| Subject: ...For Meritorious Service, Chapter 23c part one |
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TxJAG_b
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Date Posted: 22:06:21 06/03/07 Sun
In reply to:
TxJAG_b
's message, "...For Meritorious Service" on 09:04:26 05/08/07 Tue
…For Meritorious Service, Chapter 23c
A/N1: Thanks to my friend Janlaw for the
help with this chapter.
A/N2: To those of you who follow NCIS, you'll notice
that I carry most of the same characters from that
show into this story. That's because in this world,
JAG and NCIS co-exist.
**************************************************
…For Meritorious Service, Chapter 23c, part one
Captain Patkiewicz turned around and faced Gibbs. “Then let me go and let me put an end to this.”
Harm spoke up first. “We can’t let you do that, Captain”
The Force Recon officer turned to face Harm. “Why not, Sir?” There was a hint of resentment in his question.
Mac was about to respond but Gibbs beat her to it. His answer was blunt. “Because you would be dead, Captain, before you got to her.”
The Force Recon Captain seemed unfazed. “How do you know?” he practically snorted. What did a Navy cop and two legal eagles know about this situation anyway?
He quickly found out as Mac ‘enlightened’ him. “She found out you were on to her, Captain. However, if Colonel Livingston knew that you were planning to kill her, she’d have you eliminated just like all the others.”
That rocked him a little. “You mean like Grearson and Colwell.” He said somewhat petulantly.
Gibbs enlightened the man further. “No Captain, the Colonel means like Grearson Colwell, Dodge, Jalloud, Butler, and Krivstad. Let us handle this.”
Harm nodded his agreement when the Captain looked at him. “In the meantime Captain, Harm added, “we’re placing you in custody, for your own protection.”
The Force Recon officer shook his head and chuckled harshly. “You three really think protective custody will save me if Darcy Livingston wants me dead?” Then you *really* don’t know that lady.”
That comment made Gibbs, Harm and Mac looked at each other and then at the Force Recon Captain and then back at each other again. Petkiewicz watched in amazement as a whole ‘silent’ conversation seemed to take place between the two JAGs.
Finally the two officers finished their ‘conversation’. Gibbs smirked at both of them and then turned back to the Force Recon officer.
“I don’t think you have anything to worry about, Captain.” he said dryly.
1717 Zulu
Emerald Way Apartments Complex
Arlington, Virginia
*
Monday 14 July, 2003
Ahmad was in a hurry. He was fifteen minutes late for his appointment. He looked like any other DC bureaucrat or congressional aide…a man on a mission. Ahmad hurried over to his car in the parking lot and unlocked his car doors with keyless entry beeper.
In the carefully manicured shrubs just beyond Ahmad’s car, an FBI counter-terrorism agent spoke softly into his headset.
“This is unit one, we have the suspect in sight. He’s getting ready to get into his car….”
The gravelly voice of T.C. Fornell could be heard over the CT officer’s headset.
“I copy unit one. Take him down, now!”
“FREEZE! FBI!!”
“DOWN ON THE GROUND NOW!!”
Ahmad was shocked to see the bushes come alive with FBI counter-terrorism agents dressed in combat gear, their assault rifles pointed at him. Part of him wanted to grab the handgun that was under his car seat, but he knew if he tried, he’d be dead before he opened the car door.
He knelt down on the asphalt with his hands raised in the air as the CT officers began to place handcuffs on his wrists and inspect his unlocked car.
Special Agent Charles watched the arrest of the terrorist suspect and hoped the man didn’t have any links to Jimmy Napalitano. If he did, he’d have to make sure the man didn’t live long enough to expose him.
*~*
Suhan had recently arrived from Jakarta on the redeye flight into Dulles. Now he was being briefed in the basement of this safe house by a man he only knew as ‘Fazil’. His orders were simple. Take the briefcase he was being given to the Washington Metro and get off at Pentagon City. There, he would meet another man ‘Raheem’ to whom he would hand over the case.
Suhan thought he saw movement outside the basement window that was above their table. He only heard the tinkle of smashing glass before a loud bang and searing flash of light blinded him. In the smoke and confusion he saw Fazil reach for his assault rifle only see him begin to choke and cough as more smoke filled the room. Suhan felt his eyes begin to burn and water as well. As he doubled over he could hear the shouted orders about getting down on the floor from the heavily armed American FBI Agents dressed in camouflage and gas masks.
*~*
High above the Washington D.C. Beltway, a predator drone followed a panel van as it moved through lunchtime traffic.
Not too far away, an Air Force OV-1 Mohawk circled lazily over a nearby park.
The plane’s co-pilot nodded to the enlisted technician manning the on-board tracking radar. “Angel Seven to Avenger Command, the suspect’s vehicle is getting off I-395 at Leesburg Pike. Have the Virginia State Patrol move in and intercept them before they leave the interstate.
“Roger Angel Seven.”
*~*
NCIS Special Agent Chris Pacci stood on one side of the door. On the other side was Special Agent Tim McGee. They were accompanied by a dozen Marine Fleet Anti-Terrorist soldiers.
Chris nodded to the Probie NCIS agent who grimly nodded back. Chris motioned to the two FAST soldiers holding a portable battering ram. They charged at the door, swinging the ram ahead of them.
The sound of the door’s lock mechanism coming apart was lost as the door swung open to reveal four men of various nationalities looking stunned at seeing two plainclothes Naval ‘police’ officers accompanied by a squad of heavily armed soldiers bursting into their room.
“FEDERAL OFFICERS! DROP YOUR WEAPONS!!”
*~*
AJ Chegwidden stood crouched behind the police cruiser next to the Falls Church police Lieutenant. In the next moment, several flash-bang grenades went off in quick succession around the nondescript bungalow that they had been observing for the last hour.
This was the last of some fifty safe houses that had been detailed in the data files that Mrs. Dodge had given to Tiner and Coates.
As smoke curled around the outside of the household, several heavily armed SWAT team members entered the house and in moments were leading several stunned men, handcuffed, out of the building and placing them face down onto the grass in front of the house.
The Lieutenant’s radio crackled with static “Message for Admiral Chegwidden, Lieutenant.”
“I believe this is for you, Admiral.”
The Navy/Marine JAG nodded his thanks as he took the radio receiver in his hands. “This is Admiral Chegwidden….”
“Admiral, this is FBI Special Agent Tobias Fornell. Operation Lightning has been a complete success, do you copy?”
AJ nodded. “I copy, Special Agent Fornell. The Navy thanks you for your help.”
1331 Local
Bethesda Naval Hospital
Bethesda, Maryland
Jason Tiner had succeeded in maneuvering himself into his wheelchair. He had only slipped once or twice trying to get himself seated but luckily he didn’t end up splayed on the floor.
Now he was pushing himself toward the door, ignoring the shooting pain from his arm as he maneuvered the chair so that he could lever open the door.
He had practically begged his nurse to take him off his intravenous feed. After she consulted with the doctor on call, he finally convinced both of them it would do the Petty Officer some good to wheel himself down to the solarium.
Despite the pain from his protesting limbs, Jason began to propel himself down the hall with a single thought on his mind. Getting to see Jen.
He had to see for himself how she was doing. In fact he was so preoccupied with getting his wheelchair down the hall that he didn’t notice the other chair headed straight for him.
The clang of the two colliding wheelchairs broke his concentration as did the wave of pain radiating up and down his leg from the contact with the other chair bound occupant.
“Oh my God! Jason! I am so sorry!!”
Jason Tiner gritted his teeth against the white hot throbbing as he looked through his ache blurred vision to see Jennifer Coates sitting in her chair which was now entangled with his.
Seeing her made him momentarily forget his aching body.
“Jennifer?! What are you doing out here?!” he nearly yelped.
“I was coming to see you,” she grunted as she struggled to pull away from their entanglement, “…to see how you were doing….Where were you going?”
“I was coming to see you, to see how you were doing….”
“I’m ambulatory,” she winced as she tried to sit up in her chair, “Well, at least I was….”
Now it was Jason’s turn to be concerned. “Are you okay? Maybe I should call a nurse….” He tried moving closer to her to see if he could see any new injuries.
She put her hand on his shoulder to calm him down. “I’m fine Jason, really.”
When she saw that she had gotten through to him, she couldn’t stop the mischievous thought that slipped out of her mouth. “That is, as long as we don’t collide again, I’ll be all right.”
She began to smile sheepishly as did Jason. Soon both began to chuckle at their predicament.
“Sorry--” he began.
“No,” she replied quickly, “it was my fault; I was concentrating so hard on moving my wheelchair down the hall towards your room, that I forgot to look where I was going.”
“I did the same thing,” he admitted.
“You did?”
“Uh huh,”
“Why?”
“Well, I was determined to see you too.”
That comment stole her breath. “You were?”
“Uh huh,” He paused a moment, giving her a wry grin. “We’re a pair aren’t we?” Jason’s grin faded as he felt her eyes boring into him. “I just had to, um, make sure…you were, uh, all right.”
“Me too,” she confessed. “That is, I needed to…you know, make sure…you were, um…all right too….” She gave him another embarrassed grin, not knowing what else to say.
As Jason sat there in his chair looking at her, he remembered this was how he had felt the first time he’d met Jennifer. That was in December of 2001 when Commander Rabb had her in his custody for shoplifting and stealing. He had only seen her briefly then, but that was more than enough to pique his curiosity and interest in her.
He’d vowed then that if he ever got the chance to talk to Jennifer Coates again, he would. Then in December of last year, the Colonel had brought her to her new duty station, JAG Corps Headquarters.
He spent most of that winter trying to get to know her better, but she seemed only vaguely interested. He though, was smitten and made a concerted effort to let her know just how he felt.
However, his natural born awkwardness with females insured the failure of his first attempts to connect with her. This time though, he didn’t let that stop him. Risking conduct unbecoming charges for pestering her, he struck up a casual relationship with her that blossomed during Commander Rabb’s court martial.
He remembered that she had looked so lost and forlorn when she told Jason that she had betrayed the Commander. Jason assured her that Harmon Rabb, junior would have never wanted her to lie for him, even if it kept him out of the brig. She had given him such a pretty smile then, just like now.
Despite Jennifer’s injuries, her lack of makeup and limp hair, she had to be the prettiest woman in the hospital.
Jennifer for her part, couldn’t believe that Jason looked this good even after all he had been through in the past few days. She thought back to when she first came to JAG Headquarters, how she had been a little leery about his star struck attention to her. She decided back then despite his good looks to keep their relationship professional. It seemed simple enough, at first. However, she realized one day when he had taken a couple of weeks of leave, just how much she missed his attention.
And she realized that although their work assignments pretty much kept them apart, when their paths did cross, there were *most definitely* sparks. Like now.
“So, uh, do you…how do you feel about going down to the solarium?”
Jason sounded like he was asking her on a date. (Could he really be that intimidated by me?) The more she thought about that, the more it made her nervous.
“That’s good,” she said nodding. “…I mean fine…that’s fine…a good idea, I mean….” (God, I sound like a complete dork…). She thought chastising herself. She’d be lucky if he didn’t think she was mimicking him.
But Jason Tiner was too enamored of her to believe that. “You go first,” he recommended, “I’ll follow you…we don’t want to line up abreast down this hall.”
She nodded again, not knowing what else to say. Besides, that made sense to her.
*~*
Gibbs, Harm, and Mac walked back towards the Lieutenant Colonel’s quarters.
“We’ve learned that Colonel Livingston has eyes all over this camp,” Harm said surreptitiously to the senior NCIS Agent as they walked along, “That’s why we’ve been playing the roles you read about in Commander Lindsey’s report.”
Mac picked up on the story from there. “We had to convince the Colonel that we were maverick officers, someone she could possibly turn if she decided to.”
“Someone high up in this unit had arranged for it to look like the Cobra gunship crew had killed Lieutenant Dodge, but in reality Colonel Livingston had ordered Dodge’s death because he knew too much.”
“We just didn’t have anything more than circumstantial evidence to go on, so we were using the Lindsey report as bait to smoke out the real killers and mastermind behind this operation.”
“We got our clients off,” Harm said finishing their story, “but we failed to get the Colonel because she sacrificed one of her underlings in the real killer’s place.”
Gibbs turned to the pretty Marine light Colonel.
“So now you’re going to go rogue, Colonel?”
Mac nodded. “To get into her unit. The intel report we received from Special Agent Webb included information that al-Sahood’s cell will launch a chemical or biological attack on this unit in 72 to 96 hours.”
“72 to 96 hours, Colonel? Isn’t that a little soon? When did you get this report?” Nobody could ever fault the NCIS Agent for keeping unrealistic timetables.
Harm and Mac exchanged embarrassed looks. How did they overlook the fact this timetable might have been altered by a certain CIA agent they both knew and loved?
“Um, Special Agent Webb has been known, ah, in the past to compress timetables for his benefit,” Mac offered.
“I see,” Gibbs said studying the two JAG Corps officers the way he would a pair of probationary agents.
“Looks Gibbs, we may not have the timetable down perfectly, but what we do know is that sometime within the next week or so --.”
“We have to stop whatever she has planned,” she looked at Gibbs intently, “and the only way to do that is from the inside.”
Gibbs gave her a slight smile. “And to get on the inside, you have to show that you are loose woman who has a history of fraternization.”
“You got it Gibbs. Which is why Hormone here won’t let me out of his sight.” Mac’s facial expression made it clear she was going back into character again. “You see, the good Commander here is extremely jealous…won’t let me out of his sight, isn’t that right, Commander?”
Gibbs now saw the man in front of him who he had expected to arrest a short time ago. An extremely jealous lover. “I am *not following* you Colonel! We agreed to this meeting with Special Agent Gibbs because he suspected me of killing Krivstad.”
“You’re lucky I was in a generous mood and got you off the hook, Commander. I could have easily implicated you….”
“Implicated me?! Why?”
Mac looked heavenward, sighing disgustedly. “God, do I have to spell it out for you?!” She looked over at the naval Commander with what can only be described as a combination exasperation and disdain. “You’re smothering me! I need some time away from you….”
Harm gave her a sarcastic smirk. “So you can go crawl into bed with someone else, Marine?”
Mac gave former Topgun a deadly look. “That was a low blow, Navy.”
“No lower than the ones you’ve aimed at me lately, Marine,” he fired back at her, as if trying to elicit sympathy from the NCIS Agent who was now in the middle of their maelstrom.
Gibbs couldn’t believe the change in these two. One moment they were two perfectly normal JAG Corps officers, now they were the consummate argumentative fiery couple, perfectly mirroring the portrayals Commander Lindsey had used in his report to try and destroy Admiral Chegwidden’s command.
Mac suddenly grabbed onto the senior NCIS Agent’s arm urgently. “Special Agent Gibbs, would you please get me away from Commander Rabb? I think he’s planning to hurt me…”
“Hurt you?” Harm said with a mixture of shock and revulsion, and then broke into a acerbic chuckle. “Oh, that is so rich…”
“Look Gibbs, get me away from him, and I’ll make it worth your while,” she purred into the agent’s ear, letting the suggestive thought settle into his brain. She moved around to face Gibbs and began smoothing out his shirt and jacket, occasionally shooting Harmon Rabb a flirtatious look. “We Marines should stick together, you know, Semper Fi and all that….”
“Don’t fall for her flattery Gibbs. She’s just using you to get me jealous, she likes to do that. She’ll quickly tire of you, just like she has all the others. And there are lots of others….” He started to move toward the couple as if to break them apart.
Gibbs voice came out perfectly calm but laced with steel. “Commander, if I were you, I’d get back…”
By now, several Marines and sailors had heard the commotion and were watching it unfold. Among them was a very interested Captain Jacques Lewis.
“Don’t fall for her sweet talk, Gibbs.” Harm warned.
“And I told you to back off, Commander.” Gibbs said as he tightened his protective grip on the Lieutenant Colonel. Mac played damsel in distress for all it was worth, looking like a frightened doe.
“This isn’t over Gibbs,” Harm said menacingly then turned around and pushed his way through the crowd of gawking soldiers.
“C’mon, Marine,” Gibbs said tersely as he began to push his way through the crowd with her in tow. He kept an eye on Captain Lewis to make sure the man kept his eyes on them, “Let’s get you out of here.”
*~*
Sturgis Turner was putting away his case notes. As he did this, he wondered whether or not he should have fought harder for the Cobra aircrew’s conviction. (You did everything you could, and then some). That was true, even Admiral Chegwidden had praised his efforts and the outcome of the case. So why did it feel like a hollow victory?
His self-examination was put on hold as moved toward the knock he heard at his door.
He opened the door to see Bud Roberts standing there. The Lieutenant looked as if he wanted to salute but Sturgis knew that was just ‘nervous Bud’. “Uh, Forgive me Commander, but, do you mind if I come in?”
“Sure Bud.” He motioned the Lieutenant inside. “What brings you over here?” He offered the junior JAG Corps officer a seat.
Bud seemed distracted, “Uh, no thank you, sir.” Sturgis could tell the younger man was looking over at the former Dolphin’s briefcase and errant case notes that were sticking out.
“What can I do for you, Lieutenant?” Sturgis said, trying to get the Lieutenant to focus.
Bud Roberts looked somewhat hesitant. He took a deep breath and then slowly let it out. “Well sir, I was wondering if you would help me,” he said finally.
That had obviously been very difficult for him to say. But why? Maybe it had to do with their past relationship before this case. He had really hoped they were beyond that, but Bud Roberts’ hesitancy in speaking his mind indicated they weren’t there just yet.
“Help you with what, Lieutenant?” he said in a friendly tone.
The former Dolphin could tell that Bud really didn’t think he would be interested in this. “Help me find out who really killed Lieutenant Dodge, sir.”
Sturgis sighed and shook his head. “Lieutenant, have you forgotten about PFC Secord’s very public confession? I think that should lay to rest any doubts about who killed Lieutenant Dodge….”
Bud nodded. “And I’d agree with you sir, except….”
“Except?” Sturgis prompted.
“Except I think that while he may have had a hand in the Lieutenant’s death, I don’t think he pulled the trigger.”
Inwardly, Sturgis was impressed. Bud in many ways was a very different person than the junior officer he had met when he first came to JAG. “Okay Lieutenant, who do you think killed Dodge?”
Bud was honest. “I don’t know yet, sir, that’s why I need your help.”
Sturgis scrubbed his hand over his close cut hair as he stood up. “Did the Commander put you up to this, Bud?”
Bud’s eyes flared in surprise. “Commander Rabb? No sir, I haven’t seen him since yesterday….”
Sturgis sighed; he was already having second thoughts, “Okay Bud, what do you need me to do?”
*~*
To anyone else, Gibbs and Mac would have looked like a loving couple as they walked together, his arm over her shoulder, both sharing smiles and gentle laughter.
“So, you were really in Force Recon?”
Gibbs gave her a sideways look. “Yeah, who did you say you were you with, Colonel?”
“That’s Mac, to you.” She put her hand to his face. “Colonel makes me sound like a senior officer.” she said flashing him a suggestive smile. “Now getting back to your question, I was with 2nd of the 9th back in the Summer of 1995. I was the legal liaison who was inserted into Bosnia with a Force Recon team to keep an eye on the Serbs…. You said you were there too?”
Gibbs gave her what she considered a shy smile and his tone definitely became warmer toward her. She could easily understand how a lady could fall for him. “Yeah, Summer of 1991 with the 1st of the 1st. I was the scout/sniper attached to our Force Recon unit….”
“Where did you say you were you stationed?”
A shadow seemed to pass over Gibbs’ face. “I didn’t,” he said abruptly.
Mac realized she had gotten carried away with her role-playing. “I’m sorry Gibbs, I didn’t mean to--”
“It’s not your fault, Colonel,” he said quickly trying to get back into his role, “You didn’t know.”
“I should have picked up on your reaction back in my quarters.” She said honestly. “I really am….”
He quickly reached out and put his index finger to her lips. “Never apologize, Colonel--”
“--because it’s a sign of weakness?” she finished for him. A playful look had returned to her pretty brown eyes.
Gibbs was intrigued. The more he got know this Colonel MacKenzie, the better he liked her. Too bad she already had a boyfriend. “Yeah, how do you know--”
Now it was her turn to put her index finger to his lips. “Harm and I have the same code. It must be a warrior thing.” she finished with another sexy smile.
She nonchalantly looked over her shoulder and then whispered into Gibbs’ ear. “We still have a tail following us,” Then giggled like a schoolgirl to mask her report.
Gibbs chuckled and whispered back into her ear. “I know. Either he’s not very good at this, or he’s making sure you know he’s on to you.”
“I’d bank on him trying to spook me.”
“Want me to do the ‘me Tarzan’ thing with him?”
No, let’s see if he keeps following us. We’ll make our way back to Harm once Captain Lewis has seen all he wants to see….”
---TBC…
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