21

The next few days would be jam-packed, not so much for Harm, but Jen, Julia and even Theresa Sullivan had more than enough on their plates as they coped with research into SOFA abuses and the initial planning stages for the NAVFOREUR Labour Day softball match, on top of their usual duties. Julia took the brunt of actually producing the various communiqués for dissemination to units of the fleet, as Lieutenant Sullivan found herself responsible for prosecuting nearly a dozen sailors from the USS Walter Harriman who had become overly exuberant while on shore leave and had succeeded in upsetting the sensibilities of a similar number of Royal Marines, resulting in a free and frank exchange of opinions which left the landlord of an historic pub in Plymouth contemplating a bill for several thousand pounds for repairs to furniture, fixtures and fittings and for loss of inventory.

When he first heard of the case, and in light of commander Roberts' recent disclosures over the abuse of SOFA, Harm picked up his phone, dialled zero, and waited for Julia Martinez to pick up.

"Yes, Sir?"

Harm picked up the card that Roberts had left with him and said, "Yeoman Two, get me an outside line, please..."

"Aye, aye, Sir!"

Within seconds the dialling tone sounded in Harm's ear and he dialled the number on Roberts' card and once again waited for the phone at the other end to be picked up.

"Naval Legal Services, PO Thurgood, Sir."

"Good morning, Petty Officer, This is Captain Rabb, US Navy Judge Advocate General In London, I'd like to speak with Commander Roberts, or if he's not available another ranking attorney, please."

"One moment, Sir, I'll put you through…"

Once again, Harm was left waiting for a phone to be picked up, but at least, he consoled himself, The Royal Navy Hadn't gone in for Vivaldi's damned Four Seasons! And in the event, he wasn't kept waiting for many seconds after all.

"This is Roberts, Sir, how may I help you this morning?"

"Good morning Commander, I'm calling about the bar fight in Plymouth last weekend. The Task Force Commander responsible for our sailors has raised charges against them. We are claiming our rights under SOFA, but I want to assure you the sailors will face due procedure. Can I take it that your Marines will also face charges?"

Commander Roberts gave a brief snort of cynical amusement, "Yes, but they will be civilian charges brought by the CPS – that's the Crown Prosecution Service, bit like the DA system in the USA. Then depending on how severely they ticked off their CO, they may face military charges arising from the same incident."

"Double jeopardy?" Harm asked in some surprise.

"No, not quite. The civilian charges, and please remember these are only examples, Sir, could range from common assault, assault occasioning ABH, inflicting GBH, wounding, making an affray. Then there is the question of compensation. It is my understanding that the pub landlord is facing a hefty bill, so will be seeking compensation for that and for the loss of stock. If the Marines' CO wants to inflict an additional military punishment, he will have to wait until the CPS have made up their mind as to what charges to raise, and then have his Marines charged, but he'll probably have to be content with conduct to the prejudice of good order and military discipline, or similar charges. Is that a help, Sir?"

"Yes, that's very helpful, thank you. But, if I can trespass on your time for a few more minutes. I know you're not a civilian judge, but how likely are your Marines to receive a sentence of confinement from the court?"

"Not very likely at all, Sir. Magistrates' courts are well aware that putting a serviceman in jail, even for a short period, can have a terminal effect on his career. The Marines in question are far more likely to be given hefty fines and ordered to pay at least partial compensation. It will still go on their records as a civilian criminal conviction which will count against their final assessment of conduct on discharge, but it will be the hit their pocket that really hurts."

"What sort of amount of fine do you think your guys would be looking at?"

Roberts thought rapidly, trying to recall fines awarded in similar cases, "It really does vary according to where the court is, and even which panel of magistrates are sitting on a given day, but… a three to five hundred pounds fine each would seem to be in order."

"So… No confinement, a five hundred pounds fine and, say, a similar amount in compensation?"

"Yes, that would be about it, Sir." Roberts replied.

"Thank you, Commander, you've been most helpful! Goodbye." Harm broke the connection but then almost immediately dialled zero, again. "Yeoman Two, pass the word for Lieutenant Sullivan, please."

Theresa Sullivan knocked on his door within a matter of minutes, entering at his invitation and halting in front of his desk, "Lieutenant Sullivan, reporting as ordered, Sir!"

"Take a seat, please, Lieutenant. The bar fight case…" Harm then went on to recount his conversation with the Royal Navy's Commander Roberts. Sullivan listened intently and when he had finished, she asked, "If I might, just for clarification, Sir?"

"Ask away, Lieutenant," Harm replied.

"Sir, this...briefing, for want of a better word, am I now to take it that you want this case pleading out?"

Harm nodded, "I think that would be the best answer, all round."

Theresa Sullivan bit her lower lip for a few seconds; there was obviously something bothering her, so when she raised her eyes and looked straight at her CO asking, "Permission to speak freely, Sir?" Harm wasn't particularly surprised.

"Go ahead, Lieutenant."

"Sir, with all due respect, aren't your actions in this case getting perilously near the exercise of undue command influence?"

Harm grunted audibly, as if he'd just been struck a heavy body blow. To cover his temporary confusion he leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers in front of his chin. "Yeah, I can see where you might think that, but all I'm trying to do is to create a level playing field, so our guys face pretty much the same consequences for their actions as the British Marines will. I know you are obligated to provide them the best defence possible, however, they were caught red-handed by the British police, and there can be very little doubt that they were at least partially responsible for the damage caused. As I said, I spoke to the Royal Navy's legal people, and without sentencing our guys to confinement this is about as much as we can do. Of course, you're still a long way from selling this to the convening authority, that's Vice-Admiral Owen Parker, as well as your miscreants. But please be perfectly clear, I am not ordering you to table a plea-bargain, and if you feel that justice would be better served by going to trial, then that is, of course, your decision to make."

"Thank you, Sir. I'll take your comments under advisement if I may, Sir, and if it's okay by you, I'll get back to you by staff call on Monday, Sir?"

Harm nodded, "That's fine, Lieutenant. It is your decision to make. Dismissed."

"Aye, aye, Sir. Theresa Sullivan got to her feet about-face and left the office, a vaguely troubled look on her face, which pretty accurately reflected her mental state. She knew that Captain Rabb had not meant to exercise command influence, but advice from a commanding officer, on how to handle a specific case, came, in her opinion, perilously close to crossing that line. The trouble was, she thought, as she made her way across the bullpen to her own office, that his advice was as sound as it always was. It was just that he was, when all was said and done, her CO…

xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx

Julia finished reading through the draft signal she had prepared for Lieutenant Sullivan's signature and decided that she had covered all her bases. Placing the torn sheet of message pad in her out tray, she laid her pen down on the desk blotter and looked across the room to where Jen was still involved in a marathon round of telephone calls to various local TV stations and newspapers as she attempted to track down any and all stories that might indicate a misuse of SOFA over the past ten years. Julia caught Jen's eye and offered a sympathetic smile at the same time mining taking a drink, and then raised an interrogatory eyebrow. Jen returned the smile nodded her head and mouthed a silent "Please!".

Julia nodded and quit her chair, heading for the galley and the coffee-pot. Jen continue to hold, while she waited for a singularly slow witted young woman with an almost impenetrable East Anglian accent to get back to her with a password for that particular TV station's protected archives.

Sighing with impatience, Jen let her fingernails beat a rapid tattoo on her blotter and then as a shadow fell across her desk she looked up, a smile beginning to appear, expecting to see Julia with the promised cup of coffee. Instead she found herself looking into the dark eyes of a stone-faced Marine Corps First Sergeant, who despite his impassive expression, seemed to have a glint of humour lurking in those selfsame dark eyes.

For some reason, Jen found herself blushing, and hastily covering the mouthpiece of her phone she asked, "How may I help you First Sergeant?"

Victor Galindez gave himself a mental shake, he was a long past the age, he told himself, where he could be distracted by a pretty face and a pair of soft, deep, brown eyes, no matter how soft nor how deep they might seem.

"Thank you, Petty Officer. I would like to speak with Captain Rabb, if possible."

"If you'll wait just a minute, please, First Sergeant, I'll check to see if he can speak with you. Who, shall I tell him wants to speak with him?"

Victor allowed a small smile to play on his lips, "Tell him, First Sergeant Galindez."

Jen nodded and turned towards Harm's office door before the import of what the Marine had just said sunk home. Then, with a gasp of surprise, she spun back towards the visitor, and almost incredulously asked, "Gunny?"

Victor blinked, he was sure that he had never met this particular Petty Officer before, and was intrigued to find that she apparently had some notion of who he was, or rather, of who he had been. "I don't know you, do I?" he asked.

"No… No, we've never met," Jen replied, feeling the blood return to her cheeks, "but I took over from Jason Tiner as Admiral Chegwidden's Yeoman, right up until the Admiral retired, and your name was pretty much legend around Falls Church!"

It was now Victor's turn to feel a rush of blood to his cheeks. This wasn't a sensation to which the normally imperturbable Marine NCO was accustomed, and he offered a silent prayer of thanks that his dark colouring helped to hide his reddened cheeks.

"Thank you, I think, Petty Officer," was about as much as his tongue would cope with for the moment but thankfully that seemed enough under the circumstances, and he was rewarded by a shy smile from Jen as she turned back towards Harm's office door. Her knock brought the invitation for her to enter, and she stepped inside, closing the door behind her.

"Sir," she began tentatively, "there's a Marine Corps First Sergeant to see you. A First Sergeant Galindez. I think he's the famous 'Gunny' from Falls Church, Sir."

"Indeed he is!" Harm said enthusiastically. "I've been expecting him for the last couple of days! Send him right on in please Jennifer… Hey! Just a second, why are you announcing my visitors? Where's Martinez?"

"Oh, she just stepped away from her desk for a few minutes, Sir, I'm sure she'll be back any time now, that is if she's not back already, Sir."

"Well, when she does get back, ask her to produce two mugs of coffee, please, Marine grade!" He finished with a broad grin.

"Aye, aye, Sir!" Jen acknowledged with almost as broad grin of her own, and turning, opened and held the door Victor, saying, "go straight in, First Sergeant," and then stepped gracefully out of Harm's office before almost collapsing into her own chair, where Julia found her when she returned some twenty seconds later still fanning her heated cheeks with an open hand.

Julia placed Jen's mug of coffee on her desk, and asked in a voice of mild concern, "Are you alright?"

"Oh… Sure, yeah, I'm fine…" Jen almost stammered in reply.

"Are you sure? You're looking a bit flustered," Julia persisted.

"Yeah, I am I'm fine, it's just typical but the second you're away from your desk, the captain gets the visitor, and he caught me rather by surprise. But, Captain Rabb did say that as soon as you got back to your desk would you please provide him and his guest with two cups of Marine grade Coffee! But as soon as you get back from doing that I'll tell you everything. I promise!"

"If that's so, why am I getting the impression you're stalling!" Julia grinned.

Jen glared at her tormentor, "it's not me that stalling, it's you, and if I were you I get the Captain that coffee!"

"Okay, okay, I'm gone," Julia laughed, "but you haven't heard the last of this, lady."

Jen shook her head in amused exasperation at the younger woman's cheerful persistence.

xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx

It was nearly thirty minutes later that Victor Galindez left Harm's office. And for the majority of that time, ever since she'd delivered the requested refreshments, Julia had maintained a strict silence. She had also maintained, however, a barrage of looks directed at Jen, which were overflowing with barely concealed amusement. Her amusement was cut short and replaced with surprise, as Harm's office door opened, to show that the Marine Corps NCO, had been walked to that door by Harm.

"Well, that's not something you see everyday!" Julia said to Jen as soon as Harm had closed the door to his office again. "There's has got to be a story behind that!"

Jen let out a most unladylike snort of exasperation, "For God's sakes, Julia, stop fishing! Yes, there is a story; First Sergeant Galindez used to be the admin Gunnery Sergeant at Falls Church. He was there for a few years, before he went back to whatever it was he used to be in the Corps. I know that he, the captain and Colonel Mackenzie shared some pretty hairy adventures in Afghanistan and in South America. I don't know the details, because it's all very much classified and very much need to know. What I do know, but only from reports I've heard, is that Captain Rabb and First Sergeant Galindez are as much friends as it is possible for them to be."

"And the fact that he is a total babe doesn't hurt either, does it, Jen?" And then Julia continued before Jen had a chance to answer, "of course, he is way too old for me, even if I didn't have Johnny, but when a gal as attractive as you gets to be as old…"

"Julia Martinez! Don't even go there!" Jen warned, half-laughing at and half-scolding the now widely grinning Julia.

xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx

Harm relaxed back against the squabs, as Julia concentrated on manoeuvring the sedan through the Friday afternoon traffic on the A40, the main road from London to Oxford, and which took them to Northolt. He refrained from speaking for the first fifteen minutes of the journey as she threaded her way through the congested roads, and it wasn't until the density of the traffic eased that he felt it safe to speak with her.

"You and Coates seemed to be in a good mood this afternoon," he observed.

Julia risked a glance across at him in an effort to determine his mood, "Just a bit of banter being tossed back and forwards, Sir. And it is Friday afternoon, what's not to be in a good mood about?"

Harm wriggled his shoulders grinned and nodded understandingly, "Ah, yes, the weekend. I take it that you're bound for darkest Wiltshire again, to meet your soldier."

Julia blushed, "No, Sir… Actually, I'm staying put this weekend, Johnny is coming up from Tidworth, which is just across the county line in Hampshire, Sir."

Harm chuckled, "Next time, Yeoman Two, don't bother running around the houses, just come straight out and tell me I got it wrong."

Julia blushed, even more furiously that she had done before, if that was possible and gasped, "Oh God, I'm sorry, Sir. I was way out of line, and it…."

"Won't happen again?" Harm finished her sentence for her in a lightly ironic voice, but continued before she had a chance to reply, "But it will, won't it Yeoman Two? And I know this, because we've had this identical conversation before, at least once."

Julia bit her tongue, her cheeks still flaming crimson, and finding it hard to read his voice, she risked another sidelong look, trying to ascertain his mood from his expression. "I really am sorry, Sir," she said, "and I will try to do better!"

Harm chuckled again, "As long as you restrict your more insubordinate outbreaks to when there's just the two of us travelling, then there is no real harm done, but don't pull that sort of stunt around the office, okay?"

"Yes, Sir!" Julia replied in a suffocated voice, and lapsed into an abashed silence which lasted until she dropped Harm offered his front door.

Harm stood on his doorstep and watched the Navy sedan until it turned the corner and was lost from sight. He had a faintly troubled frown on his forehead, and he hoped that he had been neither too indulgent nor at the end of their conversation to harsh with the young woman. Still, there had been plenty of little bumps and potholes on the road while he and Jen had forged their understanding, and he supposed that he must expect the same with Julia, the trouble was, he suspected the Julia wasn't quite so resilient is Jen, and wouldn't find it quite so easy to bounce back from reprimands.

However, all that could now wait until Monday morning. For the moment Harm was eagerly anticipating the arrival of Gill, for whom he had booked a room at the only hotel in West Ruislip, less than two miles from the RAF Station's main gate.

xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx

Gill had been dubious about the weekend, not about spending it with Harm, but when he had explained to her on Wednesday that the only convenient hotel for Northolt was what her grandmother would have derided as a "bucket shop", she had made some slight noises of demurral, but had allowed herself to be persuaded when he pointed out that there was a reasonable restaurant within walking distance, and just for once it might be nice to be able to have a glass or two of wine with their dinner without having to worry about driving home at the end of the evening.

Harm had then gone to explain his plan for the entire weekend from twenty hundred on Friday until sixteen hundred on Sunday. And now as she braked to a halt in the West Ruislip Premier Inns car park her face relaxed into a smile as she mentally reran that conversation.

"I seem to recall that you... uh… are a bit of a Shakespeare fan, at least as far as the comedies are concerned," he had offered diffidently.

"Why? She had asked slightly suspiciously, "I enjoy reading the plays, and I enjoyed watching quality productions, but I've seen the Bard murdered so many times by provincial repertory groups that I don't go to the theatre very much, well, not any more."

"Um, would you… ah… label the RSC as a provincial repertory group? Because I've managed to get hold of a couple of decent tickets for Much Ado About Nothing, at Stratford for the Saturday evening performance. And I thought it might be something you'd like to do?"

"Oh! God yes! I'd love that! But how on earth did you manage to get hold of tickets for the RSC at such short notice? And more importantly, you won't be bored, will you?"

Harm had chuckled, "No, no I could never be bored while I'm with you, and besides our last CO in DC was engaged to a professor of English who specialised in teaching Shakespeare to College kids, what you'd call university undergrads, and Much Ado, was one of her favourites, and with her talking about it I guess I picked up enough of the underlying themes to appreciate the play for what it is, and I also managed to get a firmer grip on Shakespeare's language. I did go to see a couple of his plays while I was still back in the USA, but it seems very strange to hear Elizabethan English spoken with the Virginia accent!"

"Yes, I suppose that would strike a jarring note or two!" Gill giggled, "But you still haven't said how you managed to get tickets…"

"Hey, a guy' s got to have some secrets," Harm had chuckled, "we can't let you ladies hog all the mysterious secrets of the universe!"

And although she was being eaten alive with curiosity, that is all that Harm would say on the subject, except for when he declaimed in an affected English accent, which almost reduced to Gill to tears of laughter, that "Undomesticated equines will not prevail upon me to disclose my sources."

Once she'd stopped giggling, a further thought occurred to her, "What sort of ideas did you have about the logistics for the weekend?" She had asked.

This was pretty much a question that had been worrying Harm since he first come up with the idea for the tickets. "You…. We…. uh... I thought that it might be better if you didn't stay with me, as a platonic guest of course, but you know what loose tongues are like…so I thought that if I got you a room at the local hotel for Friday and Saturday nights, that we could have dinner Friday evening and then on Saturday I pick up a rental then we drive up to Stratford – it's about an hour and a half, I'm told, spend the afternoon looking around the town. Again, I'm told it's quite a pretty place and even us uneducated Yanks have heard about Anne Hathaway's cottage, then an early dinner, and then back to the hotel for you and home for me. Then a lazy lunch somewhere handy on the Sunday before you have to head back to London. How does that sound?"

Gill had smiled to herself, he was being so careful not to give grounds for scurrilous gossip, that it was quite touching. "That sounds just about perfect, sailor," she said softly.

"Great! Then I'll see you in the lounge at the Premier Inn at twenty hundred on Friday!" He enthused.

This time it was that very enthusiasm in Harm's voice that triggered Gill's smile, "I look forward to it, in the meantime take care, sailor."

"You too, soldier," Harm had smiled and then reluctantly hung up.

But that had been Wednesday, now it was nineteen twenty hours on Friday, which meant that Gill had forty minutes in which to check-in shower and change. She had absolutely no doubt in her mind that Harm would be in the lounge at precisely twenty hundred hours. So climbing out of the car, she opened the boot, slinging her valise over her shoulder, and draping her garment bag over her left forearm while she closed and secured the car.

Despite her misgivings about the type of hotel, Gill was very pleasantly surprised by the speed and smiling efficiency of the check-in, and was then asked if she would like someone to carry her bags up to her room for her, an offer that wasn't always made these days, even in those hotels that gave themselves airs. Gill showered, dried and dressed with some degree of urgency but noted with a satisfied nod of her head that she still had seven minutes in hand by the time she was ready to quit the room.

The lounge was easy to find, all Gill had to do was to follow the sound of cheerful conversation and the occasional clink of glasses, although to her relief she found that the seating area, furnished with functional but brightly coloured armchairs and occasional tables was separated from the bar itself by a short flight of steps leading up to an archway pierced in a balustrade. However, her appreciation of the surroundings was interrupted by a surprised gasp of "Ma'am!"

Startled, Gill spun to face the direction from which the voice had come and in tones nearly as surprised as the ones that had accosted her she gasped in turn, "Bom! What… How… I mean… Oh, I don't really know what I mean, I think. I'm just surprised to see you here."

Johnny Walker grinned uncertainly, "I didn't really expect to see you here, either, ma'am," he confessed, "I've come up to spend the weekend with Julia, you remember her, ma'am?"

Gill smiled, "Yes, of course I remember her. Captain Rabb's driver. So, you and she are definitely getting on alright?"

Johnny smiled shyly, "Yes, ma'am, well, at least I like to think so. I like her a lot, and she seems prepared to put up with my nonsense, so it would be kind of stupid for us not to explore the possibilities. After all, ma'am, you only live once."

"True enough, Bom," Gill conceded, but before she could say more she felt a hand slip around her waist and the welcome sound of Harm's voice in her ear, "Good evening, beautiful." And then as Harm recognised Johnny he grinned good-naturedly, "good evening, Bombardier, no need to ask why you are haunting West Ruislip!"

"No, Sir!" Johnny rapped out.

"Relax, son," Harm urged him, "we are both off-duty, we are both in plain-clothes, and in a civilian environment, I think we can forget the drill field for a while."

Gill leaned in a little closer to Harm, and smiled at Johnny, "I think he means the parade ground," she confided to the British NCO in a stage whisper.

Harm sent a mock glare in her direction, "What is it with females that they think they have to keep correcting me?" He asked Johnny in an aggrieved tone of voice.

Gill craned her neck and squinted up at him, "what other female?" she demanded.

Harm chuckled and daringly gave Gill a gentle squeeze, "my Yeoman/Driver, that's who!" He complained. "She took the wind right out of my sails not more two hours ago!"

Johnny winced and closed his eyes for a second, "I'm sure she didn't mean any offence, Sir, it's just that she can be a little bit outspoken…"

Harm nodded his agreement, "Yeah, I appreciate that, and I've taken it into account."

Gill could almost see the wave of relief that washed over Johnny, "He's not quite the pushover I was, Bom, but he's a pretty okay guy."

"Hey! I am standing right here, you know!" Harm complained.

"Yes, dear," Gill said patronisingly, while Johnny wondered for years afterwards how he managed to keep a straight face at that point. Fortunately he was given an excuse to grin as he spied, over Gill's shoulder, Julia walking across the foyer straight towards the lounge.

"If you'll excuse me, Sir, ma'am, my date has just arrived," and with a courteous dip of his head, he excused himself and set a course to intercept Julia.

He wasn't quite as successful as he might have hoped, because even before they exchanged greetings Julia's eyes opened wide, "Is… I mean isn't that your Captain Shephard… and Captain Rabb?"

"And a big hello to you too," Johnny teased her.

Julia giggled, "Oh… I'm so sorry, Sweetie! Let me make up for that!" And laying her hands on his shoulders she half rose on her toes and leaning in captured his lips with hers in a firm, gentle and loving kiss, deepening it just slightly, as she gently nipped his lower lip between her small white teeth.

Johnny's hands and risen, almost automatically, to her waist as he returned her kiss with equal fervour, but once the kiss was broken he looked over the top of her head to see both officers grinning broadly. In order to shut out that horrible sight, he drew Julia into a deep hug and buried his face in her freshly shampooed and faintly floral smelling hair, "You are wicked," he scolded her lovingly, "so let's get outta here before your boss gets any more blackmail material!" And with an arm firmly around Julia's waist he led her back across reception to the front door.

Gill and Harm watched them go, smiles on their faces, but once the hotel door had closed behind the couple, Gill half turned towards Harm, "They're nice kids, but I'm glad they've gone…"

Harm smiled down at her, "Me too, because that means I can now do something I've been dreaming about since last Sunday…"

Gill felt her face going pink, and although she had a pretty damn good idea of what Harm meant, she asked shyly, "and what might that be, sailor?"

"Oh, just this…" Harm said as he raised her chin with one long, strong but gentle finger and dropped an equally firm and gentle and loving kiss squarely on her lips.

By the time they broke the kiss, Gill's arms had somehow wound themselves around the back of Harm's neck where her fingers played along his hairline, and with her lips slightly parted and shining eyes she looked up at him, "Have you got any idea of just how vulgar Granny would say we just were?" She asked softly.

"Nope! Not a clue!" Harm replied cheerfully, "But I'll make a deal with you, if you don't tell her, I won't!"

"You've got yourself a deal, sailor!" Gill chuckled.