Chapter 28
Four days had passed and the jurors had not been selected. The process was taking longer than normal for a simple assault case and Mac was sure DeLong had been behind the latency.
Four days since she was last able to see her husband. There were orders in place, no one could visit unless it was his legal team and even they had restricted access. Nothing was just or fair and on Friday morning, Mac boarded a plane bound for Naples.
She knew that Caitlin Pike was pregnant but seeing it in real life was a shock for the Marine who would never know the miracle of carrying a child. "I'm sorry for the impromptu visit but-"
"Mac, you look more stunning than ever." Kate pressed a hand against her rounded belly a little self conscious of the weight she'd gained. Though the Marine was much more physically fit, at one point Kate could have given Mac a run for her money. "Congratulations on making Colonel."
"Congratulations for…well…everything. You're glowing."
Kate patted her belly once more and then slipped into her desk chair and immediately kicked off her heels. "I'd never do that in front of a subordinate or any one of the guys but, I hate those things. Being pregnant makes me hate them more."
Mac wouldn't admit that she had a pair of sandals hidden under her desk for that very reason. Regulation heels were clearly designed by men so that women wouldn't run away. "I'm here to talk about Harm."
"Ah, the great Harmon Rabb Jr. No pleasantries, no fake little chit-chat, you like going straight to the point, dontcha Colonel?"
"Given the way we parted last time, I didn't think you wanted pleasantries."
Kate shrugged, "We're not enemies. People change. I've changed. Harm wasn't interested in me then and from the wedding ring on your finger I can tell he's finally made a choice."
Mac twisted the ring and looked down at the white gold band. Having him slip the tiny circle on her finger felt right, a destiny fulfilled. "It was sudden, the wedding. Intimate." She said the last word to make it perfectly clear that Harm had been claimed.
"Not what you wanted?"
"Why do you care?"
There had always been some sort of tension between both women especially after Kate divulged details about her and Harm's wild little weekend. It was girl talk between two exes, she assumed but it was after chatting with Bud that Kate realized that Harm hadn't dipped his pen into Mac's company ink. The partners were clearly smitten with one another and the sexual tension was impossible to ignore.
She'd also seen the hurt in Harm's eyes, the insane jealousy when the Colonel had accepted another man's marriage proposal. Harm was in love and the dream Kate had of being on the receiving end of that affection faded to nothing. She was a fling and Mac was a forever kind of thing.
"I'm jealous, which is an odd place to be considering I'm happily married and insanely in love with my bubblehead." She turned a picture frame around and it was a picture of Caitlyn Pike and her husband. "Andrew is the current XO on the USS Newport. He's planning on taking a command position on base in order to help with Ella."
Andrew was a handsome man. Tall, dark blond hair and piercing green eyes. Mac would learn their wedding was set at Annapolis with all of the pomp and circumstance of a military wedding. "And you're jealous of Harm and I?"
"I thought that had passed." Kate admitted but seeing Mac walk in looking as beautiful as ever, it was hard to feel anything else. "He's so in love with you. He was in love with you back then but I'm not sure either of you knew it. I wanted Harm to want me like that. I wanted him to love me like that but he didn't and it hurt so bad. So I chose to work on my career and left JAG shortly after our fling. I am jealous but I'm also happy he found someone. You're good for him."
Mac would like to think that she was but given that his affections for her was what got him in this predicament, "I honestly never knew what I wanted but, seeing him again, after two years, it all clicked. I asked and he had an engagement ring ready. He'd had it for years. He's good for me too." Life was empty without him and not a single other human in the World would fill that void. "About Harm, he's in the brig."
Kate's smile faded and she suddenly felt sick, like a good friend had died. This wasn't the first time Scuttlebutt had crossed her desk about Harmon Rabb and an arrest but it was as surprising as it was expected. While the man lived his life by a code, his hot headed ways were bound to piss off the wrong person with the right connections. "Does this have to do with the man he hit?"
"Vukovic, yes."
"Are you here for legal help? Do you need a witness?"
Mac let out a deep breath. What she wanted wasn't easy to ask for. Sexual assault was a difficult topic to adress especially when the victim refused to report the abuse. "No, I need to speak with Jessica Davis."
"No." Kate's reaction was that of an overprotective mother. She'd promised the young officer to keep the topic off the table and created something of a blockade to prevent the adapt Captain from harassing her into submission.
"Kate-"
"Mac-"
"You don't understand. This guy Harm allegedly assaulted has done things…heinous things."
"Allegedly? Harm confessed to me. And none of those 'heinous things' can be proven. Can they, counselor?" Kate deadpanned and effectively blew the wind out of Mac's sails. The two stared one another down and eventually it was the Marine who stood abruptly and began to pace. "You know I'm right. Vuko-whatever can be the biggest pig in the Navy but there is no proof, nothing to substantiate your claims. You're a lawyer, Mac - tell me I'm wrong."
"You're not wrong. I know we're looking for a needle in a haystack but Lieutenant Davis coming forward could be the start of something."
Kate knew the story well, it was the kind that crippled her prosecution when victims refused to come forward. It stung and cut deeply, not for the case she'd lost but for the countless women who'd been hurt. "Jess doesn't want to and I won't force her. This will leave a stigma for the rest of her life and career, I understand those kinds of things and so should you."
"I do understand. I've had my past indiscretions put on trial and I've had to carry my mistakes throughout my career. Harm did what he's accused of and you're right, I can't prove Vukovic sexually assaulted anyone but my female intuition…" Mac sighed heavily and every last interaction with Gregory Vukovic crossed her mind.
She hated that, once upon a time, she'd found some comfort in the way he spoke to her. Her thing with Harm had hit full stop and having a man show interest was a breath of fresh air. Mac wasn't stupid and Vic wasn't the kind of man she would ever consider being with. But the attention was nice for a while until he threw her past troubles in her face and the dirty looks began.
Running into him in London wasn't easy. She knew he was upset that Mac had left him in Washington while she chose a team for San Diego. Vic chose to manifest his ire with inappropriate commentary and leering looks. Whatever Vukovic had told Harm to make the man physically attack a subordinate must have been heinous indeed. In a way, she was glad Harm never gave her the dirty details, it made her shiver to think of what Vic was capable of.
"When Vukovic's around I sense something and it isn't good. I'm not here to save Harm, I know that I can't and he has to ride this out. I'm here to kick a sick bastard out of the Navy and put him behind bars so that no other woman gets hurt."
Every sexual assault case came with its own set of baggage some of which was impossible to unpack. For Kate, who'd been harassed while at work, it was a kind of shame she carried for life. Had she been too helpful and kind? Was her friendly nature seen as something more? Was it her fault or his?
"You're putting me between a rock and a hard place." Despite her better judgment, Kate tapped on her intercom and ordered her yeoman to find Ltjg Jessica Davis. "I'll let you speak to her but I have to be present and you can't try to bully her like Harm did."
"Understood and thank you."
Five minutes later Mac would stand face to face with a younger version of herself. While Jessica Davis was not quite a doppelganger like Diane Schonke, the similarities were hard to ignore: short brown hair, amber eyes and olive skin. The woman even had reddish highlights like Mac just in a different shade. It was all rather unsettling.
"Hello Lieutenant, I'm Colonel Sarah MacKenzie, JAG Corps."
Jess shifted slightly, glancing between her commanding officer and the Colonel. She realized why she'd been called in and then her walls immediately erected themselves. "It's you. You're the woman the Captain was trying to defend. Ma'am please. Please leave me alone. If I'm forced on the stand I'll say that nothing happened."
"You'd perjure yourself to protect a rapist?"
The word made Jess flinch. "I'm protecting my marriage, my husband. He'll find Greg and kill him, I know he will and I won't destroy two men because I was acting like a whore one night."
It was Mac's turn to flinch at the use of such an ugly word. She hoped Jess didn't blame herself for Vic's actions because no woman deserved to be treated so terribly. "Yes or no. Did he? Did he rape you or was it consentual?"
Kate stood and slowly walked around her desk to Jess' side. "The Colonel is a friend. She won't hurt you. This is off the record, isn't it Mac?"
"Yes, it is off record." Though Mac wished it weren't.
Jess dropped into the nearest chair and buried her face into her hands. She began to mumble words, incoherent sentences that were almost manic in nature. A warm hand on her shoulder made her head snap up and eyes similar to her own were staring back. "Yes. Yes, he raped me."
Two hours, thirty seven minutes and two seconds, that's how long the conversation with Jess lasted. Every bit was off record and despite the lack of evidence, Mac was grateful that none of it was recorded or written down. What began as cute flirting between consensual adults turned into Hell on Earth.
There were parts Jess either forgot or was blocking out. For sure Vic used a strong narcotic in a spiked glass of wine to prevent the woman from struggling. She couldn't recall how long the assault lasted or how many times. He'd used a condom, bathed her afterwards and then let a partially drugged Jess back into her apartment.
"I thought it was a nightmare." The Lieutenant couldn't stop the stream of tears from washing down her face or the heartbreaking sobs. "But I was in pain. I hurt so badly. Cathy, Lt Graves she wanted me to see a doctor, get a…kit done."
"You refused." Mac sighed heavily, it wasn't the first time a woman refused a rape kit. It made those sorts of investigations particularly tricky. "You blame yourself."
"Wouldn't you? I was interested. I led him on and didn't say 'no' when I should have."
"That's no excuse for what happened. He took advantage of you, seduced you, drugged you." And God if Vic was standing in front of her now, Mac would kill him. "You're not a victim, Jess. You're a strong woman who had a bad thing happen to her. What Vukovic did doesn't define you but I really wish you could help me stop him. I need this on record. I need you to formally accuse him so that I can properly investigate. Help me, please."
"What if Jake leaves me? What if he goes after Greg?"
" If Jake loves you he'll stand by your side. If he leaves, you deserve better than him." Mac could only hope the young woman would join their crusade. Without evidence the case was of the 'she said, he said' variety but it opened up the right for Mac to launch a formal investigation. "I'm not gonna force you Lieutenant nor will I order you to comply."
Jess brushed away an errant tear and then wrung her hands together. "I want to tell Jake. I want him to know before this becomes public knowledge."
"You'll file charges?" Kate perked up sounding more relieved than she actually felt. Trying to get Jess to speak had been impossible.
Vulnerable eyes stared up at her commanding officer, her mentor. The weight of keeping her secret had been making Jess physically ill and often affected her intimate relationship with her husband. "Only after I speak to Jake. He comes home in two days. You'll have your answer then."
"Exactly how much trouble is he in?" Kate eyed Mac over the brim of her sparkling water. The Marine had tried to high tail it out of Dodge but with a delayed flight, she had nowhere to go.
It was rather easy to coax the woman to join her for lunch and Kate suspected she needed someone to talk to but was too proud to ask.
Mac reached for a piece of bread that she thoughtfully chewed. The bistro wasn't too far from base and felt like a breath of fresh air even if she was still leery of her company. "You know Harm, he doesn't half ass things."
"Was it a little punch or-"
The pictures were in Vukovic's case file and though it could have been far worse, his face had the appearance of chuck meat. Then there were bruised ribs and a few minor injuries consistent of a beating. "Broken nose, split lip, cut on the cheek, bruised ribs- I can't remember what else."
Kate's breath hitched, she hadn't expected more than a punch or two. "Damn."
"Yeah, damn. I want to kill him and kiss him senseless at the same time." She thought back to Australia and the little beat down both Mic and Harm endured over her. God, why hadn't she noticed it before, his little nuggets of affection. "I wish it had nothing to do with me. I feel responsible in a way."
"What he did isn't your fault."
"I know but Vukovic said something about me that struck a nerve. Harm won't tell me what exactly but it must have been terrible." The Marine stared at her glass of water as if it held the answers to their predicament.
"Are you scared?"
"Yes. But Not of Vukovic, him I can handle. Hell, I could cripple him in ten seconds. What I'm scared of is Harm's career being destroyed and having him resent me for it." She offered a watery smile as the faint memories of Paraguay played in her head. "He's given it up for me once and we spent four years acting like enemies. I hate to admit this but, losing him again…I can't do it."
They weren't friends, just acquaintances who each shared a bed with the same man at some point. But the jealousy Kate felt fizzled some and her heart squeezed when she saw Mac's eyes. "You don't have to worry, I don't think he's going anywhere. I've never seen a man carry a torch like he does for you."
"I need to get him out of the brig. He's been in for almost a week and I'm not allowed to visit." Though his legal team assured Mac he was well taken care of, she envisioned him a bloody mess, thin from malnutrition. She wasn't sure how far DeLong's vendetta stretched and hoped the woman wasn't petty enough to hurt him physically.
"What? Why?"
Mac shook her head. "He made an enemy years ago when we worked the case of a mediocre female aviator that accused other sailors of harassment during the Crossing The Line festivities. A Congresswoman, now the Ambassador to the UK who claims to be an advocate of women, forced the powers that be to allow that aviator behind the stick with inclement weather. She crashed into the deck, got herself and three others killed. Harm tried to publicly shame her…You know the saying about serving revenge."
Kate's face fell and her already pale pallor turned even whiter. "Wait…Ambassador Adele DeLong?"
"You know her?"
"Oh yeah, she interfered with a case I worked on a few years back - Female Marine accused of assault and battery for hitting a man that allegedly tried to attack her. DeLong took the Marine's side but something didn't add up. I eventually found that the Marine and her boyfriend were dealing dope and the man she assaulted was a client that underpaid…She's the reason this command was held back."
Mac frowned, it seemed like DeLong was always betting on the wrong horse and destroying the lives of those that got in her way. "There's something else…"
'Gregory.' Adele DeLong called Vukovic 'Gregory' with a familiarity of a mother. It made a chill run down her spine "My gut tells me that Adele knows Vukovic from somewhere."
"How?"
"She called him Gregory. Not his rank or his last name, she called him Gregory which is supposedly a name he hates." It wasn't a name anyone said around Vic, he was keen to quash its use if someone so much as tried to utter the word. "Or maybe I'm trying to pull a needle out of a haystack."
Kate leaned in, "Go with your gut. When I get back to my office I'll do some digging on Adele. My fingers have been itching to do some hacking." She beamed, excited at the possibility to feel useful again. Command was interesting and exciting in its own right but Kate's real passion had always been the investigations.
They were puzzles to piece together, some of which felt impossible to build until a big break was discovered.
Mac stared at Kate for a moment. It was hard not to feel apprehensive when it was clear the other woman still had some residual feelings over a relationship that would have never happened. She understood Kate's jealousy, it wasn't unlike the ire Mac felt for Jordan or Renee - each of which took what she wanted.
"You're jealous of me and Harm but I'm jealous of you too." Mac admitted in a sigh. She thought back to the tools her therapist gave her and how well she'd begun to adjust in California. Coming to terms with never having children of her own was a difficult transition. She resented herself. She resented Harm too for that insane 'baby deal' that kept her from fully committing to anyone.
In the end, their bargaining chip was for naught. Even if she tried to have a child twenty years ago, her body would reject the baby. "I can't have a baby….My body is broken in a way." She hated being so vulnerable especially in front of a woman who was intimately acquainted with the man she loved.
Deep inside Mac knew both women could have been friends if that mitigating factor that was Harm hadn't been in a spotlight. "I'm not sure why I'm telling you, the only other person that knows is Harm. We made a pact once…stupid as it sounds, to have a baby together. And I can't."
Kate was just the opposite, a woman that wanted to remain childless. The joys of motherhood actually made her cringe as did the first three months of pregnancy when she toyed with the idea of abortion. In the end, terminating a being that was created from a couple in love seemed heartless and she was now enjoying the process.
"I'm sorry, Mac. I really am. Funny, I never wanted kids and now." She patted her tummy gently. "What did Harm say?"
"Harm is Harm. Thinks he can fix everything - invitro, surrogacy, adoption." She made a face. "I wanted to carry a child, to be pregnant. I think he understands that or tries to but, in the back of my mind I wonder if me being this way is a deal breaker and that scares me…This wedding was as shotgun as it gets."
Kate reached across and placed her hand on Mac's arm giving it a soft squeeze. "That sailor isn't going anywhere…He's yours, he's been yours for longer than you think. No other woman stands a chance."
Deep inside Mac knew she was right. "You really think you can help me dig up some dirt on Adele DeLong? Not sure what good it would do but it gets her off Harm's ass…"
The smile Caitlin Pike sported could be considered as devious. While she hadn't actively tried to tarnish the woman's name, this was an opportunity Kate did not want to miss. "Like they say, I think this may be the start of a beautiful friendship." She raised a glass of ice water and Mac did the same. As they clinked their icy beverages the jealous animosity was put aside.