Chapter 27

An attempt to slip into the conference room unnoticed was thwarted by the sounds of each heavy door slamming shut. The award for her latency was silence as every service member in the room became deathly quiet. Questioning eyes locked onto her like a reminder of each highschool day she caught skipping. "Sorry I'm late, sir."

Cresswell sat at the very end of a large table in a spot that was usually Harm's and temporarily hers. As Mac made her way into the room she found the only seat available was next to the General himself who looked unamused. Her heels echoed on the linoleum flooring and each step embellished that 'walk of shame' feeling, with good reason.

You're glowing. Harm said earlier as a testament to a morning spent having incredible sex. Mac hated that he was right and their little escapade this morning was a prime reason why couples shouldn't work together in the military. She felt seen as if everyone in the room knew exactly why she was tardy.

As she sat, Mac looked across the table to find Vukovic staring back. She focused on the spectacular bruise over his eye, a clear indication that he'd been punched and punched well. Maybe she packed a bit more of a wallop than intended.

Shit.

"Feeling better, Colonel MacKenzie?" Cresswell asked once she was settled.

"Aye sir, just something I ate. I should be fine."

Cresswell traded glances between her and Vukovic. Her knuckles were bruised and though she tried to cover it with her opposite hand, the General noticed. "Any reason why your knuckles are marred and Lt. Commander Vukovic's face looks like chuck meat?"

Shit.

Vukovic cleared his throat. "As I said, sir…I ran into a wall. I'm kinda clumsy that way." His eyes locked on Mac but not after a slow, heated gaze that could be considered predatory. "I'm sure the Colonel would have come… to my assistance if it was anything more. Right, ma'am?"

Cresswell caught the pause and subtle innuendo that made Mac's hand ball into a fist. "Cut the crap, Commander. The Colonel is two ranks above you, she is to be respected. Whatever grievance you have with Captain Rabb does not and will not extend to Colonel MacKenzie, am I clear?"

He tried to hide his grin but it was impossible with the way Mac was glaring at him. Vic caught her attention and he liked being on that receiving end. "Crystal, sir. I apologize Colonel and might I add, you look radiant this late morning."

Mac had always acted with poise. She was the level headed one, the cool, calm and collected to Harm's loose cannon. But control could only be so finite before it snapped and hers was in short supply. "You sonofa bitch." The chair toppled over when she stood and the wrath that came upon her was overarchingly difficult to wrangle.

"Stow it, Marine!"

It was only her training that stopped Mac from jumping across the table and beating the living shit out of that snide little prick. She came to attention at once and next was moved to a seat at the opposite end of the table with the promise of a later conversation with Cresswell.

"Okay, now that we're settled. I apologize for this late meeting. I realize I've taken time away from your cases and your clients but, I'm here to advise you of a special guest." Cresswell spent his life working on his poker face and tried to show as little emotion as possible. He knew being the JAG meant forays into the political arena were inevitable but he abhorred when diplomats dipped their toes into his pond for any reason.

Ambassador Adele DeLong had a long reach in the military and was singularly responsible, as a Congresswoman and then a State Senator, for denying military funding where it was greatly needed. She was seen as an enemy, not an ally and the very interest the woman had on Rabb's case disturbed him greatly. "Ambassador DeLong, will be present during Captain Rabb's trial. I don't need to remind any of you what's at stake here. Any impropriety may cause serious ramifications against the Navy and the JAG Corps and-"

"I'm sorry, sir. De-Long? Adele DeLong?" It was impossible not to flash back a decade prior and the terrifying ball of flame that erupted on the deck of the USS Seahawk when a poor landing on a pitching deck caused a mediocre pilot to crash. Three sailors were killed, one of which was Lt. Marilyn Isaacs, the pilot in question that DeLong felt the need to advocate for.

And then there was Harm who was nearly caught in the blaze but emerged a hero for saving Skates from going overboard. It all made headlines and was manipulated to favor a heroic Lt. Isaacs who "risked her life to save the crew." At least that was what every major news outlet had claimed. Those who knew the truth were silenced or risked losing their commission.

"Sounds like you've interacted with the Ambassador before."

Mac swallowed. She had the wool thrown over her eyes once and had to defend her partner when DeLong insinuated Harm knew nothing about flying. "Yes sir, I have. She was a Congresswoman then. We crossed paths during an investigation."

Cresswell removed his glasses and folded his hands. "What's your take on her?"

"I hate to say this but, she's a bully who claimed to advocate for women in the military and instead aided in getting a female pilot killed."

"Is that your official position, Colonel? Being a female yourself I suspect you'd want a diplomat on your side." Vukovic couldn't hide the snark in his words, they rolled off the tongue too easily although Mac's words were carefully measured. "Or are you taking Captain Rabb's opinion on the matter seeing he's a pilot himself?"

Harm had a bias when it came to pilots because many failed to understand the pressure and risks involved. It was an intense job that few possessed the courage, knowledge and skill to see through. Yes, this formed a little "club" that she hated but had come to accept.

"Three sailors were killed, including the pilot, when her plane crashed. Her RIO, also a female and one of the best in the Navy, ejected in time but nearly went over the edge of a moving carrier. Do I need to remind anyone what can happen if you fall in that water? The vortex from the ship can carry you into the screws and you're instant shark bait. Captain Rabb and all others on the LSO platform were nearly killed as well."

"What does this have to do with the Ambassador?"

The Crossing the Line ceremony was a stupid tradition with antiquated ideology but Mac couldn't defend Isaacs' sexual harassment accusations. The chip on the deceased pilot's shoulder was too damn big for her own good. "She came onboard because the pilot had claimed she was sexually harassed and grounded as punishment for said accusation. To prove her point and against the wishes of all the top brass. DeLong ordered the Skipper to put Isaacs behind the stick during inclement weather after countless warnings that she was a piss poor pilot."

Vic snorted. "With all due respect, why are you blaming the Ambassador for a pilot's errors? Do you know how many touch and gos I witnessed during my stint in the Med? Any of them could have easily crashed - women or men."

She noted a change in the timber of his voice. For a man who was a mediocre lawyer, Mac found it interesting that he would question her assessment of the ill fated Lieutenant. "Are you defending the Ambassador, Lt. Commander?"

"No ma'am. I doubt she got to her position if she wasn't good at her job."

Mac pursed her lips. "If you ever met Adele DeLong you'd eat your words. She's cunning, I'll give her that but she's not a friend of the Navy or the military in general." She turned to the general and frowned. "I'm not sure what her interest in the Captain's case is but, they're not advocates for one another."

Cresswell nodded, "Let's hope that's changed. We don't need the bad press. You're all dismissed except for Colonel MacKenzie."

The staff stood and slowly meandered out the door with the last one to leave being one Gregory Vukovic. He stared at Mac as he walked past, smiled when she looked up at him. "Have a good day, ma'am."

Cresswell stood at the door and waited for the group to disperse before addressing Mac. He wasn't upset just disappointed and it pained him to dress down an officer he cared for. "Colonel, stand at attention." She came to her feet in a flash, her heels snapping as Mac went ramrod straight.

"What in the hell were you thinking, Marine? You're already in hot water as it is. Has marrying Rabb made you lose your goddamn mind?" He stood right by her, just a couple inches away. "Answer me, Colonel!"

Mac liked fighting her own battles but with Vic it felt like she was on the losing end of the war. "The Lt. Commander barged into the Captain's office yesterday hurling insults. Vukovic then proceeded to lunge at me and the Captain stopped him."

Cresswell let out a breath. "So the Captain hit him?"

"No, the Captain did not, but I did. Vukovic was upset that I had recused myself from prosecuting. He called me a bitch and while I pride myself in keeping a level head, this time I couldn't. Reprimand me as you wish but I don't regret what happened."

"Jesus Christ, Mac! Harm's in enough trouble as it is, I don't need you joining him."

"I'm sorry, sir."

"No, you're not." He said in a deep sigh that didn't quite hide his grin.

"You're right, I'm not. I know Harm was in the wrong and Vukovic has a right to press charges but he's also unfit to wear the uniform. He's done things that-"

"That neither of you have been able to prove." Cresswell deadpanned and it was a fact that Mac could not argue. Every path which led to damaging information hit a roadblock and there was little either of them could do about it. "Look, get through this trial and then figure out your life together. The two of you will have enough to deal with without pisssing off others along the way."

"Aye, sir." Mac knew that Harm wouldn't stop seeking the truth until Vukovic was behind bars or he died trying and that scared her.

Harm was already seated with Commander Nicholas Jurgen, the Navy lawyer assigned to his defense. The younger officer was smart and had a wide range of talents Harm used for their most difficult cases. He saw a bit of himself in Nick and trusted the man would handle the case better than all of his legal staff.

He felt more than saw Mac walk in. The energy in the room changed. There was an undeniable crackle, an electric current that always lived between them and was given a new life since Mac arrived in London. Her very presence sent a healing warmth that reached his soul and if he ever wondered where some of his strength came from, it was clear now.

If eyes were a window to the soul, theirs shared silent conversations - another link that time apart couldn't erase. Her gaze was intense as Mac mouthed the word 'hi' and he replied in kind. She didn't dare look at him for too long and quickly located a seats at the end of the second row.

The mood changed again when Vukovic walked in.

Harm was surprised to see just how much of a wallop Mac's punch had inflicted. The bruise spread making the bottom of his eye turn a deep shade of purple with edges in green. The Lt. Commander only glanced at Harm once and then was directed by his lawyer to avoid all contact. Harm heard a muffled, "Don't look at him" and was not surprised to find a civilian lawyer on Vic's side.

What Harm didn't see was the woman standing against the back wall with a DSS security team around her. Adele DeLong was dressed to attend a wake with a fitted calf length skirt and an equally fitted shirt and blazer all of which were different shades of black. The only pop of color came from the cream and gray scarf loosely tied around her neck along with her characteristic platinum hair.

The civilian prosecutor had been her doing. Trust wasn't something she afforded anyone in the JAG Corps who considered Rabb a god. He was too well liked and she didn't need anyone's personal feelings getting in her way. Adele wasn't a stupid woman. A senior officer assaulting a subordinate would barely make a dent in Rabb's illustrious career but her godson wouldn't let it go; she couldn't either. Lessons had to be taught with prejudice and this round would be won by her.

Admiral Morris called the court to order rather quickly and established that the defense were waiving Harm's Article 32 rights deciding that a special court-martial would be best for his client.

Vukovic's lead attorney, Marc Banshek argued that the assault merited a general court-martial which could lead to confinement and or a dishonorable discharge. The thought of seeing security forces hauling Rabb away while Mac looked on was practically making Vic salivate. He hated hurting her but, this was the only way to liberate the Marine from that crusty, old jet jock.

"Jury selection is tomorrow and I expect to wrap up this case swiftly. Dismissed." Admiral Morris tapped the gavel on the block and waited for the court to stand before he took his leave.

"Captain, Admiral Hollings wishes to see you." Holling's yeoman had hurried up to the defense, the young man looking more like a gangly teen than a twenty two year old man. "He says it's urgent and that Colonel MacKenzie should come with you."

"Thank you, petty officer. We'll head over once the courtroom clears." Harm could feel Vukovic glaring from across the aisle. Part of him wanted to turn and yell "boo" but he decided not to fall into adolescent ways.

Harm expected some sort of pep talk or even another dressing down from either Hollings. He couldn't fathom the special guest leaning against the Admiral's desk with that infamously sardonic smile.

As he and Mac snapped to attention it felt as if he'd been sucked up in a vortex and plopped back in 1997 with a kind of devil he never saw coming. "Congresswoman."

"Ambassador DeLong." She punctuated then gave Harm a leisurely once over. DeLong's. eyebrows raised slightly and as much as she tried to act professional, the past had a way of rearing its ugly head. "I see you're filling out that uniform nowadays."

"Eat my spinach." Harm quipped.

"And you're still not a fan of platinum blonde?"

"I'm more into brunette's ma'am." He took a quick glance at Mac whose cheeks were now tinted a lovely shade of pink. She looked back briefly and then snapped back to attention.

"At ease, both of you." Adele pushed off the desk and made a slow walk around the pair. She always felt the Marine was too pretty to wear that drab uniform. MacKenzie was a disappointment, a kiss ass to her partner and his little boys club. Any points she sought to gain over Lt. Isaacs were stripped away when the Marine took an opposite stance. "Did he rope you into this sudden marriage, Colonel?"

"No, ma'am. I roped him. I did the asking and neither of us wanted to wait."

"I see. You know Colonel I once considered you an ally. You were a strong advocate for women…a phoenix risen from the ashes of her own mistakes. You've proved me wrong time and time again." She turned to Harm and glared is if her eyes could turn him to dust. "He's as bad as all of them and you fell into his little trap."

Through the years Mac had questioned why she'd fallen for him. Harm wasn't quite the charming prince she had envisioned marrying as a little girl. He was flawed, argumentative and knew how to push every single one of her buttons. She saw past his defects that matched her own. He was loving and kind, a man that treated her like 'one of the guys' because Harm saw her as his equal. She wasn't his trophy to be won and was nothing like any of the men she ever dated.

"Do you hate men, Ambassador? Or do you have some hidden agenda against women in the military?"

"I support women in the military and have made it my life's goal to see they get a fair shot."

Mac nodded slowly. She couldn't stop her hands from rolling so tightly into fists that she could feel her nails digging into her palm. Thoughts of Lt. Issacs and the swirling inferno left on the deck of the carrier had haunted her for a time. Nightmares of Harm being killed sent her insomnia into a frenzy until her mind let go of the carnage. "Your concept of 'support' got a female pilot killed, along with three other sailors. All because of pride and ambition."

Adele had been enjoying the mele until her reasons were pulled into question. All politicians and dignitaries had lofty ambitions, it came with the title. "It was a mistake."

"You were told she was a bad stick who should have never passed flight school." Harm spoke to Tom Boone at length and even puller Issac's records from Pensacola. She was too aggressive with too much to prove and because politicians like DeLong were trying to ramp up the percentage of females in combat, Isaacs was pushed through. "Why did you have to push the issue? You spoke to her, you had to have seen that she was the problem, not the Navy. Even the Colonel, who is one of the biggest advocates for women, warned you."

"That's right, Captain. The Colonel was an advocate for women." She stood in front of Mac with a look of disgust. "I hope you're happy with your choices. You would investigate where men wouldn't. Even if you were despised, you'd seek the truth and now you've gone and married the very thing you fought against - a misogynistic pig."

"Ambassador!" Hollings had been sitting at his desk trying to unravel the mystery of Adele DeLong. He'd looked into her past and the countless bills she helped pass to defund the military along with programs that were cut to provide sensitivity training. The military wasn't the problem, it was politicians like her that perpetuated issues with gender. "This conversation is highly inappropriate."

Although he wasn't as tall as Harm, at six feet, Hollings still towered over Adele DeLong. Even as he stood, she came up to the man and her usually calm nature snapped like a twig. "I don't remember asking your opinion, Admiral. Do I have to remind you that those stars on your epaulets are mine and if I want to take them from you I will."

"My apologies ma'am but we're here for the captain's trial not for something that happened ten years ago."

She turned back to Harm and Mac. "I thought married officers couldn't work together, Admiral?"

Hollings nodded, "That is correct but neither are in the same chain of command. The Navy is a little low on 0-6s and the Colonel is covering until the Captain's case is resolved."

"Ah. A loophole."

Mac frowned. The timing of their nuptials might have been questionable but they had not broken any kind of protocol. "I assure you the Captain and me are nothing if not professional ma'am. Years working together have-"

"I'm sure, Colonel." Her tone held a sarcastic tone that made Mac cringe. Adele DeLong wanted retribution and she was now in the position to serve her revenge on a platter. "How are you still in the Navy? Accused of murder, Admiral's mast, dumping millions of dollars of aircraft into the ocean. You resigned, were allowed back, somehow and now you're going around assaulting junior officers."

Harm knew he had a few questionable marks on his record. Hell, he often wondered how he'd ever made Captain when more prominent officers had fallen over lesser charges. "None of which I was found guilty for. In fact, I could have filed grievances with the Navy for being wrongfully accused and I didn't."

"Captain Rabb, you have the reputation of being a loose cannon. The fact of the matter is that you put yourself into those questionable positions. More notable was the death of Lt. Singer and the countless witness reports which state you were being aggressive towards her."

"The Lieutenant's murder was solved by NCIS, ma'am." Mac started to mount her defense, the way DeLong was picking apart the man she loved made a sense of foreboding settle at the pit of her stomach. "The Captain is not an aggressive man nor is he a murderer."

"Not aggressive? Then why did he beat up a junior officer?" She stared between both officers, each of which Adele knew held some sort of secret to the attack on Vukovic. Her godson had a darkside that no doubt provoked some ire in the Captain and she was curious to find the why. "And let's not forget the RIO you murdered. How you still can wear those gold wings is a mystery to me."

"I was cleared of all charges, ma'am."

"But you haven't been cleared of this one." DeLong grabbed a folder from the edge of Hollings' desk and leafed through a few pages. Vukovic had mentioned that Rabb was never incarcerated for the assault, a fact she needed to correct. "Admiral Hollings, as the convening authority, why isn't the Captain in the brig?"

"Ma'am, the Captain isn't a flight risk. Even as a civilian he would have only been locked up for a few hours." Hollings chanced a quick glance Harm's way, an apology for what he knew was coming. "He has been stripped from his duties until-"

"Put him in the brig."

"Ambassador-"

Adele DeLong knew that challenging her was impossible. Her authority was nearly as absolute as the President's. "Send in security forces. I want Captain Rabb placed under arrest until the trial concludes. That's an order."

Hollings wasn't the kind of man who was Used to taking orders from anyone. He'd been in command for far too long and had managed to navigate the political world for just as long. DeLong's authority would be challenged as soon as the woman left his office. His voice shook as he grabbed his phone and paged his yeoman. "Petty officer, send in security."

Pure instinct made Mac step in front of Harm in a defensive posture. Love threaded her hand through one of his. "You can't do this. It's an abuse of power and a point to gain in your own personal vendetta. He's never done anything to you."

"Mac, it's okay."

"No, it's not. Why aren't you fighting this?" She was trying so damned hard not to cry or scream or slam her good fist into the smirking face of Adele DeLong. From The moment Mac arrived in London, Harm's casual approach to his charges had been a source of annoyance. Now, she was terrified. "Harm, please."

The Marines stepped in a moment later confused as to why they were called and why the Admiral had ordered them to take the Captain into custody. Harm was well liked and always treated everyone with respect which was why the cuffs were loosely placed. "I'm sorry Captain."

Harm grinned, "Orders are orders no matter how unjust."

"And it wasn't unjust for you to slug Gregory? You should have been arrested a long time ago. You know that and I know that." Adele reached for the gold wings that she stripped from the Captain with one hard pull. She dumped them in the garbage and then glared at Mac as if to challenge the younger woman. "Don't worry, Colonel. I'll allow visitation once he's duly processed…Take him away."

Mac knew fighting back was useless and it was as if Hollings could sense her inner turmoil. The gruff Admiral pressed a hand to her shoulder and squeezed lightly, as assurance that DeLong would not have the upper hand for long. "We'll figure this out, Colonel."

Gregory. The way DeLong said Vic's first name was with an air of familiarity. This was just a vendetta against Harm. Adele DeLong knew Vukovic from somewhere. "Yes we will. sir."