Chapter XVI - Incident at Potomac Park
Sarah 'Mac' MacKenzie's Office
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
1220 Local _1720 Zulu
The Light Colonel's office was a scene of chaos – more so than usual. Record boxes were scattered all over the office. Tiner was standing next to Jen who was sitting at the small conference table in Mac's office. She was looking intently at several file folders. Bud was sitting across from Mac also reading the contents from several file folders. He also had an opened record box sitting in the chair next to him.
Mac was looking through various JAG Corps personnel files, comparing sections from them to sections of Lindsey's audit. She couldn't believe her eyes. "Tiner, are you sure Commander Lindsey didn't have access to our personnel files?"
Tiner looked up when she spoke. "Yes ma'am, they are under lock and key," the Yeoman 1 affirmed. Tiner knew why she was asking this and wasn't insulted by his question. They had all received copies of Commander Lindsey's audit report. Who could blame her for asking?
Mac was at loss as to how this information got into the audit. "W-What about after hours?" she posited. Maybe somehow he had snuck into the JAG Corps personnel file room when no one was looking.
"Never happened, Colonel," the Admiral's Yeoman assured her. "I checked…he had to clear security and sign the log book every time he went in or out."
Coates found another instance in the audit that matched almost word for word what was in Harm and Mac's report on their hunt for Kabir Atef. She showed it to Mac. "I just don't understand, ma'am, how he could have found out all this nasty stuff about everybody," Coates said, disbelief coloring her voice.
"All in a single week," Bud added grumpily as he paged through yet another personnel report that Lindsey had used as evidence in his audit.
"Well he's probably been keeping a list for years and this was his big chance to get even with us and show off his lawyering skills," Mac said wryly as she marked and closed another file.
Bud was indignant. "The sick thing is what we do every day as lawyers - he's turning those techniques against us!"
"Which means he's a clever lawyer but a lousy human being," Mac replied soberly. She, Coates and Bud had their work cut out for themselves. If they were going to rebut Lindsey's accusations they had a big job ahead of themselves and unfortunately because of Harm's recent problems, AJ had directed Mac and Bud to take care of writing the point by point rebuttals.
xxxvixx
Tony sailed into Abby's lab area, feeling a little like Gibbs. After all, Abby usually called the Boss and told him that she had found something and away he went to the lab, sometimes with Tony trailing after him, sometimes not. But this time when she called, Gibbs told her to talk to Tony. So she immediately called him and asked that he come down. Vivienne, not wanting to miss any of this, followed.
Tony was all business when he got there. "What do you got for me?" the former Baltimore PD detective said succinctly.
Abby almost commented on how much he sounded like Gibbs but then thought better of it. She had already gotten in trouble once today with Gibbs and once a year with Gibbs was more than enough. "Well, I tested the sediment in the fibers in the first cover. There were high concentrations of quartz, feldspar and kaolinite-"
Tony held up his hand like first grader asking permission to answer a question. "I flunked earth science, Abby." The Goth Forensic Specialist gave Tony a playful smirk.
Vivienne rolled her eyes. Oh for the love of- Just how did he get to be an NCIS Special Agent? "It's river silt," she said flatly.
Vivienne's snotty answer made Abby give her a momentarily irritated look. Then she refocused on answering the question. "Yeah, which matches the levels when I first tested Lieutenant Singer's uniform,"
Tony ignored Vivienne as well. He moved in closer to the monitor and looked at the numbers. "That's odd. Shouldn't it have had higher levels by now?" He asked.
Abby nodded. Now Vivienne leaned in to look at the numbers as well. Abby was quite proud that her findings could garner such attention. "Yeah, the river's been kicking a lot of silt, and this cover registers as if it was just tossed in. No way it's been out there for weeks."
Tony grunted. "It's a plant. Gibbs' gut was right. We got the wrong man."
He and Vivienne shared chagrined looks because now they had to tell Gibbs what had happened.
xxxvixx
At about that same time Jack McBurney was visiting with Harmon Rabb.
"You know I was just doing my job, Commander," Jack said not looking directly at the Commander. He felt bad for being so easily led to believe that JAG Corps top attorney could have tried to kill anyone – well anyone in the manner someone attacked Lieutenant Singer, that is. After all, he had read Harmon Rabb's Junior's service record and he was capable of killing, but he wasn't an unthinking killing machine.
"I would have done the same thing, Major; I don't hold any ill will toward you," Harm replied magnanimously. That made the SJA Major feel even more ill-at-ease if that were possible.
"Yeah, well, again, my apologies, sir, I'd better-" He stopped as he got up and turned to leave. Jack saw the Commander's cover sitting there on the credenza just like it had the night he had been called to NCIS for questioning. Something Faith Coleman had said to him that night stuck in his mind…
"Uh, if you don't mind sir, is that your cover?" The SJA Major asked.
"Yes."
Jack motioned to it as he pulled out a pair of latex gloves. Harm almost smirked when he saw the gloves but then caught himself. He had done the same thing while working cases many times before.
"May I?" he asked indicating he wanted to pick up the cover.
"Go ahead," Harm said curious what the SJA Major was up to.
Jack looked closely at the cover as he held it in his gloved hands. "This isn't yours," he announced.
Harm took it from him and looked at it as if he had never had one before.
"You're right. It's not mine," he declared in a surprised voice.
01437 Local_1937 Zulu
Quantico Youth Center
Quantico MCB, Virginia
Phil Ronney was finally getting a much needed break. His 1430 had cancelled so that left him thirty minutes to work on reports and assessments until his next one when he had tapping on his door.
"Come on in, it's open," he called out. Phil had shut the door but only to quiet the hurricane of noise courtesy of the Sergeant Keppler's adorable triplets.
The noise temporarily increased as James Garrel made his way into the office and then slackened again when he shut the door.
"Don't you wish you could bottle that?" Phil said motioning to the din outside.
James Garrel looked distracted. "Um, yeah, sure,"
Phil could tell something was up. "Jim, what's wrong?"
The Marine Sergeant sat down harder than he usually did. His eyes were moist. "She's gone," he said finally.
Phil got up and sat in the chair next to him. Now was not the time to talk to him as a professional. "Are you all right?"
James Garrel gave him a sardonic smile. "I'm a Marine, aren't I?"
"Even Marines hurt, son," Phil said honestly. "Did Connie go peacefully?"
"The Doc said she never came out of her coma," James replied quietly while he looked at his hands.
"I take it everyone was there," Phil added.
James nodded. "Yeah, Mom and Dad and Uncle Paul – Aunt Kelsey couldn't bring herself to see Connie pass,"
Phil nodded he knew it was hardest on Paul Garrel and his wife. They had often thought of Connie as one their own since they couldn't have children. James knew how they felt and didn't blame Kelsey. Life had dealt them some pretty crappy cards.
"Jim, I am so sorry," Phil said earnestly. Why was it when you said things like this it never sounded like you were sincere?
But James knew he meant it. "In a way, Phil, I'm glad. Her body was a broken shell. She never would have been happy living like that,"
xxxvixx
Corporal Emilio Sanchez opened the rear passenger door to the government issue LTD sedan and helped Laurie Singer out of the car.
"Here we are ma'am," he announced.
Ducky came around the back of the car and joined them. "Laurie, how are you feeling?"
Laurie looked at the kids playing on the swing sets, slide, monkey bars, and fort on the playground to the left of the building. Parents, some anxious, some relaxed, some in uniform, some not, watched the children as they played. A few were tending younger children in strollers or carriages.
Broken images flitted through her mind like a damaged film trying to run. Scenes of her playing on a similar playground, scraping her knee, sharing secrets with a friend…her mother watching…the bruises on her face…then another face flashed into view. A bespectacled man wearing a dark Navy uniform…there was snow all over his topcoat…why was he yelling at her?
"Laurie, are you all right?" It was Ducky looking at her with fatherly concern. Corporal Sanchez stood nearby ready to assist if needed.
Laurie smiled gratefully at the NCIS ME. "I'm okay, Doctor, thanks for asking," she said trying to reassure him.
Ducky scanned the playground and then looked back at her. "They triggered something, didn't they?"
There was no denying it. "The man who met me at the bridge, he's wearing wire framed glasses and he's angry about something,"
"Can you tell what?" Ducky said trying to prompt more of her memory to the surface.
Laurie shook her head no as she looked back at the playground. "That's why we're here, isn't it?"
Ducky smiled gently at her. There was no need to answer that question. "Let's go inside and see if they can help," He took her hand and began to lead her inside. Corporal Sanchez fell in step behind them.
xxxvixx
Phil had turned his chair so he could face James Garrel. The Marine Sergeant had what looked like the beginnings of a 'thousand yard stare' as he looked off into the distance beyond the walls the of Phil Ronney's office.
"It was almost dusk. Do you know how cold it gets in those mountains at night?" James asked.
"I've heard," Phil replied, one veteran to another. "So were you flown in?"
"No, our CO had procured some local transportation for us," James replied, "That road had more potholes than pavement," he quipped suddenly.
Phil chuckled. "Nothing like a nighttime ride on poorly built mountain road,"
"More like a glorified goat trail," James said wryly. Then he got serious again. "CIA SAD teams had had them under observation for most of the day...figured they wouldn't expect an evening ambush…"
"So did they?"
The Marine Sergeant wasn't here. He was back in Afghanistan. "Not until we piled out of the trucks, someone yelled, and then all hell broke loose,"
A 'come as you are fire fight'. Phil immediately knew what had happened next. Depending on whose side you were on and how prepared you were for it, it could be easy or a fight for your life.
Sometimes, oddly enough, both.
"The shooting part was short, real short. Then it turned into a full-fledged outdoor barroom brawl."
"I heard Corporal Eckart behind me choking but I was dealing with my own bearded tornado,"
Phil didn't say anything. He didn't want to interrupt the flow of the narrative unless he had to.
"I punched the guy in his kidneys, which staggered him a little, and then he hit me with his fist so hard across my face I saw stars,"
"I saw PFC Brickart was grabbing at a neck wound, but the scumbag that had knifed him was doubled over on the ground – there was blood everywhere…"
"My guy was trying to wrench my left arm out of my socket when I grabbed him by the face and drove my fingers into his eye sockets as far as they would go. He screamed something, but I didn't care. I took my other hand which was now free and closed it around his windpipe…I think I actually lifted him off the ground…I don't even remember killing him."
"The next thing I knew Staff Sergeant Ruiz was talking me down. My shoulder hurt like hell and my face felt like I had been hit by a concrete pillow. 'Pappy' sat me down while our Corpsman looked me over. He didn't even bother looking at my 'sparring partner'."
Phil nodded. The man who had tried to kill him was dead – there was no obvious need to verify that, Jim must've made a mess of him. "How did you feel about killing him?"
James Garrel shook his head slowly. "You know, it's funny, until a couple of days ago I hadn't really thought about him. Now though, I wonder why he thought beating girls and blowing up statues was a way to get closer to God,"
That would be a conversation for another time. Right now Phil wanted to focus on more immediate and important things. "How many men did you lose?"
"Brickart…Micky…bled out before anyone could do anything. The docs are certain Eckart…Steve…suffered brain damage…they also broke his arm in two places….we were lucky…Al's team lost three…."
Phil could tell that James had distanced himself from what had happened. Micky Brickart and Steve Eckart had been his buddies. Sergeant Al Grogan had dated Connie before they went out on this tour.
"How do you feel about losing Micky and about Steve's injuries?"
The Marine Sergeant shook his head again. "I don't know…mad I guess…I'm their Sergeant…I'm responsible…."
"But you feel sad too, right?"
James looked up and gave him a weak smile. "We were my best buds, but I had to compartmentalize it, Phil, or it would have immolated me,"
"And now?"
He sighed. "And now with Connie's death, I can grieve for all of them,"
xxxvixx
Andrea Chen had only worked at the Center for less than two months but she was already the favorite of several regulars, being from a large family she wasn't intimidated by bullies, but she also had a soft side that attracted people to her.
She smiled pleasantly at Laurie Singer. "So tell me a little about yourself,"
Laurie chuckled. "Well considering what happened to me, there's not much I can tell you,"
Ducky and Corporal Sanchez were waiting outside. 'Ms. Chen' as she was known throughout the Center had insisted she talk to Laurie alone.
"Well, I think you might be surprised how much you know about yourself, just relax and tell me what you do know,"
"Well, I'm a thirty something female in my fifth month, twentieth week of pregnancy. I'm supposedly in the Navy and a lawyer in the Judge Advocate General's office,"
Andrea gave her a nonjudgmental look. "You say supposedly,"
"People tell me that's who I am but when I have flashbacks or dreams it feels like this Loren Singer is a whole different person," Laurie admitted.
"Well just tell me a little more about yourself,"
"Well, based on what memory has returned, I didn't have a rosy, idyllic childhood. My Mom was beaten by my loving Father…we never really got close…I excelled at school because I didn't want to end up like him…or my Mom…."
xxxvixx
James felt better. Just talking to someone, had helped more than he had realized it would. Phil didn't judge or scribble down notes. He listened and maybe, that's all he needed. And he had cried. At first he wasn't going to, but then the floodgates opened. Phil too had also told James how much he missed seeing Connie around here.
When James asked if he could come by again, Phil didn't hesitate to let him know any time after hours or before they were officially open was fine.
xxxvixx
Andrea had learned a great deal from Laurie Singer despite her protestations to the opposite. Laurie formerly Loren, Singer, was one of Admiral Albert Jethro Chegwidden's troubleshooting Judge Advocates'- one with a reputation for being cold and calculating but with an impressive record.
She was ambitious, driven-which had put her at odds with some of other attorneys and the staff, but someone had apparently decided Loren/Laurie had to go. She definitely showed signs of severe Retrograde amnesia and some Procedural amnesia but also there was a psychological defense mechanism that had snapped into the place when she had been tossed into the Potomac like last week's garbage. Only an MRI could really tell if there was damage to her Hippocampus but then again it might not show anything. Doctors were still unraveling the mysteries of the brain and Laurie Singer's case was probably being reviewed with great interest at Bethesda.
"So why Laurie? Why not Michelle or Jennifer or Rachel?" Andrea asked.
Laurie Singer sighed and brushed absently at her hair. "Well, I'm not trying to run away or hide if that is what you are thinking,"
Andrea chuckled and smiled at that comment which got a smile from Laurie as well,
"Truth is, I like Laurie, but I couldn't be Loren anymore. I'm simply not that woman and I don't want my child growing up under the cloud that Loren Singer left for her,"
Andrea nodded. "So it's for the child,"
Laurie nodded. "People grow up all the time living with names they don't like for one reason or another. So sometimes they make a change. That's what I'm doing,"
xxxvixx
Marine Corporal Emilio Sanchez was not comfortable around here. The Marine had been Loren Singer's guard since the first day she was admitted and had to admit he felt personally responsible for her. That's the way Emilio had been brought up. Protect those who can't protect themselves. So he had royally chewed out the Lance Corporal for leaving his post early, which lead to Laurie Singer visiting the children's ward by herself.
"What's the matter Corporal?" Ducky asked seeing the distress in the young Marine's face. He probably knew the answer but he was hoping getting him to talk about it would make the hulking Marine Corporal feel more at ease,
Sanchez almost looked embarrassed as he fumbled with his words. "They're so tiny, sir, and some of them I mean…how…how could anyone do that to a child, sir?"
Ducky shook his head. "It's not an easy thing to answer Corporal - family tensions, money problems, drugs, alcohol, lack of understanding on how to handle disciplinary problems, and sometimes severe psychological trauma that they themselves suffered at the hands of their own parents,"
Emilio thought about that for a moment. "So is the Lieutenant-"
"She's a lot better off than some of the children coming in here," Ducky replied. "And hopefully Ms. Chen will help her on her road back to recovery,"
xxxvixx
"Well Laurie, we've made a good start," Andrea said getting up from her chair that was next to hers. "I know this is a little unusual for you, but a Doctor Mallard suggested it might help since your childhood memories were the strongest and most substantial,"
"Well to be honest, I do like it here…." Laurie lapsed into fitful silence. After moment she looked up at Andrea. "Do you think maybe after I get better, I could…maybe….I don't know…volunteer here?"
Andrea was intrigued. "Would you like to do that?"
Laurie nodded. "Yes I would," As the words came out of Laurie's mouth there was a knock at Andrea's door
"Excuse me, I'll just be a moment," she excused herself.
Andrea went to the door and opened it. It was Phil the Head of the Center. Andrea stepped outside the office and pulled the door to.
"Phil, what's wrong?"
Unnoticed by the two counselors, the door slowly opened a crack. It was open enough that Laurie could hear them as they talked.
'Connie died in her sleep this afternoon'
'Oh no! I was going to see her later today…how's Jim taking it?'
'It was a wallop, but at least the doctors didn't give him and Garrel family any false hope about her chances,'
Laurie started when he heard the name 'Garrel' and then put her hand to her mouth as she realized that Jimmy had been dealing with that on top of everything else. Tears welled in her eyes as she continued to listen.
'Did they ever catch the person that hit her?'
'No, probably a blitzed Christmas reveler that thought he had hit a dog,' Phil ground out bitterly.
Laurie reached deep within her for that strong person that always withstood the bad news – that always managed to persevere even when things were at their worst. She had plenty of experience with this kind of thing. I will not cry, I will NOT cry, I'll be strong for Jimmy, I will not cry….
'You're hurting too, aren't you?'
'Aren't we all Andrea? Connie was sweet kid and Jim just got back from a brutal tour in Afghanistan, and now this…'
Jimmy had never told her any of the burdens he was carrying. Now she understood why he had distanced himself from her. Well she remembered enough about dealing with grieving junior officers and enlisted to know what she needed to do.
'Sorry Phil, sometimes it's hard to put away the counselor shield, you know I loved Connie too, sorry if I came off sounding cold…'
'It's okay, it's a defense mechanism, I know that,' 'How's your talk with Lieutenant Singer going?'
'She's amazingly resilient, a fighter, though I think even she doesn't realize it…'
'Jim really wants to help her but he doesn't want to get in trouble for doing so'
'Yeah I know…the fraternization rule. Still it's nice that he cares enough,'
That almost made Laurie burst in tears. God, he was so sweet. She made up her mind right then and there as an officer she had a duty to help a fellow soldier despite her own problems.
'Yeah, look, I've got a four o'clock with Sergeant Yeager and his wife, are you good?'
'Yeah. I'd better get back. Hey, thanks for letting me know, okay?'
'Yeah, now I got to break the news to Clarice and the others…this isn't going to be easy,'
Laurie knew that Andrea was about to come back in. She tried to look like she hadn't heard the conversation. It reminded her of other whispered conversations she had been privy to…images of past revelations she had learned about danced through her subconscious.
1915 Local _0015 Zulu
JAG Corps Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
AJ was holding his favorite mug and was staring into his fireplace as if it had some answers for him about the audit when Mac walked in.
She hated interrupting him when he was deep in thought like this. "Excuse me Admiral, can we talk for a minute?"
AJ gave her a tired wry smile. "Why not? Come on in,"
Mac approached cautiously. "I've, uh, made up dossiers rebutting the allegations of Commander Lindsey's extremely biased report, sir," she began.
The JAG gave them a cursory look while giving her a smile. "Nice work, I'll, um, pass'em on to the SECNAV." He looked old…beaten. She did not like seeing him like this.
"You still thinking about resigning sir?" She couldn't believe she was asking this.
"Yes," was his one word answer.
"Those dossiers make it abundantly clear why you shouldn't resign, why the SECNAV shouldn't fire you," she stated beginning her opening arguments against him resigning. Marines and SEALS don't retreat…
AJ gave her a fatherly smile. How he admired that fire in her. "Well, I appreciate that-"
But Mac didn't have time for pithy platitudes. "Excuse me sir but, I believe you should listen to what I have to say," she said forcefully.
The Navy/Marine Corps JAG tossed his reading glasses on his desk pad and motioned to the chair in front of his desk. "Have a seat,"
Mac sat carefully in the chair. He could tell she was ready to stand at a moment's notice. "You told the office this morning that you were retiring because you and Meredith were getting married," she sucked in a breath before continuing. She hated telling him he was liar, but facts were facts. "I saw Meredith on the way out a few minutes ago and she told me that you made that story up on the spot."
The two-star looked at her with surprise but only for a moment as it morphed into a chagrined look. "Guilty as charged," he replied. Now she knew he was off his game. If this had been any other time, he would have ripped her 'a new one' for what she just said. Instead he just rolled over and accepted it.
Mac looked down and chuckled softly and then looked back at him with sympathy. He really needed some right now. "You don't want to retire, sir, and the only reason you're even considering it is to protect us, myself, Commander Rabb, Lieutenant Roberts, Lieutenant Sims, because we're the ones intentionally smeared by Commander Lindsey You think Commander Lindsey is out to get you personally, that he's just dragging us through the mud to do it."
"Yes,"
But he also needed some tough love. "Well, ahm, it's his motive I'm questioning sir, he told Commander Rabb he wanted this office broken apart and us scattered to the four winds. Well, if that's the case, then your resignation is of no benefit to us or the Navy."
AJ seemed to ponder that argument for a moment. "Or to me?" he asked.
Mac didn't hear the alarm bells that were sounding in her mind. Or maybe she did and just thought it was more important to make her point. "It's absolutely not in your character to cave in and I refuse to accept that from you—for any reason."
The former SEAL looked around and then directly at her. "Are you done?" he said softly.
Mac girded herself for what she had to say next. "No sir, you are offering to sacrifice your career, and with all due respect, sir, that offer is not accepted."
He sighed, looked around and then directly at her again. "I hope…that'll be all?" This time there was a definite edge to his voice. Confidence building pep talks were one thing, but she was fast approaching an insubordination speed bump.
Oh sh- Mac looked at him with a sheepish look on her face, "Yes sir," she said quietly as she got out of her chair and prepared to quickly vacate the room.
"Mac…" It was more his tone than her name being called that stopped her. She turned back to him. AJ looked at her for moment and then gave her a smile of appreciation. "Thanks."
She gave him a warm smile and left his office.
2025 Local_0125 Zulu
Secretary Sheffield's House
Fairfax, VA
The roaring fireplace made the room nice and cozy and the drinks didn't hurt either. But none of this mattered to AJ Chegwidden. He had made a decision about this whole mess and was ready to present his answer.
The SECNAV was his usual breezy self. "So have you heard the scuttlebutt around town? You're going to retire so I don't have to fire you," Edward Sheffield gave him a sly smile.
AJ gave him an uneasy smile. "Well sir, this town is a gossip factory," He quickly took a sip of his scotch.
The SECNAV sat back. "Heh, yeah, Washington runs on gossip," he acknowledged knowingly.
Then he gave the JAG another sly look while taking a sip of his drink. "Uhmm, so is it true?"
AJ looked at Edward Sheffield with a knowing grin "Mr. Secretary, I serve at your pleasure," he said gamely.
"Now don't be coy with me, AJ," The Secretary of the Navy said, gently admonishing him. "We've got a problem. All I want is what's best for the Navy,"
AJ leaned forward. "And so do I, sir and that's why I've come to realize my resignation wouldn't solve anything. I think you'll find Commander Lindsey's report is very biased." Mac had coached him well. He reached down and pulled out Mac's dossiers, handing them to the SACNAV. "Here's the point by point rebuttal of his allegations by my staff."
Sheffield nodded as he paged through the dossiers. "Good, good. Um, you and Commander Lindsey back a long ways, don't you?" There was that sly look on his face again.
"We have a history," AJ said obliquely, not wanting to say more.
Edward Sheffield for the first time ever, looked embarrassed. "I probably picked the wrong person to handle this matter. I should have realized that Lindsey had an axe to grind, but now the issue is on the table, I can't just take it off. This may help, but what is it going to change? Certainly not the facts." The SECNAV took another sip of his drink.
This time it was the hard charging SEAL's turn to carry the flag that Mac had given him. "No sir, but it may change your opinion of the facts," he replied.
Edward shook his head sorrowfully as he tapped the dossiers. "AJ, I need more…"
Now AJ shook his head. He didn't have anything else to offer.
Edward Sheffield winked at him and as he got up, he patted the Admiral on the back. "Scotch, I mean."
AJ chuckled wryly. He didn't know what he did, but whatever it was, he was glad it worked.
The SECNAV stood by the drink carafe on the serving cart. "Do you want another refill? I'll do the honors this time…"
AJ reached over and handed him his glass and inwardly breathed a deep sigh of relief.
-TBC…