| Subject: Temporay Assigned Duty 16/24 |
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Fananicfan
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Date Posted: 22:18:11 01/23/07 Tue
In reply to:
Fananicfan
's message, "Temporay Assigned Duty" on 20:24:02 01/15/07 Mon
CHAPTER SIXTEEN – Embassy Party
Harm hadn’t seen Mac, but he’d found the bar and was indulging in a bourbon while making polite conversation with the Defense Minister of some place or another when he felt Mac’s presence. He instinctively turned in the correct direction and saw her dancing. His eyes took in the view of her in the black strapless dress, but to his dismay her dance partner was Clayton Webb. Harm couldn’t breathe, then he saw the terrace doors and they were the closest way out; he needed some air.
Mac was dancing with Clay and he was whispering, “I’ve got to finish with this party, but I left you a note this morning. Please meet me on the terrace after the party; I want to know your answer.” She felt Harm’s presence and saw Harm going out on the terrace. She thanked Clay for the dance and said she’d talk to him later and left to follow Harm; if she’d known Harm was coming, she wouldn’t have danced with Clay. On the terrace, Harm was staring out into the darkness. “I didn’t know you were invited?”
“You mean Webb didn’t mention it. I know I don’t usually come up in conversation between the two of you.” He was instantly sorry for his words and tone. Between Webb saying he wanted her back and seeing her dancing with him; the memories of all the hurt came rushing back. She knew it was Harm’s jealousy talking and made no comment, but he couldn’t let it go; he dropped his head and looked down, “I’m sorry Mac. I was invited by Colonel Bridges after a meeting about one of his Marines, my first week here; but since he isn’t here, I should go. I thought I could do this, but I’m not ready to see you with him.” His eyes moistened with unshed tears.
“Harm…” The sound of the terrace doors opening caused their contact and conversation to stop.
A very attractive twenty-three old woman with blonde hair, long legs, and great curves stepped out onto the terrace. “I didn’t think anyone would be out here with the dancing inside. I needed some air; it can get stuffy inside some times.”
Mac had met the Ambassador’s wife yesterday. “Yes, ma’am it can get stuffy and too noisy to hear. This is Captain Rabb, Force Judge Advocate for Naval Forces Europe. He and I served together for a number of years. We were catching up, but it was hard to hear inside.”
“Captain Rabb, it is a pleasure to meet you. You are certainly a taller, more handsome man than your predecessor. I’ve heard Colonel Bridges speak of you; something about a Navy man who plays golf, likes bourbon and a good cigar can’t be all bad.”
Mac internally fumed at the woman’s interruption and blatant flirting with her man, but Mac kept her wits and her exterior showed no signs of the fury inside. “Captain Rabb, this is Mrs. Mathers, the US Ambassador’s wife.”
“It is nice to meet you Mrs…”
She cut him off. “Call me Penny. Tell me Captain, did you bring anyone to the party?”
“No, ma’am”
Penny’s face lit with delight and she reached for Harm’s arm. “Then you must dance with me.” She slipped her arm around one of his and practically attached herself to his side.
It was all Mac could do to talk calmly. “Perhaps we can talk again later, Captain.”
“I hope so. I’ll be looking for you.” Harm wasn’t thrilled with entertaining the Ambassador’s wife, but he really didn’t want to hear Mac tell him she’d chosen Webb either. He made a mental note that unless he was ordered to the next one; he wasn’t coming to another Embassy party.
Mac was on the hunt for Clayton Webb. When she glanced towards the dancers it took only seconds to spot her handsome sailor on the dance floor, but no Clay. Mac watched as Harm would take a step back and that twenty something trophy wife of the Ambassador’s would take two steps forward getting closer to Harm with every move. As the notes to the next song started to play, Mac forced herself to resume her mission. If Clayton Webb wasn’t in here, he was in her office where he’d set up his command center for tonight’s party. Mac got her bearings, coming from this end of the building she had to pass by Major Johnson’s office before getting to hers.
Harm ended up dancing through three songs with the Ambassador’s wife before her husband came over to cut in. Harm looked around for Mac for a few minutes, but didn’t see her. He wandered mindlessly through the crowd hoping to see Mac, but only managed to find the bar and get his second bourbon. He returned briefly to the terrace, but no luck. He would have to wait for her to come to him like they discussed this morning. He made his way back through the Embassy toward the door taking the last few swallows of his bourbon along the way. He’d almost made it to the door when he heard a female voice coming from behind him, but not Mac’s.
“You’re not leaving so early are you?” He turned to see Penny Mathers, the US Ambassador’s wife.
“I’m not sure I would agree it’s early, but I’m afraid I must go, duty calls.”
Several Embassy staff watched Penny move toward Harm like a tigress stalking prey. “If duty calls, I suppose you must go.”
“Goodnight. Mrs. Mathers.”
“Penny, remember. And goodnight to you too, Captain.” Penny bit at her lower lip as she watched Harm’s backside exit; the thought running through her mind was he was the finest looking man she’d seen around these parts in a while.
Meanwhile --- Mac was passing Major Johnson’s office and slowed to take a look inside, the door to his outer office was open, very unusual. She overheard a loud male voice that she recognized as Major Johnson’s. A woman’s voice was too soft for her to be sure, but it had a familiar sound. Mac stepped closer to his office door and heard the Major’s voice clearly. “I love Penny and she wouldn’t have me until I killed her husband. You screwed up everything by coming in here. I could have gotten rid of him and blamed one of them out there, but now my plan is ruined.”
The woman’s voice asked softly. “What are you going to do with me?”
Closer to the door, Mac recognized the female voice. It was Ms. Appleton. Mac wasn’t sure what was going on, but it was time to get more information.
Mac opened the inner office door and quickly scanned the room. The Ambassador was lying on the floor. Ms. Appleton was standing near the Ambassador’s body with tears rolling down her face and Major Johnson was standing behind his desk holding a gun with a silencer at Lorna. Lorna spoke. “I’d taken some refreshments to the team in your office. When I past by on my way back to the party, I heard two men’s voices, arguing; I came in just as he shot the Ambassador. ”
“Shut up,” Major Johnson said. “Penny told me she’d marry me if I killed her husband. He couldn’t keep her happy, I could. I had to do it. I need her.” He paused. “We’ll have to change the plan. I’ll need to give me and Penny enough time to get away from the Embassy and out of the country so I’m sorry, but I have to do this, too.”
The Major’s gun was in line to shoot Lorna so Mac went to move in, the Major swung the gun around and fired, but Mac didn’t go down and she didn’t hear the second shot. The second shot dropped Mac to her knees then to the floor with a burning sensation in her belly.
The Major turned and pulled the trigger once more, that bullet sent Ms. Appleton to the floor.
Mac heard his footsteps as he left the room. She tried to stand, but unable to she began to crawl toward the desk. She used the desk to pull herself up to a kneeling position. Kneeling by the desk, she dialed the only extension number she could remember, Ms. Appleton’s. An agent working with Webb answered. “Don’t let Major Johnson leave the building and send medics to his office. We’ve been shot.” Her energy tapped she dropped to the floor.
For once, she didn’t know how long it had been since she’d spoken into the phone until she heard voices. The voices grew louder as they approached, then echoed in her head, “The Ambassador’s down.” “There’s a woman next to him. “There’s another woman down by the desk.”
She heard a familiar voice then. “Sarah.” Then she felt him take her hand. “You’re going to be alright Sarah. I’ve got people on the way up.”
“Clay, it wasn’t terrorists after the Ambassador; it was Major Johnson. Lorna saw the Major shot him. Before the Major shot us, he said Mrs. Mathers said she’d marry him if he killed her husband. He wanted his wife.”
Webb barked instructions. “You heard her; find Mrs. Mathers; put a guard on her until we can figure out exactly how much involvement she had in this and search this place for Major Johnson.” He patted her arm. “Now just relax Sarah. You can give us a statement later.” Webb was scared. There was blood where she’d gone done and there was blood where she’d collapsed by the desk and a trail between them where she’d crawled to the phone; it seemed like a lot of blood.
“Don’t leave me Sarah, I love you. We’ll get married and we’ll be happy.”
Mac had a wave of euphoria wash over her. She felt the tension in his body as hers felt weaker. “It’s ok. I’m not in pain anymore. I need to see Harm. I have to say goodbye.”
“You can tell him about us when you’re better.” The medics arrived and pushed everyone else out of the way to give them room to prep the victims for transport. Webb came to her side as they loaded Mac into the ambulance “I’ll be there when you wake up.”
She gathered her strength into a commanding voice. “Clay, I need to see Harm; get him.”
He promised her he’d get Harm to the hospital and the ambulance drove her away. He found out that Harm had already left the party. He ordered, “Then radio his driver and if he’s already been dropped off; have them go back and pick him up.” Webb gave them the location to take him and the reason incase Harm was resistant to go with him.
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