Grove End Road – London, England
2102 Greenwich/ 0202 Eastern
Harm and Beth were snuggled on the couch, resting after dinner and then talking with Mattie about her weekend. When the teenager had arrived back home on Sunday afternoon, she'd raced upstairs to work on homework and had only reappeared for a quick dinner. While, on the one hand, this was something that pleased both parents greatly, they had also wanted to know more about her weekend too. Still, they had elected to wait rather than sit Mattie down and bombard her with questions.
So, this evening over dinner, they had learned what had happened.
"Hillary and Heather's parents were awesome," Mattie said. "The seats for the musical were five rows from the center of the stage and we could see everything."
"What did you think of it?" Beth asked.
"It was a little creepy, the way the Phantom was obsessed with Christine. But the music was really good and the effects were amazing."
"And what else did you do?" Harm asked, trying to see how things matched with what he'd been told before the weekend was scheduled.
"We had a sleepover on Friday night, like I told you. The twins had a couple of other girls from the school come, so I could meet them. One of them, Johanna Mueller, her dad's some diplomat at the German Embassy. She's a bit of a snob, all about clothes and fashion. I think Hillary and Heather are her friends because she helps them with their German and they help her with English and History," Mattie said with a shrug, knowing that it wasn't possible to be friends with everyone she met.
"And what did the sleepover consist of?"
"Girl stuff, Dad. Mr. and Mrs. Parkhurst let us use the family room and we had popcorn and watched movies and talked."
Harm was about to ask more, before Beth quietly stopped him with a hand on his and a look. She understood what had happened in ways that Harm probably never would. Nights like that are where girls trade secrets and laughs. Things not meant to be necessarily shared with their parents.
Mattie exchanged a grateful look with Beth, glad that she had understood. Growing up, she hadn't had a huge number of friends. She had often been somewhat odd, the girl who hung around airports and airplanes and knew more about changing sparkplugs than changing fashions. A part of her wondered at the type of lives people like Johanna lived, where the latest clothes were what mattered and the very thought of getting oil on your hands was disgusting. If you asked her, they could keep it.
Thinking of that made Mattie also think about Grace Aviation and the coming changes there.
"Have you heard from Tom Boone lately?" she asked.
"This afternoon, as a matter of fact, Boss," Harm told her. "He and Beth have 3 Air Tractor 802As purchased, which ate up a good chunk of that 5 million. The good news is, the hoppers on those are twice the size as on the current fleet, so our useful time should increase significantly. Also, they're all new and Beth is working out a schedule to get the pilots all trained on turboprops by the end of February. They've also hired two new mechanics trained in turboprop maintenance."
"Have they come up with any numbers on your charter plane idea?"
"Beth hasn't been able to find a jet that she likes yet, but she says that if the price of the jet is right, we can make a killing there. The DC area is screaming for private aerial taxis and a lot of what is there are prop planes. A small jet should be well set, with shuttles between DC and New York, Boston or Miami."
"Well, tell her to keep looking and we'll make a decision when she finds something," Mattie ordered.
"Yes, Boss," Harm replied with a grin.
"I'm sorry, Dad."
"No, Mattie. It's your company, you make the decisions. Admiral Boone, Beth and I just work for you. We'll help you make the right ones, but that's because we want you to succeed, not because we don't think you can do the work."
"Thanks, Dad," Mattie said, giving him a hug before leaving the room.
Harm waited until he heard the sound of footsteps on the stairs before taking Beth by the hand and walking into the living room. Together, the couple laid back on the couch, with Beth's back against Harm's chest. The position allowed him to wrap his arms around her, while her head rested against his shoulder.
"So, what's going on, Harm?" Beth asked, having sensed something was wrong all evening, but not wanting to say anything in front of Mattie.
"A big problem at work. Did I ever tell you that I used to know the person I'm replacing?"
Beth thought for a moment before shaking her head. "No, I don't think so."
"Almost 9 years ago now, I was a newly promoted Lieutenant Commander assigned to defend then Captain Boone at a court-martial. The woman who's the outgoing FJA was the prosecutor. After the case was over, I went back to Washington only to find that she'd been transferred to JAG HQ. From the beginning, she made two things very obvious to me: I was a threat to her ambitions and the way she intended to eliminate that threat was be getting me to sleep with her," Harm said.
"And did you?" Beth asked, turning in her husband's arms to look at him. The answer didn't really concern her and she wanted him to see that. Neither of them was a teenager. Both of them had past loves. What mattered to her was the present and the future.
"No, but not from lack of effort on her part. Alison Krennick was a physically attractive woman back then, Beth, but between the whole fraternization issue and the over-aggressiveness, I wasn't interested."
"Alright, that's the past. What makes it matter now?"
"Because she's started digging into my personnel records, along with those of every woman I've been partnered with," Harm told her.
"Did you sleep with any of them?" Beth asked, sensing where this might be going.
"My first partner, Kate Pike. It was a brief fling, nothing more than that. But, somehow Alison found out about it or heard a whisper. Whatever, she's looking for dirt on me, because I refused her."
"'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,'" Beth quoted. "You might want to remember that for the future, darling."
"Trust me, dear. I have that firmly engraved in my memory," Harm said with a smile. "And I don't think you have anything to worry about, because you're the only woman I want or need."
"I'd better be."
Harm and Beth shared a laugh at that, before he returned to the previous subject.
"Anyways, her digging was noticed by Commander Manetti, who notified me. NCIS carried out an investigation and now Alison is facing an Article 32 hearing."
'Serves the bitch right,' Beth thought to herself, before asking Harm, "Is there anything I should be concerned about?"
"I don't think so. I think the hearing will be tomorrow, but it will be over at NAVFOREUR. So, it shouldn't affect you," Harm told her. "And if she tried to come after me for fraternization, the charges wouldn't stick."
"Well, just be careful, alright?"
"Yes, dear."
"Now, how about we get to bed? We both have busy days tomorrow," Beth said before getting up and extending a hand to her husband, playfully trying to pull him from the couch before allowing herself to be pulled back down for a soft, loving kiss. After a couple of more kisses, she got up again and headed upstairs, followed by Harm.
January 13, 2004
US Embassy – London, England
0721 Greenwich/ 1221 Eastern
First Sergeant Galindez was walking along the front of the Embassy building, accomplishing two things that he considered equally important. Firstly, he was checking on his Marines. With the cold weather, he wanted to make certain they were taking care of themselves while not taking their attention off their duties. Secondly, he wanted to make certain that everything was being done correctly. That was why he made certain to not just vary his arrival times, but also the times throughout the day that he would just take a walk. Yes, London was a far cry for Kandahar, but he'd be damned if anything happened on his watch.
It was as he was approaching the entrance that he slowed, having caught sight of something he didn't particularly like. There was a woman sitting on a bench in the square across the street from the Embassy, staring intently on the entrance and its checkpoint. She was in a dark overcoat and he couldn't make out much of her face, shielded as it was by her hat. Galindez made certain that he never looked directly at her, but rather acted as if her sitting there was as naturally as the clouds in the sky.
Turning through the gate, he stopped at the checkpoint and inspected the guard. Taking care to shield himself and the young corporal from the officer, he spoke.
"How long has that woman been sitting there, Corporal?"
"She was there when I came on post at 0600, First Sergeant."
Galindez frowned at that piece of news. Why would anyone be sitting there, in the middle of January? A few moments might be just taking a last smoke break before the work day started. Almost ninety minutes was something else entirely. Thinking quickly, he made his decision. She wasn't on US property, so anything less than very subtle was out. Picking up the phone, he called down to the guard room.
"This is Galindez, listen closely. Get on the external camera system. The square across from the entrance, Caucasian female. Late 40s, dressed in a dark overcoat. I want stills good enough for identification, along with video from the time she arrived until she leaves. My desk, ASAP."
Hanging up the phone, he then spoke to the Corporal.
"When she leaves, I want to know."
"Aye, aye, First Sergeant."
With that accomplished, Galindez headed downstairs for his office. Step one would be figuring out who the woman was. Step two would be harder, figuring out what she was doing out there. The cop's intuition he had said it probably wasn't something good, but feelings didn't do it. Facts and evidence did, both of which he was well short of at the moment.
Twenty minutes later, the telephone on his desk rang.
"First Sergeant Galindez, Sir," he answered, then changed his tone. "Alright, Corporal. Was there anyone arriving while she left or just before."
"A good sized group, First Sergeant. You know, the 0800 crowd."
Galindez swore softly, realizing that was absolutely no help. Still, it wasn't the Corporal's fault and taking it out on him wasn't right.
"Alright, thanks. If she comes back, let me know immediately."
"Understood, First Sergeant. I'll update the post instructions for my relief, too."
"Outstanding," Galindez said, before hanging up. He took a small notebook from his shirt pocket and made a note. He wanted to remember to put a good word or two on the Corporal's next report. Disciplined and smart meant a lot in his world and he saw that in the younger man.
Force Judge Advocate's Office – London, England
0804 Greenwich/ 1304 Eastern
Given the fact that Admiral Morris and the other officers dealing with the Krennick case were using the conference room, Harm had elected to move the staff meeting to his office. This was far from ideal, but it would have to do for the time being. Since it forced several of the junior officers to stand, he choose to keep things brief.
"Anything new on any of the current cases?" Harm asked.
"We should be finished with the trial in the Masterson case tomorrow," Lieutenant Harper replied, getting a nod from Harm.
"That's the Article 123a, right?"
"Yes, Sir. Chief Petty Officer Masterson is charged with writing bad checks to several businesses down in Portsmouth. The Chief's defense was that he truly believed the money was in the account and only after he had written the checks did he find out that when his wife left him, she also emptied their joint checking account."
"Why did this even go to trial?" Harm asked. "Have the Chief make restitution to the businesses and move on."
"I made that case to the Chief's CO, Sir. Commander Locke's response was that the Chief should have checked his bank balance before he wrote the checks, not after they returned. He also said that he didn't want the local businesses getting the idea that American sailors were just over here to take advantage of them. The Commander wants the book thrown at the Chief in order to set an example."
"Well, just wrap it up as quickly as you can," Harm said. "We've got a couple of new cases and don't have time to waste sending messages."
"Understood, Sir," Lieutenant Harper said.
"Good. Now, the new cases. Lieutenant Tiner, you'll work with Lieutenant Commander Hoiles on this one. USS Bunker Hill ran aground off Gibraltar and the Captain is not pleased. He's filing charges against the Officer of the Watch under Articles 86, 89 and 110."
"Understood, Sir. The Article 110 charge I understand, but the other two I'm not clear on," Tiner said as he took the file and opened it.
"It seems the OOW left her post to visit the head and was absent at the time of the collision, that's why the Article 86 charge. As for the Article 89, the Captain doesn't feel the Lieutenant was respectful enough when stating her case," Harm replied. "So, you and Hoiles will fly out to the Patrick Henry and then by helicopter to the Bunker Hill."
"Aye, aye, Sir."
"Oh, and don't worry about Lieutenant Walker. She'll have plenty of work to keep her busy while you're gone," Harm added with a grin, drawing a laugh from the other officers at the comment as both Tiner and Walker blushed. "Lieutenant Walker, you're to handle a case for the Naval Attaché at the Embassy. Seems the Captain's wife had an automobile accident over the weekend. Police arrived, statements were taken and nobody went to the hospital. Well, this morning he got a telephone call from a London barrister claiming to represent the gentleman who was driving the other vehicle. The man supposedly has serious injuries and is now suing."
Taken the file he held out, Annette opened it and gave it a quick look.
"Does the Captain want me to meet with him before I see his wife or should I just call her and schedule a time?"
"He's taking a somewhat hand's off approach. He only asked that I keep an eye on the case and keep him informed of what I can. So, meet with her and get a statement, then get copies of the reports from the local police. Once you have all of that, schedule a time to meet with the man's barrister."
"Understood, Sir."
"Good. Let me know if you need anything," Harm said, getting a nod. "One last thing. You may have noticed the visiting JAGs. They're here for a case involving myself and Captain Krennick. They are not the enemy and are to be given every possible courtesy. If they approach you for assistance, fine. If not, leave them to do their jobs and you do yours. Understood?"
"Understood, Sir," came the chorus of voices back to him.
"That will be all."
Harm sat back in his chair and watched the group leave. A part of him knew he could have sent the Bunker Hill case to Naples and let them handle it, but he wanted to get Tiner started on investigations as well. This promised to be an interesting one, not to mention a good test of the Lieutenant's legal abilities.
Conference Room, NAVFOREUR – London, England
1235 Greenwich/ 1735 Eastern
Admiral Morris had been listening for the last three hours, while Alison and Commander Alexander argued in front of him. When she had first arrived that morning, he had spent twenty minutes attempting to persuade her to allow Colonel Coffman to represent her rather than defending herself. Eventually, he had stopped when he finally concluded that the Captain was simply not listening to him or anyone else and allowed her to proceed.
So now, Morris was listening while Commander Alexander outlined the government's case. Of course, he had copies of all the documents in front of him but he still needed to make certain that they had been properly obtained and a chain of custody could be established. He also knew that, unless there was something Earth-shattering revealed during the hearing, he would be ordering a court-martial before the end of the day.
"Your Honor, the Government believes there is sufficient evidence to recommend a general court-martial against Captain Alison Krennick on charges of violating Articles 92, 98, 120a, 127, 133 and 134. It is our contention that the defendant attempted to engage in an affair with Captain Harmon Rabb, that when her advances were rebuffed she turned vindictive and used her access to various systems in order to wrongfully obtain sensitive materials about Captain Rabb and his previous coworkers. It is our contention that the defendant intended to use that information to coerce him into an affair and satisfy her long-standing desires," Commander Alexander concluded.
"A nice theory that relies on speculation about motives and is not supported by the evidence," Alison said as she stood to respond. "The defense is willing to concede to a possible violation of Articles 92 and 98, though unintentional on the part of the defendant and brought on by the sense of urgency she felt to confirm a possible UCMJ violation on the part of Captain Rabb. As for Articles 120a and 127 charges, there is no evidence to support either of those."
"If I may, Your Honor," Commander Alexander said.
"Briefly, Commander."
"The Article 120a charge stems from the fact that years ago, Captain Rabb had already refused a relationship with Captain Krennick. At the time, he was single. Now, he's married and has a daughter, making it less than likely that he would now wish a relationship with the defendant. We contend that her continued pursuit amounts to stalking, Sir. As to the Article 127 charge, given the situation, we believe that a reasonable person can conclude that the defendant was seeking an advantage in her pursuit of Captain Rabb and intended to use the information she uncovered and the threat of its exposure in order to extort sexual favors in return for her silence."
"And we're back to mind reading once again, Admiral," Alison interjected. "The only person who knows what she intended is the defendant and nobody has asked her."
"Are you offering to tell us?" Commander Alexander asked in a deceptively sweet voice, dripping with sarcasm.
"Not at this time."
"That's enough, both of you," Admiral Morris said. "Captain Krennick, I believe that the government has shown enough evidence to warrant a general court-martial on all charges. Given your outstanding record prior to this, I am not ordering your confinement. However, I would like to caution you that this is contingent on your behavior. I strongly recommend that you remain at your quarters unless in court or taking meals."
"Understood, Sir," Alison replied.
"All potential witnesses are here, so I would suggest that we begin the court-martial tomorrow morning at 0900. The courtroom has been set aside for us, I'm told. I'll have the members assembled by then and we'll go from there."
"Actually, Sir. I elect to have the case judged by you alone."
"I see. A little unusual, though it is allowed under the UCMJ. May I ask why, Captain?" Morris requested of her.
"I've had numerous dealing with many of the senior staff attached to this headquarters, both personally and professionally. I have my concerns about impaneling an impartial jury," Alison said.
Admiral Morris put his hands together and closed his eyes. It was certainly rare for anyone to request that the judge be the sole decider in a case. Some were hoping the jury would deadlock, others felt that more people listening could mean a greater chance for their story to carry. However, it was ultimately her choice.
"Very well, then. I'll grant that and we'll begin tomorrow at 0900."
With that, the Admiral stood and walked out of the room. Behind him, the two women just looked at each other and smiled tightly. Commander Alexander waited for Alison to precede her, as was customary. For her part, Alison was enjoying making the other woman wait, taking her time in collecting the files before leaving the room.