| Subject: ...For Meritorious Service, Chapter 26c, part one |
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TxJAG_b
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Date Posted: 13:13:49 07/01/09 Wed
In reply to:
TxJAG_b
's message, "...For Meritorious Service, Chapter 25d, part two - continued" on 16:25:09 01/08/09 Thu
…For Meritorious Service
A/N1- The previous chapter is right above this one [26b]
Gibbs has just finished razzing DiNozzo for giving Faith
Coleman a bad time (Gibbs often does this as they have
pseudo father/son, master/teacher, older brother/younger
brother relationship. If you've seen NCIS, you know what
I mean. Now, so I don't spoil anything my muse was very
reluctant to release, no more spoilers - you're on your
own from here.
A/N2 - This is basically a minimally edited post, so all
glitches found are strictly my own. Ignore those and enjoy
the story.
...For Meritorious Service, Chapter 26c
Battalion Assembly Area
Camp Chesty Puller
On board another AMTRAC, Judge Advocate Division (JAD) Officers Barnett and Johnson settled into their seats closest to 2nd Lieutenant Donald Bice, the military police detachment leader.
“Glad to have you aboard, sirs,” Bice’s AMTRAC driver said, turning in his seat to face the three Marine officers. The name on his uniform name tag read ‘Marcus’
“You ready for this, Sergeant?” asked Major Barnett.
Sergeant Marcus gave the Major a big grin. “Aye sir; we missed out on the party in Baghdad ‘cause we got stuck here after Lieutenant Dodge was killed. We’ve been marking time since March, and would like to get out there and get our feet wet again, if you know what I mean….”
“I think we do, Sergeant.” Captain Johnson said in reply. He looked over at Bice. “How about you, Lieutenant?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be Captain,” he answered. “How do we spot our suspects?”
“We, uh, have a man in the field,” Barnett said hesitantly. “He, rather she, will lead us to them.”
Bice was confused by the sudden gender switch. “She, sir?”
“She’s a *Colonel* in the JAG Corps, Lieutenant,” Johnson countered “Undercover.”
Bice looked mildly surprised. “Aye sir.” As soon the response was out of his mouth, Captain Johnson’s revelation lead to more questions from Bice.
“We’re working with JAG as well as NCIS? This must be big. Is this related to the attack on JAG Corps Headquarters?”
“It is, Lieutenant,” Barnett said tersely. The Lieutenant’s questions came off as sounding a little too eager for his tastes.
Seeing that the Major seemed to be annoyed, the Lieutenant directed his next question to Johnson.
“Begging your pardon, sir, so how did you get here? In JAD, I mean…”
Johnson gave him an understanding smile. “How did I get here? Well, I was part of a radio recon unit; we were supposed to come ashore on Zodiacs – a training mission…ours turned turtle…the Sergeant said it was my fault. I had this young JAD Lieutenant fresh out Naval Law School. Thought I was sunk, but she fought like a tiger and got me involved and we got the Coxswain to confess; he had hoped to drown the Sergeant. After I was cleared, my unit CO agreed to support my application to law school.
Bice looked at Major Barnett, not sure whether he could ask the same question of him at the moment.
Vince though, had put his irritation with the Lieutenant aside. It was replaced by an interest as to why this man wanted to know about their pasts. Maybe answering his question would get him the answer he was seeking.
“My LAV unit was part of Task Force Papa Bear; I lost my truck in a Republican Guard attack. I would have lost my commission, except for this JAD Skipper, he was kinda like you, Floyd. Anyway, he stuck with me, backed me up all the way…made me believe in myself again. After I was cleared, I asked for a change in designator and applied to law school.”
Floyd Johnson didn’t think he’d ever heard a compliment like that one from Vince before. Maybe he thought the Lieutenant wanted to be a JAD…
Their little session was interrupted by the sudden jarring movement of the AMTRAC being put into gear.
Mac’s Unit – Shark Two
Somewhere north of Mirbullah
Mac’s unit moved into some low hills and parked.
The Light Colonel re-checked her map with her hooded flashlight as Burges and Logan looked on.
“We’re close enough to the drop zone.” Mac turned around and looked in the back of the pickup. “Staff Sergeant….”
Dallas nodded. “I’m on it, Colonel; okay Marines, break time is over! Let’s find out what the landing zone looks like….
As Dallas lead his fire team toward the proposed drop zone area, Victor Galindez and Staff Sergeant Reynolds made their way over to her truck. Mac was now outside the vehicle and had her map spread out on the hood of the pickup truck.
“Colonel; Reynolds wants to take a team and scout out a secondary drop zone…”
Leonard Reynolds was quick to reinforce the request. “Sort of an alternative if you will, ma’am, in case the first one doesn’t pan out.”
Mac knew this might be a cover for something else, but she had to risk it because he just might inadvertently reveal what he was really up to. She nodded absently as she pretended to pore over her map. “Take with you whoever you need….” She said in blasé voice
“Aye ma’am,” He turned back to Willet’s and Williams’ trucks and barked in a loud whisper while motioning with his hand. “Stallings! Witt! Peters! Bullard! Let’s go!” The four Marines stopped what they were doing and hustled away from two pickups. They joined the Staff Sergeant as he headed off in the opposite direction of Dallas’ team.
As soon as they were out probable hearing range, Victor leaned close to Mac. “Did you notice Reynolds picked Sergeant Witt?”
Mac nodded. “I did. I also noticed that the other men he picked are not in his strict chain of command.”
Victor nodded. “True, but that could just be because we were switching groups between the trucks.”
“Except that Reynolds didn’t ride with either Witt or Bullard at all tonight.” The Light Colonel pointed out.
Victor looked off in the direction Reynolds and his bunch was headed. “You want me to go and check up on them?”
Mac watched as they disappeared over the horizon. “If you think it won’t arouse their suspicion.”
Victor gave her a warm, albeit slightly cocky smile. “Trust me, Colonel, the ‘Master Guns’ would want to know if they made contact with Darcy and what she wanted them to do next….”
“Okay, ‘Master Guns’” Mac said with a slight smile, but then she turned serious, “but watch your six, Gunny.”
Victor knew that slip could get them both killed. But it also underlined how concerned Mac was. The last time they did anything like this was when they were working with Webb in the Chaco Boreal. And they both remembered how well that turned out.
“Yes ma’am.” he said soberly as he nodded his acceptance of her recommendation.
As Victor hurried to catch up with Reynolds’ team, Kayce and Lance Corporal Logan walked over to where Mac was standing.
Kayce turned and watched as Victor trotted off to catch up with Reynolds. “If you don’t mind me asking, ma’am, where is the Master Guns off to?”
“I gave him some additional information to relay to Staff Sergeant Reynolds,” She paused and noticed that the two women seemed to have something else on their mind.
Logan looked at Kayce and then Kayce looked back at her.
(Well, somebody better break the ice on this one…) Mac thought, (it’s killing them trying to figure out who’s going to bring this up first….)
“Ladies, spit it out before it chokes you…” Mac said quietly.
“Uh, ma’am, we didn’t mean, that is, Corporal Logan, she didn’t mean to worry you about Commander Rabb….”
“I’m not worried about the Commander,” Mac lied, “he can take good care of himself….”
“Um, yes ma’am we know that,” It was obvious that Kayce didn’t believe a word of what she was trying to pass off.
The Marine JAG attorney decided to press the ladies on just what they knew about Livingston.
In her earlier conversation with them, Corporal Logan had let it slip that any man who crossed Darcy’s path either joined her or died. All of them were here, at this moment in time, because of the death of Lieutenant Dodge. Could it be? She had to know.
“Logan, you said earlier that any man Colonel Livingston wanted, either became hers or ended up dead, right?”
Logan nodded. “Check ma’am; that’s why we call nicknamed her WW; you know, witchy woman.”
“Or BW; that is, black widow,” added Kayce.
Mac pressed her question like she was cross-examining a witness. “Danvers, did Lieutenant Dodge have an interest in Colonel Livingston?”
Both ladies looked at each other and then back at the Light Colonel. Logan spoke up first. “You mean did he have a thing for the Colonel?”
Mac nodded. Logan’s comment was crudely put, but it was the question Mac was asking.
Logan shook her head. “There you go about Dodge again,” She turned to Kayce. “Man, why is she so hung up on Dodge?”
Before Kayce could answer, Logan fired her own question at Mac. “Ma’am, why are you so interested in that dirt sailor? What was he to you besides a case? An ex-lover or something?”
Logan’s abruptness silenced Mac for a moment. Kayce looked as if she wanted to be swallowed by the ground.
It suddenly dawned on Logan what had popped out of her mouth.
Mac waved her hand dismissively at her before she could say anything. “First of all, he was not a Seebee, he was a combat engineer.”
The Lance Corporal regained some her ground when she saw that Mac wasn’t going to castigate her for her offhand comment. “That’s the same difference in my book Colonel--”
But Mac wasn’t going to let her do that again.
“Second, Lance Corporal, it may have everything to do with why those ‘Cobra jockeys’ as you so eloquently called them earlier, were framed for his murder. Especially, if Dodge had spurned her invitation and that gunship crew had somehow been involved as well.”
“Oh man,” Logan looked as if she was close to giving herself a head slap. She turned to Kayce. “Why didn’t we think of this? Dammit, it all makes sense now…that bwitch had Dodge killed because he wouldn’t join her little cabal…”
“If she can’t have him, then no one can have him….” Kayce gravely added, agreeing with Lance Corporal Logan’s comment. “She is cold blooded.”
For the first time, Logan seemed to be looking to Mac for direction. “So what about those Cobra jockeys, ma’am, did they cross her up too?”
Mac shook her head. “There’s no way to know at the moment, Corporal, but, if what you say about her is true--”
Logan quickly affirmed her worst fears. “It is ma’am--”
“--then we’re all in danger.” Kayce said in stunned realization. For the first time, Mac truly believed that Kayce Danvers really knew nothing about Colonel Livingston’s actual plans and that she wasn’t a spy for her.
Logan looked at her friend and Colonel MacKenzie confused. “How?” Logan asked Kayce. When she didn’t get an immediate answer, she tried to reassure Mac. “Colonel, you’re among friends. Any of Darcy’s bunch would have killed us by now….”
But the Light Colonel had a sobering thought for her. “…or they’re waiting for the right opportunity, Logan.”
36th MEU ACE Airfield
Three KC-130 transports sat on the ACE’s tarmac, rumbling in the post midnight gloom. The last of Darcy’s Recon Marines got settled in their seats. A burly Staff Sergeant made his way to the cockpit and stuck his head in.
“We’re good to go, Lieutenant.” He gave the two men a ‘thumbs up’ and headed back to the rest of the stick in the bowels of the plane.
“I don’t like that guy,” the co-pilot grumbled as he went through his pre-flight checklist.
“They’ll be out of here soon enough,” Lieutenant Basilone said evenly as he fed the engines more power and began to move the plane forward. He did his best to seem unconcerned about his co-pilot’s worries. He had to. Knowing what he did made it hard not to panic with Colonel Livingston and who knows how many traitors on board this plane.
Gill knew he had to let someone in the investigation teams know what was going on. He had written down everything he had heard and remembered, but he had not had a chance to contact them before it was time to get prepped for this paradrop operation.
The notes he had made were folded over and stuffed in the pocket of his flight jacket. He had to find a way to get them to those JAG attorneys or the NCIS Agents. Even if it meant that Colonel Livingston found out what he was doing and killed him. He had to risk it.
Like a man stepping off a cliff, Gill opened his side window. “Sergeant!”
One of the ground crew hustled over to the Lieutenant’s plane.
“Yes sir!” he yelled above the roar of the KC-130’s four throbbing Allison engines.
“Here, take this to Special Agent Gibbs!” Gill tossed the folded packet toward the Sergeant.
He picked it up before it had the chance to blow away. The Sergeant looked at packet for a moment and then back up at the Lieutenant.
“Gibbs sir?!”
“Yeah! The NCIS Agent from Washington!! He’s probably with GATORFORCE getting ready to move out! Get that over to him ASAP!!”
The Sergeant understood. You didn’t argue with a Lieutenant. “Aye, aye, sir!!” He quickly ran over to a HMMWV sitting just off the tarmac.
“Hey Gill, what was that all about?” Asked his co-pilot nonchalantly as the HMMWV took off in the direction of Colonel Briggs’ GATORFORCE formation.
Gill Basilone just shook his head trying to seem bored by the whole thing. “Oh, those were just some written statements those NCIS agents had asked me for earlier…”
That seemed to satisfy his co-pilot. Gill hoped that the Sergeant got that note to Special Agent Gibbs. Time was running out, it probably already had for him, but at least he could keep anyone else from getting killed. He had one more ace up his sleeve.
*~*
Leonard Reynolds gathered his ‘team’ together to discuss what they needed to do in preparation for Darcy’s arrival.
Sergeant Witt sneered. “Len, how long are we going to have to listen to this skirt? I didn’t sign on to this mission to follow the lead of one of Darcy’s pet officers – especially a lush like her.”
Staff Sergeant Reynolds gave Forward Observer Frank Witt an ominous smile. “Frank, you should know that Colonel Livingston would smile about that comment and then put a bullet in your brain without batting an eyelash about it. Don’t you remember what happened to Grearson and Colwell when they complained too much?”
Nathan Peters sought to soften Witt’s acidic comments. “Len, I’m sure Frank is just frustrated; face it, man, we’re *all* frustrated…and that lady JAG hasn’t helped things….”
Leonard nodded his head in understanding. “I know, Nate, I know. But this is Darcy’s call – all you guys, just be sure that your MOPP equipment and mask are okay--”
Tim Bullard, known more for his hot temper than anything else, threw his mask to the ground. “—my MOPP equipment is just fine, Leon! You just keep those BAMs’ and the dark green Marines outta my way--!”
Nathan’s eyes narrowed, “What the hell did you just say, pale green Marine?”
Jim Stallings looked over at Nathan. "C'mon Nate, you know he didn't mean it--"
But Nathan savagely cut him off. "Keep outta this, bookworm; this is between me and pretty boy, here."
Tim gave Nathan a condescending smile. "Let's go, Nate. C'mon big man, I've been waiting for this for a long time--"
Reynolds was about to intervene between the two when a harsh voice stilled all of them.
“Reynolds! What the hell is going on here?!”
Leonard and the others froze. Victor Galindez aka Master Gunnery Sergeant Hector ‘Cesar’ Bustamante was silhouetted against the night sky. No one moved.
Then Leonard stood up. “Master Guns! We, uh, we were just letting Colonel Livingston know our position--”
Victor eyed the group. It was obvious that they were just about to tear into themselves. All that came to an abrupt halt when he showed up. Galindez really hoped that this was all of Darcy’s cohorts in this unit, but there was no real way to know. Neutralizing these guys might be the best he could hope for.
Victor’s stern look was replaced by a most satanic smile. “Good; it’s about time you did something right, Len. What did she say?”
The group seemed to forget their current tensions. Now they were once again focused on their mission. The one that was the real reason they were here in the first place.
That greasy smile of Reynolds returned. “Their aircraft just left the airfield, Master Guns, they’re on their way.”
“Okay then,” replied Victor, “If you are done here, let’s get back to MacKenzie and the rest of the unit….”
As they headed back toward the rest of Shark Two, Victor grabbed Tim and yanked him close enough to whisper in his ear. “If you ever try to start a race war in this unit again, I’ll personally make sure your eviscerated carcass is a meal for the vultures, you get me?”
Tim Bullard gave Victor Galindez an innocent smile. “You’re the boss, Master Guns…for now.”
Victor roughly shoved Bullard away from him and back towards Shark Two’s positions.
SEAL Team ‘Rat Patrol’
Commander May lowered his binoculars. “Okay guys, look alive; this is it. This is the drop zone for the rest of Colonel Livingston’s troops.”
Brad May’s SEAL team silently spread out headed toward Shark Two’s position.
Darrell Coskill settled in next to best friend and CO. “How do you know, Commander?”
Brad pointed at Shark Two’s current position. “The way they have themselves arranged out there, Master Chief. Let’s hope that Colonel Livingston and her Marines land soon so we can find out what they are up to.”
The Master Chief gave his CO a wry smile. “I take it the Commander doesn’t believe that the Colonel is on a recon mission.”
Brad snorted. “Oh, she’s on a recon mission all right…for the insurgents. Now keep your eyes peeled for those KC-130s; they should be here at any time….”
As the SEAL Team waited in the darkness for the tale-tell signs of approaching aircraft motorized engines of another kind made their presence known.
A burst of static erupted from Commander May’s radio. “Commander! I have an Iraqi Army APC! 2,000 meters and closing!” It was Petty Officer 1st class Wade Seibert.
Coskill clicked the send button on his radio. “Provisional Iraqi Army?”
Another burst of static. “No Master Chief; it has Republican Guard markings!”
“One of the ones that missed the Provisional Government’s inventory sheet,” grumbled Darrell
as he clicked his radio button. “Seibert! Shark Two, do they see it?”
There was what seemed like a long stretch of silence. The Commander and the Master Chief exchanged anxious glances. Maybe the APC had seen the Petty Officer.
Commander May clicked his radio button. “Talk to me, Petty Officer….”
A contrite Petty Officer 1st class responded. “Sorry Commander. “Uh, no sir, they — wait a minute…they just spotted it, Commander.”
“Now we’ll see which side Colonel MacKenzie’s team is on,” Coskill said as he and the Commander turned their binoculars toward the APC approaching Shark Two.
“If my hunch is right, Master Chief,” Brad said as he raised his binoculars again “We’ll see her welcome that APC with open arms....”
Camp Chesty Puller
Gibbs’ AMTRAC slewed to a jarring stop.
“What are we stopping for?” Sergeant Canella asked the driver.
“Probably for one of those media types to climb aboard,” grunted one of MPs.
That comment earned a few disgusted chuckles and a general shaking of heads.
“Man I hate those infesting media types…” said another MP under his breath
A Corporal sitting next to him mumbled. “You mean ‘embedded media,’ don’t ya?”
The MP gave him a cynical grin. “You call’em what you want, I’ll call’em what I want….”
The AMTRAC vehicle commander, Sergeant Damato, leaned down into the passenger compartment and squinted at the senior NCIS Agent. “Got someone out here asking for you, Special Agent Gibbs.”
Tony looked at the silver haired head of the Washington, D.C. MCRT.
Sighing, Gibbs stood and switched places with the vehicle commander. The senior NCIS Agent pulled himself into a standing position in the hatch.
In the glare of the flood lamps, he saw a HMMWV parked alongside the AMTRAC. A Sergeant standing by the open driver’s door looked up at Gibbs.
“Uh, I’m looking for…” he looked at the packet to check the name. “…a Special Agent Gibbs?”
“You’re talking to him.”
“Oh…well, I supposed to give you this….” He pitched the packet toward Gibbs.
The senior NCIS Agent caught the packet and opened it. As he read through the first paragraph, his expression hardened.
When Gibbs finished with the first page, he noticed the Sergeant was still standing there.
“Thanks for bringing this,” he said abruptly went back to reading.
The Sergeant nodded and got back in his HMMWV.
---TBC... [later this evening]
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