| Subject: ...For Meritorious Service, Chapter 24b, part two |
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TxJAG_b
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Date Posted: 16:34:14 10/31/07 Wed
In reply to:
TxJAG_b
's message, "...For Meritorious Service" on 09:04:26 05/08/07 Tue
A/N1: **~~** indicates flashback or dream sequence ( ) indicates the thoughts of a person. *~* indicates a scene shift not otherwise indicated by a JAG time stamp. ~~~ indicates a dream sequence.
A/N2: You know the saying 'It's five o'clock somewhere?' Well, it's already night somewhere, so that's why I'm posting now. Thanks again to Janlaw and Mary Ann for their team-betaing and to all the others who support this effort.
[continued from last night…]
“Whose report?”
“Well, certainly not the one made by the MEU Chief Surgeon. This came from the one made by NCIS Medical Examiner Doctor Donald Mallard and Naval Forensic Pathologist Commander Teresa Coulter. Would you like to see it for yourself?” She held out the folder to him.
“Uh, yeah, sure….” He reached over the desk and gingerly took the open folder into his hands. “You mean the MEU Doc was lying?”
She couldn’t believe his gall. “And you missed some vital evidence, Special Agent.”
“Yeah, I sure did at that….” he said distractedly. Then he looked into her eyes trying to see some compassion in them. “Look, I made a mistake….”
But Faith didn’t really care what he had to say. “Not the first time, I believe,” She reached into her briefcase and pulled out another folder laying it on top. “On 1 April, you stated that FIREFLY ONE had been shot down due to enemy fire. Bullets recovered from the craft indicate it was shot down by rounds from a .50 caliber Barrett sniper rifle.”
Sedrick wasn’t standing for any more of this. “That rifle could have been stolen--”
“That’s entirely true,” Special Agent,” Faith said seeming to back off from her accusation. “However, it doesn’t explain the bullet wounds suffered by 1st Lieutenant Phillip M..Dodge….”
Sedrick Phillips had had enough of this. “Just what are you driving at, lady?” he said pointedly. If she had something on him, he wanted to know.
That thin smile appeared on Faith’s lips. “We seem to have some discrepancies between your reports and these reports, Special Agent.”
Now they were getting down to business. She wasn’t here to arrest him. She was here to make a deal.
Sedrick settled back in his chair again. “Okay, Commander, it does appear that we do. So, what should we do about it?”
“I’m in a position to get these reports altered….”
Sedrick held up his hand to stop her. He was obviously dealing with a rookie. He idly wondered whether he should kill her here or take her to one of the Shiite neighborhoods here in Baghdad and dump her body there.
“How much is this going to cost me?”
“Money is not what I’m looking for, Special Agent.” said Faith trying to sound insulted and bored at the same time. “If you would rather that I turn these over to proper authorities in my chain of command--”
“Wait up, wait up, uh, Commander--”
“Faith,” she offered as a gesture she was willing to still negotiate.
He gave her a sly grin. “Okay…Faith. Look, just what are you looking for?”
“I need to find out who is in charge, overall. I have information for them regarding an operation being conducted by NCIS and JAG Corps.”
“That would be me.” Sedrick said in a confident, almost cocky, tone.
“Please don’t insult my intelligence,” she said coldly. “It wasn’t easy gaining Admiral Chegwidden’s trust and getting assigned to this investigative team….”
Boy was she touchy. “Easy Faith, sorry, I didn’t mean to try to snow you like that…it’s just….”
“Just what?”
“We have to be careful, you understand.”
“Of course, I understand, nevertheless, I must get this information to them….”
“And what about those reports?” he probed.
“An editing program can make all the necessary changes.” she said dismissively. “And, I have signature authority to sign off on any and all reports related to this case….”
*~*
“ ‘An editing program can make all the necessary changes….’” Gibbs threw open his door before the conversation ended and bolted out into the darkness, followed by the Master Sergeant. Sturgis gave both men a surprised look. “What?”
“She pushed it too far!” Gibbs said almost too loud. “He’s going to kill her!” He had had this happen before; an inexperience agent, undercover for the first time, gets overconfident. So far it had only resulted in injuries. That might change tonight.
*~*
Sedrick smiled. So she did have a weak hand after all. Well, one more death for the cause would not trouble his mind. After he got her to sign off on those pesky reports and learned what she knew, he’d get rid of her and give the information he gained from her to Darcy.
*~*
Gibbs sprinted down the hallway, followed close behind by Sturgis. Both had their weapons drawn. “ ‘Colonel Livingston will generously reward you for your aid to our cause….’” Sedrick’s voice was echoing in Gibbs’ ear. Any minute he expected to hear pistol fire.
He cupped his mouthpiece so he could be sure that the NCIS Director heard his whispered voice. “Bravo two to Bravo one! Nightingale has been compromised! We’re going in!”
“Understood Bravo two,” said the NCIS Director as he stood up from his chair and watched the scene unfold.
As Gibbs and Sturgis rounded the corner, they could see that the Master Sergeant already had the night duty officer in custody. Both pulled up to the open doorway, Sturgis aiming high and Gibbs aiming low. They were joined by several MPs who were apparently friends of the Master Sergeant.
Gibbs motioned silently for the former Bubblehead to take two MPs and he’d take the other two.
Forming two teams, they entered the RIC’s bullpen and made their way toward Sedrick’s office. All the while, Faith continued chatting with the Special Agent, seemingly oblivious to the danger she was in
*~*
“That’s why I am here, Special Agent Phillips. To make sure no more mistakes are made.”
Sedrick gave her a gentle laugh. (So young and naïve,) he thought sadly. His hand started to move toward his middle drawer where his service pistol was resting.
Faith meanwhile had picked up on the slight scuffling noises behind her moving ever closer. That would be Gibbs and his rescue party…..
*~*
Gibbs hand signaled to Sturgis: ‘tango visible.’
Sturgis nodded and indicated he was in position. They could now clearly hear the two voiced coming from behind the partially open door. Sedrick hadn’t felt the need to shut it all the way.
*~*
“Just one more thing, Special Agent,”
“Yes?”
Faith dropped to the floor using the desk as a shield. The door to his office swung open to reveal Special Agent Gibbs, Commander Sturgis Turner and four heavily armed Marine guards in various stances pointing their weapons at Special Agent Sedrick Phillips.
“Sedrick! Let her go!!” bellowed Gibbs aiming his pistol right at his heart.
“Get away from that desk, Special Agent! Lay down on the floor, hands out in front of you!” added Sturgis.
Sedrick couldn’t have looked more stunned. His hand had almost been on the drawer handle. Odds were that he wouldn’t survive if he tried to open that drawer. Instead of going to martyrdom, there might be a chance to salvage this situation if he did not lose his head….
Slowly the RIC started to get up from his chair, his empty hands raised high in the air.
USS Patrick Henry
Chief Medical Officer’s Office
Captain Ingles comments to him were still buzzing around in Harm’s head as he knocked on the entryway into the Doctor’s office.
“Got a minute, doc?”
“Sure, come on in.” He looked at the tall man entering his office and then he noticed the pilot wings on his uniform.
You must be one of the Reservists. He looked at how tall the aviator/lawyer was. “Do you have any problems resulting from fitting yourself into the cockpit of a Tomcat?”
“Never have.” Harm answered honestly.
The doctor nodded and made a note on his chart. “I see. Okay, let’s take a look…go ahead and take off your shirt, please.”
Harm unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it off, laying it on the nearby examining table. The doctor motioned for Harm to sit on the table.
The Patrick Henry’s doctor felt around on either side under his jaw. “We have to make sure you aren’t showing any symptoms of the flu.” he explained as he felt the lymph nodes under the Commander’s armpits.
“Have you been nauseous in the last 72 hours?”
“No.”
“Any persistent cough or runny nose?”
“No.”
“Any sinus congestion?”
“No.”
“Any muscle aches or pains?”
“No.”
“Any diarrhea?”
“Ah, no. Why all the questions, doc?”
“It’s the sinus congestion we’re most concerned about. This virus attacks the upper respiratory area and your intestinal tract. Different people respond different ways of course, but the most dangerous is, as you know, is any problem with your inner ear, Commander.”
“Let’s take your temperature.” He picked up a tricorder-like device and took it’s attached pen and stuck in his mouth.”
“Hold it under your tongue, please.”
After a moment, the device beeped and he pulled the thermometer out of Harm’s mouth. The doctor consulted the device then nodded.
“Okay, you’ve got a clean bill of health, but I want you get as much rest as you can, wash your hands frequently, eat those fresh fruits and veggies whether you want to or not, and avoid anyone that might be sneezing or coughing.”
“The fruits and vegetables won’t be a problem, doc, but on a boat this size it’s gonna be kinda hard to avoid people who might be sick….”
The doctor gave him a wry smile. “Tell me about it, Commander. Just try and do your best.”
BOQ/VOQ
Camp Chesty Puller
Mac flopped down on her bed, trying to will her muscle aches to go away. As she lay in quiet agony, she reviewed the day’s events.
It started with a Physical Fitness Test (PFT) to make sure she still qualified, then a timed obstacle course and calisthenics. While some of the ‘recruits’ were already wheezing and puffing, Mac’s high school track and field experience gave her the stamina and pacing so that she hardly broke a sweat at this point. This was only the beginning, however. Next she and the other ‘recruits’ were taken to a nearby makeshift pool and had to complete a series of grueling swim exercises.
And this all happened before noon. While they were still drying off, they double-time marched over to the firing range and began their rifle and pistol qualifications.
Other members of Darcy’s unit stood around and watched the recruits, making snide remarks about their performance and other rude comments trying to psych them out. Mac noticed that even Kayce had joined the group, laughing and seeming to get in on the ‘merriment’. She’d have to be more careful about what she told Kayce from now on.
It was tough, but Mac kept her concentration. She credited that to being one of the few girls in junior high and high school who’d excelled in her track and field events while being able to ignore the razzing her classmates gave her.
This was followed by a ten mile run with full pack and rifle. At the end of the run, they were given ten minutes to collect themselves, before the Company Sergeant Major and Darcy began leading the recruits to nearby tents to begin the psychological screening.
Mac might have been unnerved by this part except for the fact she had been through this once before; back in 1996 when she went to Bosnia. She knew some of the questions Darcy was going to ask her, figuring their meeting at the bar had been an informal screening of sorts.
Darcy didn’t waste any time with pleasantries. She got right to the meat of the matter. She probed the Lieutenant Colonel about her drinking and father’s drinking problems. Then she delved into her family problems, her petty crime spree with Christopher Rangel. And the death of her best friend, Eddie.
It was painful having those closed wounds ripped open again. Darcy made no secret of the fact she wouldn’t tolerate Mac drinking while in combat or on duty. If they were at the bivouac, though, she could get falling down drunk for all the Colonel cared.
Mac played the part of a grateful lush to the hilt. Darcy seemed satisfied with her answers and told her to hit the rack and get some rest. Tomorrow, she told her, would be here sooner than she thought.
Mac thanked her for the advice, got up and left the tent. It was pretty close to 2100 hours and she could care less if she ate or not. Every bone and muscle in her body ached. Even her teeth hurt. She thought falling into bed was a great idea.
The Marine JAG Corps officer wondered what tomorrow would bring. She also wondered what Harm was doing right now. (Probably out flying an F-14….) she grumped to herself.
As she started to roll over, she froze when she saw Kayce Danvers sitting at her desk.
“Corporal?!” Mac sat up, getting over the initial shock of seeing the Force Recon Marine sitting at her desk. Now she was angry. “How did you get in here?” she said sharply.
“Best if you didn’t know ma’am,” the Corporal said evasively.
Mac got up off her bed. “Okay, let’s try a different tact. Why are you in my room?”
If this was supposed to fluster Kayce Danvers, it didn’t. “Colonel’s orders, ma’am. I was told to keep my eye on you.”
Mac felt a pin prick of fear as she faced Kayce. Maybe getting close to her was a bad idea, since truthfully trusting anyone in this unit was almost impossible. She decided to handle it the way she would any mistake an enlisted person would make. “I think she meant check in on me, not follow me into *my room*, Corporal.”
A normal enlisted person would have been properly chastised by this rebuke. Not this Force Recon soldier. “No ma’am, I was told to ‘keep a close watch on you,’ ma’am.
As a last resort, Mac tried sarcasm. “Are you going to sleep with me, too?”
“No ma’am, I wasn’t going to, but if you like, I can,” that comment raised Mac’s eyebrows. Recognizing what the JAGC Officer thought, she added, “that is, if it will make it easier for you to get to morning formation on time.”
*~*
Harm collapsed into his rack. He thought about washing his hands before going to bed, but fatigue wiped out any intention of doing that. He kicked off his shoes and laid down, never even feeling his head hitting the pillow.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The images that passed before him were a kaleidoscope of color. Harm trying to land on the Seahawk that fateful night. He heard the man screaming ‘Power! Power! POWER!!’
before he was forcibly ejected out of his seat. His last thoughts as his Tomcat plowed into the carrier’s deck were about his RIO and his career as pilot being over.
Before he could fully process what had happened, he found himself lying on the deck of the carrier, several people around him including the CAG, the Flight Surgeon, Mace and a few others he didn’t recognize. Probably part of the deck crew.
“Is he going to make it?” he heard Mace say, sounding as if he were in another room rather than right next to him.
“I can’t tell you yet….” The doctor said his voice equally distant. Harm tried to get his fuzzy vision to clear, but nothing seemed to help.
“Harm?” He looked to his left and saw Diane in her summer whites, lean over him. “Harm, can you hear me?”
Harm tried to respond but his voice wouldn’t work. He felt liquid bubbling out of his
mouth.
“He’s aspirating!” the doctor barked, “I have to open an airway…” he leaned closer and the Naval Commander could see the glint off the knife edge of a scalpel.
The aviator/lawyer turned his head left and right trying to avoid the knife. ‘Don’t do this!’ he wanted to scream. ‘I can breathe! I’m not struggling for breath!!’
But no one was listening to him. As he struggled, the people above him faded and grayed out completely, leaving him alone in the dark, hearing the blade cutting his throat.
For whatever reason, he couldn’t feel any pain. Maybe the doctor had given him a local anesthetic? Where was everybody?
Again he tried to call out, then he heard voices in the distance and the blackness was replaced by a gray light that slowly grew brighter.
People appeared over him, most he didn’t know or recognize but one he did. That was Mac, not just Diane in a Marine uniform. Somehow he just knew it was Mac. there were tears in her eyes.
“Harm? Harm! Dammit! I warned you Harm, I told you, you’d be shot down…and killed if you go on this mission….”
Before Harm could say he wasn’t dead, a white sheet was draped over him.
Mac’s words echoed in his ears.
“You’ll be shot down…and killed…”
“Shot down…and killed…”
“Shot down and killed!!”
As Harm struggled with the sheet, he heard and saw that haunting scene played before him just as Mac had described it:
“Missiles inbound...”
“Brace for impact...”
“Eject! Eject! Eject!!”
Harm felt his body shred apart as the SAM hit his Tomcat.
His final thought before darkness overtook him:
(I love you Mac.…)
---TBC…
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