiled.
"Oh Commander, don't worry. Your days of catching all the breaks are over. My final report on this place goes to the SECNAV at 0900 tomorrow. I'm recommending that you and your friends here at JAG Headquarters all be reassigned."
"Reassigned?" Harm couldn't believe what he was hearing.
Teddy sounded like he was trying to mimic a sage professor, but in Harm's mind he failed miserably at it. "You've all become far too cliquish. The interpersonal incest that goes on around here makes it impossible for the chain of command to function. It was long overdue Rabb. You and I both know it."
And with that, he reached over and picked up Harmon Rabb's cover in place of his own. The aviator/lawyer was too rattled to know what he had done. Truthfully, both Lindsey and Rabb had similar hat sizes so unless Harm picked it up and looked inside he would not have known that a switch had taken place.
xxxiiixx
Faith walked into the darkened JAGC Ops. Jack had excused himself to the head for a moment which gave her a chance to get Harm to come clean with her once and for all. She was almost knocked over by Jennifer Coates as she hurried out.
"Oh!"
"Oh ma'am, I'm so sorry,"
Faith tried to give her a quick smile to let her know it was okay, but Commander Coleman wasn't known for her bright and sunny smiles. "It's all right Legalman, no harm done. Where are you headed in such a hurry this evening?"
"Away from here ma'am, please excuse me." She looked back at Harm's office and Faith saw Teddy Lindsey standing just inside the doorway talking to the Commander.
Faith had heard about the SECNAV's concerns, with the Singer incident being the final straw that led to an audit of JAG Corps. She never thought Edward Sheffield would send Theodore Lindsey to do it. Even at North Island they had heard how the Commander had screwed himself out of a promotion.
She thought she saw Lindsey set down his cover and talk with Harm for a few minutes before picking up Harm's cover and making his way back out into the bull pen. At about that time Jack McBurney made his way back into the bullpen area, almost colliding with Commander Lindsey as he left.
"Major," Teddy Lindsey said coolly as he brushed past.
"Commander," Jack replied as they passed each other. He looked over at Faith.
"What's his problem?" he grunted to his partner.
"He was talking with Commander Rabb," Faith said distractedly as she continued to study Harm's office.
"Like we're going to do now?"
Faith didn't reply to his acerbic comment. She was about to knock on Harmon Rabb's door frame when the Commander's phone began to ring.
Since she hadn't knocked, she stopped. Jack stood beside her.
Inside Harmon Rabb made quick work of the conversation, then after getting off the phone, grabbed his coat and cover.
He walked to the doorway and saw the SECNAV's JAGMan team looking at him. As far as he was concerned, this couldn't be a good sign.
"I'm kinda busy right now, can we do this later?" he said curtly to them.
"Sure Commander," Jack said genially and the former Top Gun plowed past, headed for the elevator.
Jack shook his head. "Well, our time ran out on that one," he said sighing as he watched him go.
"What do you mean?" Faith said in reply to his cryptic comment as she turned her head to look at him.
The SJA Major shrugged. "That was Gibbs' idea. He told me he was going to call Harmon Rabb in for another round of questioning this evening. I told him we needed to talk to him one more time. He gave me until 1940."
"What time is it now?" she asked.
"1950."
Something was bugging Faith about Lindsey's meeting with Rabb. What was it? Then in her mind's eye she saw it.
She turned and headed for the elevator.
"Whoa! Slow down, where are you going?" Jack asked as he hurried to catch up with her. Just when he thought he was beginning to understand her and her quirks, she came up with a new one.
"To NCIS Headquarters," she said as if that was all the answer he needed.
Jack wanted to know more. "Wait a minute-"
She turned and faced him. "Are you coming or not?" She waited only for a moment. When he didn't say anything else, she threw an irritated look at him and marched over to the opening elevator doors.
Jack McBurney rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Oh for the love of- yes, slow down!"
-TBC…