Title: Another One!
 

Author: Rising Sun

E-mail: jag@lucianstuff.every1.net

FF Updates: jagrslc-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

FF URL: http://www.geocities.com/jagrslc

Rated: PG-13 (NC-17 available)

Classification: JAG Story/Adventure

Summary: Against his better judgment the Admiral takes
the entire JAG corps on a retreat.  

Disclaimer: JAG characters portrayed belong to JAG,
CBS and Paramount Television. No copyright
infringement intended.  All other characters depicted
are purely fictional and any similarities to actual
people are purely coincidental.

 

Author’s Note: The title suggests that there was one
before. There was and it is called Retreat. It may be
read at
http://www.geocities.com/jagrslc/jag/one/retreat.htm

 

Feedback: Would be nice.

 

Story Written January 14 & 15, 2002

 

 

1000 LOCAL

JAH HQ.

 

“Commander.” AJ said with great patience. As the Judge
Advocate General he sometimes felt more like a father
than the Commanding Officer.  “You want me to decide
on a retreat that is scheduled for next year!”

 

“Well sir the venue is a popular one and they are
usually booked twelve months is advance. So when ever
you decide then we will be there one year later.” 
Harriett replied.

 

He sighed and not for the first time. He read the
brochure and rubbed his head.  He had vowed that he
was not going to indulge in this retreat thing.  He
had gone fishing the year before with his senior
officers and look at where that had got him! He took
another deep breath and exhaled, but he could deny the
women on his team nothing… but they didn’t know that. 
He looked up at last. “OK book it. I expect all
personnel to be there only a Presidential waiver will
be accepted.” If he was going to face this again then
so was the entire troop!

 

“Aye sir!” Harriett beamed. 

 

============================

 

ONE YEAR LATER

 

FRIDAY – 2134 LOCAL

CHATEAU CHRISTIE

 

The gothic reproduction of a castle was set on a tiny
island.  Harriett had picked a three-day weekend for
the JAG team to test their collective deductive
reasoning prowess.  Despite the look of the Château it
had all the modern conveniences needed.  

 

The ferry crossed from the main land and deposited the
team with the promise to return not before Monday
afternoon.

 

The entire JAG Corps had turned out for this retreat
and for a variety of reasons; the first being that the
Admiral had ordered it, second every one had heard
what had happened on the last retreat and wanted to
see if there would be a repeat and third that this was
a murder mystery weekend… who could resist?

 

“Well Harriett seems that you have outdone yourself
this time.” Alan Matoni said.

 

“Wait till it’s all over sir.” Victor interjected. The
Gunnery Sergeant had made the **mistake** of popping
into JAG while on holiday and had found himself
shanghighed into Harriett’s latest venture.  He
figured as a former deputy sheriff from New Mexico
this murder mystery was going to be a synch. So had
shrugged his shoulders and joined in.

 

“Listen up people.” Harriett sort their attention.
“This is our liaison Mr. Po as in Edgar Allen.”

 

“You are joking me!” AJ said.

 

The man just smiled, ignored the comment and said,
“You have already chosen your teams and so from now on
it’s anything goes.  There will be a murder, which you
will have to solve.  I have no idea of the time the
murder will take place or who the victim is.  This is
Mr. Darrow.” The man stepped forward and nodded to the
JAG staff. Po continued; “He will monitor the
unfolding situation and decide on the winner. This
place is self contained and there are no staff.  You
need anything talk with Mr. Darrow here.”

 

Harriett stepped forward. “As with the JAG-A-THON the
prize at stake is Highest Ranking Officer privilege
for twenty-four hours.  Any questions?”

 

There were none and so with that the group headed for
their respective rooms.

 

============================

 

2321 LOCAL

CHATEAU CHRISTIE – MAC’S ROOM

 

Mac opened the door in response to the tap.  “Well
good evening Captain Rabb glad to see you finally made
it!”

 

 “Evening yourself Colonel Rabb.” He swept her up and
kissed her. “I thought we had cured the Admiral of
retreats.”

 

“Ever tried to resist Harriett?” Mac replied as she
watched her husband divest himself of his uniform. She
was already relaxed in t-shirt and shorts.

 

He smiled landed on the bed and beckoned to her. As
she got comfortable next to him he asked, “The body
drop yet?”

 

“Well there has been no blood curdling scream so I
assume not.” She got in close.  “It will be fun to
work a case together after so long.”

 

“Yeah. Life on the Hill is exciting and challenging
but there are times I do miss JAG, the folks and the
interaction that we had.” He caressed her.

 

“Regrets flyboy?” she asked.

 

“Never.  That retreat was the best thing that happened
to me. I finally got my act together and with that got
you.” He leaned over and kissed her.

 

“That retreat became notorious for you and me becoming
a couple.  Hence the reason the Admiral vowed that he
would not be caught dead at another one.” She
chuckled.

 

“Yet here he is and here we are.  May be he’ll be the
victim and then he will be caught dead at a retreat.”
He laughed.

 

“Now that he would never live down!”  Mac replied.
“We’d better get some sleep. God knows when the action
will start.”

 

“Sure.” He switched off the light and got even more
comfortable with Mac in his arms. 

 

============================

 

SATURDAY – 0232 LOCAL

CHATEAU CHRISTIE

 

Lauren stirred she could have sworn that she had heard
a thump. She focused… there was nothing. She shrugged
it of as a dream and went back to bed.

 

============================

 

0320 LOCAL

CHATEAU CHRISTIE

 

“There it is again!” Harriett insisted. 

 

“Honey it is the middle of the night no one is up and
about at this time.” Bud complained.

 

“Bud Roberts Jr. go take a look!” she ordered.

 

He sighed and obeyed his CO’s order. He looked up the
hall … he looked down the hall and returned to the
warm bed.  “Nothing.” He reported.

 

============================

 

0503 LOCAL

CHATEAU CHRISTIE

 

Petty Officer Laura Collins was out on her regular
morning jog. True they were on a retreat where r and r
were the orders of the day but there was no reason why
she had to change her regular schedule.

 

She had done her usual ten miles and was on her way
back to the Château when she trip over a tree root. 
Muttering to herself she stood and dusted herself off.
 That is when she saw the body. She grinned… it had
stated! And she had found the body that meant her team
had the head start.  She did a quick inspection before
she went in search of her team leader Gunny Galindez.

 

She stooped near the **body** there was blood
everywhere. That is when she noticed that she had
become covered with it.  She was impressed … these
folks really gave you your money’s worth.  She
wondered if she knew the **victim** 

 

She leaned in.

 

============================

 

0518 LOCAL

CHATEAU CHRISTIE

 

Harm was awake and enjoying the view of Mac sleeping
next to him.  He liked these moments when he could
observe her without her knowing.  He took these quiet
times to burn her image on his mind. Not that he
needed to but he just liked to.

 

A scream shattered the early morning calm… a
bloodcurdling shriek that had to have been produced by
a hound of hell.  It carried with it one message! 
Death! It is here! The sound raged through the Château
with the force of a sonic boom.

 

Mac awoke and sat bolt upright as the reverberation
penetrated her psyche. 

 

Doors began to be opened and slammed shut.  Footsteps
thundered past. Not to be out done Harm and Mac
followed the exodus.  The game was afoot!

 

The screaming continued.

 

+          +          +

 

First on the scene was the Admiral.  He took charge. 
Petty Officer Collins was hysterical and that had to
be addressed. He slapped her. The silence that
followed the abrupt stop was as shattering as had been
the screaming before.

 

“Report Petty Officer!” He demanded. He refused to
believe that a solider in his command could act this
way over a fake victim no matter how real it looked.

 

The Petty Officer began to tremble violently. By this
time the rest of the Corps had joined the two. Harriet
placed an arm around the woman. Collins became calm
enough to relate what had happened.  “Sir that is MP
Addams and his dead!  That is not fake blood! His
throat has been slashed.” She said. “I thought that it
was all part of the weekend activities until I leaned
in and realized that … that…” she could not finish.

 

No one said a word. The only sound was that of the
wind in the trees.  Mac leaned on Harm and he held her
close.

 

AJ kneeled next to the body to confirm what the Petty
Officer had said.  [Another Retreat gone to hell!] He
thought.  “Gunny!” he summoned Galindez.

 

“Sir!”

 

“As a former Deputy Sheriff what do you think?”

 

“I think we need to leave the body untouched, call in
the Police and get the hell out … begging Sir’s pardon
on the language.” Gunny informed him.

 

“Sounds like a plan. OK people the murder mystery
weekend is officially over… sorry Harriett.” AJ barked
“Back inside while we await the cops.”

 

The group trooped back to the Château.  

 

============================

 

0558 LOCAL

CHATEAU CHRISTIE

 

“Sir the phones are down.” Tiner reported to AJ.  

 

The Admiral’s eyes narrowed. “What the hell is going
on?”

 

“Ten little niggers.” Lauren said.

 

“What!” AJ bellowed, then calmed himself “Explain
Commander.”

 

“Well sir we are staying at Château Christie as in
Agatha Christie one of the world’s most successful
mystery writers.   She wrote a book called Ten Little
Niggers, which later was, retiled Ten Little Indians,
for obvious reasons.  In the book a group of people
are left on an island and eventually all are killed …
but for the murderer of course.” She wallowed in the
spot light. 

 

“Are you trying to tell us that the book is unfolding
here?” Mac asked, “That MP Addams is not really dead?”

 

“Either that or we have a killer amongst us ma’am.” 

 

“I tend to believe that the killer has left sir.”
Gunny stated.  All eyes focused in him. “Well there
were no strangers among us. We know each other… and
most important we are stranded here till Monday at
1400 when the ferry comes back for us.”

 

“That means the person had to come and go by boat.”
Harm surmised.

 

“Or is still around.” Sturgis added.

 

“All right people we are conducting a search.  Spread
out in pairs.” AJ ordered.

 

“What are we looking for sir?” Bud asked.

 

“Gunny?” AJ passed the buck.

 

“One boat sir one boat.”

 

============================

 

0805 LOCAL

ALONG THE COAST

 

The Rabbs stood on the hill looking down at the beach
below.

 

“Did you know Addams?” Harm asked.

 

“He’s new.  Joined recently.  I’ve seen him of course
but I haven’t had a chance to know him. This weekend
would have remedied that as he was part of out team.” 

 

“He was?”

 

She smiled and caressed his cheek. “Yes dear he was.”
Her head jerked up. “What was that?!”

 

“What?” Harm was instantly on guard.

 

“I thought I heard a scream.” 

 

He chuckled. “Your imagination going into over drive
Colonel?” he teased.

 

She shrugged “May be it was a bird.”

 

“Maybe.” He agreed.

 

============================

 

1050 LOCAL

CHATEAU CHRISTIE

 

The groups were beginning to return and report in… no
one had found a boat of any kind.

 

Tiner, however had news of his own to cause all to
pray for a boat.  “Sir!” The Petty Officer came flying
in.  Instinctively AJ braced himself.  “Sir we found
another body!”

 

“What!” Mac barked. “Where!”

 

“Along the coast ma’am.” He replied.

 

Mac gave Harm a meaningful look.  She it had NOT been
her imagination after all.

 

“Who is it?” AJ asked.

 

“Commander Bond.” He replied.

 

“Bond!” Sturgis exclaimed “Now why would someone what
to kill the guy? He’s harmless.”

 

“More to the point are the two connected?”  Mac said.

 

“Stay here and figure me out a connection people. 
Tiner show me the body.”  AJ walked out with the Petty
Officer following.

 

============================

 

1130 LOCAL

CHATEAU CHRISTIE

 

AJ found his people in the kitchen. They looked up as
he entered.  “He was shot.”

 

“Sir with the phones out and no radio, it seems to me
that we need to secure the bodies.” Sturgis
recommended. 

 

“Good idea.  Matoni take a crew and secure them.  I
don’t care where just bring them in. Tiner will show
you here Bond is.”

 

“Aye sir.”

 

“So people do we have a link between the two?” AJ
asked.

 

“No sir.” Mac replied.  “Addams arrived this month. 
Bond last year to replace Harm.  Addams is from Texas…
Bond from Utah.  Addams apparently had a surly nature.
Despite his rank and title Bond managed to have a
sunny disposition despite the teasing.” She reported. 
“Bond was black, Addams white.  They’re not even in
the same branch of the military or rank. Apart from
having the same Commanding Officer we can find no
link.”

 

“Theories?”

 

“How about Christie again sir?” Bud ventured he knew
how his interests were perceived. 

 

“Tread carefully… let’s hear it.” AJ said.

 

“Agatha Christie has a story called the ABC murders. 
I don’t remember who the target was but say it was B. 
The killer murdered A and C to hide the fact that they
really wanted to kill B.” Bud expounded.

 

“I suppose you and our wives should be happy that our
names start with R!” Harm retorted. “Bud where do you
get these theories?”

 

“If it holds then it is either Chedwiggen, Collins and
Carter next.” AJ spoke of himself in the third person.

 

“Sir are you saying that you believe this?” Sturgis
inquired.

 

“No.” The CO replied “But it made for good ghost story
telling.”

 

“Well sir with all due respect all we have to do is
wait.” Lauren observed.

 

+          +          +

 

Allan and the crew returned and the group ate in
silence; a feat for a group who always had something
to say.

 

The rest of the day was spent in unease as some people
stayed in their rooms with the doors locked and others
wandered around in a minimum of three to a group as
per the Admiral’s orders. 

 

============================

 

SUNDAY - 0500 LOCAL

CHATEAU CHRISTIE

 

Petty Officer Laura Collins, Lt. (JG) Amanda Carter
and Captain Sturgis Turner had made arrangements to go
jogging together.

 

Laura had gotten over the shock of falling over a
fellow colleague but she was still wary of being
alone, but she needed her jog and so had accepted the
invitation of the others.

 

“What’s that!” Carter said suddenly.

 

“Where!” Collins was on the alert.

 

“Gotta!” Carter laughed.

 

“Not funny Lieutenant.” Sturgis said. 

 

“Aw come one sir.” She lamented. 

 

“I said not funny Lieutenant.” Sturgis repeated more
firmly.

 

“Yes sir.” She sobered up.

 

+          +          +

 

HALF AN HOUR LATER

 

“What’s that!” Carter said suddenly.

 

 “I said not funny the first time Lieutenant and it’s
not funny now.” Sturgis at times wondered at the new
breed of officers.

 

“Yes sir … I mean no sir…” She struggled with the
reply.  “Look sir!” and she pointed.

 

He looked in the direction she was pointing and his
heart sank. There sticking out from under a bush were
a pair of boots. He moved cautiously toward the spot
with the two women following closely while they kept
scanning the landscape. He parted the branches and
peered through.  “Its Darrow!” he was shocked.

 

“Darrow!” Carter echoed.

 

“In all the excitement I’d forgotten him.” Collins
said.

 

“This is getting out of hand.” Sturgis complained. 
“Three bodies in two days!”

 

“…and no way to get the authorities out here!” Collins
was frustrated. She had been on site for two of the
three bodies.

 

“Now what sir?” Carter asked.

 

“Report to the Admiral.” Sturgis said.

 

============================

 

0705 LOCAL

CHATEAU CHRISTIE - LIBRARY

 

Once the body had been added to what was now a growing
pile AJ called a meeting of his senior officers.

 

“Now you can’t tell me there is a connection between
Addams, Bond and Darrow!” Harm pointed out. “The man’s
not even military.”

 

“He may have been.” Harriet said. “We don’t know.”

 

“There is too much that we don’t know.” Sturgis
sighed.

 

“Seems that Bud’s theory went askew.” Allan said.

 

“Not necessarily.” Lauren said. “We have been vigilant
in our movements.  Notice that the victims name began
with D.”

 

“So the killer had no choice but to skip C and settle
for D?” Mac asked. The insanity of the situation was
too gruesome to believe.

 

“If we are to believe Bud’s theory then that is
EXACTLY what happened.”  Harriett replied.

 

Looking at Bud, AJ asked “Well Commander its your
theory that seems to be unfolding what now?”

 

“Well in the book there were only three murders. We
have had three. Dependant upon the person we are
dealing with they may insist on getting their C.”

 

“Then that leaves us with the same three: Chedwiggen,
Collins and Carter.” AJ announced.

 

“Sir Gunny provided the alibi analysis as you
requested.” Sturgis informed him.

 

“And?”

 

“Well for the first murder a few of us can’t account
for our where abouts, but because of your standing
order we can all account for our times during killings
two and three.” Sturgis reported.

 

“Some one is lying.” Mac pounced.

 

“Damn straight!” AJ conquered.  “Unless that person
hiding out there then the killer is among us people! I
hate to say it but there it is.” He looked grim. “The
standing order remains. Rabb join Gunny and find me a
killer.”

 

He had no authority over either man but he was the
ranking officer of the moment and Harm complied “Aye
sir!”

 

“Dismissed people.” AJ felt old. If he had hair it
would be gray by now. [No more retreats!] He vowed.

 

============================

 

1507 LOCAL

CHATEAU CHRISTIE – COLLIN’S ROOM

 

Petty Officer Laura Collins as in the shower.  She
planned to bath and maybe read a book but she was
definitely cured of jogging. May be step aerobics
would be safer.

 

She spotted a movement. Hadn’t she locked the door to
her room? She could remember. Damn it!  Now here she
was naked with only a bar of soap between her and God
knew what, she stood stock-still and waited… nothing. 

 

She shut off the shower and pulled the curtain back.
She was alone.  This place was giving her the willies.
 Wrapped in a warm gown she emerged from the bathroom
and stepped into a nightmare.

 

A hand grabbed her. 

 

Collins did what she had proved she could do. She
screamed.

 

+          +          +

 

Mac was walking by. She knew she should not be alone
but she wanted a book from the library did that mean
that three people had to go to get one book? What was
she in the Marine Corps for if she could not get one
book by herself. Harm was off with Gunny interviewing
folk, so she was off alone to get a book. End of
story.

 

As she walked by Petty Officer Collins’ room her ear
got the full blast of the scream.  Mac was stunned
into immobility by it.  A split second later she shook
herself out of the freeze and dived through the
unlocked door into the room.

 

There before her was Petty Officer Laura Collins and
Lt. (JG) Amanda Carter locked in a death struggle. 
There were flashes of a knife as the two women
struggled for control of the weapon.  Mac made a
decision … she could not get between the two, she
could get knifed, so she bend over and pulled out a
gun from her boot.

 

She picked her moment, aimed and fired.

 

+          +          +

 

AJ and Harm burst through the door together.  Lt.
Carter laid prostate on the floor with a gut shot
wound. Mac was sitting next to her with the body of
Petty Officer Collins in her arms.

 

There was blood everywhere.

 

“Mac?” Harm said.  He could hear the rest of the crowd
arriving.

 

She looked up.  “Collins is dead.  Carter had time get
her C before I could do anything. Is she…?”

 

“Hell no!” AJ answered the unfinished question. “This
disciple of hell is with us still. Gunny!”

 

“Aye sir?”

 

“Take care of this.” He ordered. “Clean her up and
then interrogate her. Shot or no I want to know what
happened.”

 

“Aye sir!”

 

“I’ll deal with the body sir.” Allan said as he
stepped across to Mac and disentangled the two. He
took Laura while Harm held on to Mac.

 

============================

 

1715 LOCAL

CHATEAU CHRISTIE - LIBRARY

 

AJ had assembled what remained of the group.  “Report
Gunny.”

 

“Sir I’m no shrink but I don’t think that the
Lieutenant has all her screws tight.”  He said. 
“Apparently four years ago Amanda Carter was brutally
rapped by one Martin Addams and one Fred Darrow.  She
managed to climb out of the hellhole and reconstruct
her life. When she transferred to JAG she recognized
Addams but he didn’t have a clue who she was.”

 

“So she plotted revenge?” Harriett was horrified at
the rape story.

 

“Yes ma’am. She didn’t know what she was going to do
till she got here and saw Darrow.  Seeing him was just
pure luck.  She finally decided that to kill them
would be ironic. After all we are at a murder mystery
weekend.”

 

“And the others?” Sturgis wanted more; he was a man of
details.

 

“She killed Bond and Carter to complete her alphabet
as she put it. A – B – C- D.” Gunny supplied the
detail.

 

“Sweet Jesus.” Mac breathed.

 

“Seemed you were on target Mr. Roberts.” AJ said.

 

Bud was miserable “It would seem so sir.”

 

============================

 

MONDAY - 1407 LOCAL

CHATEAU CHRISTIE FERRY

 

The pilot of the ferry had called the Police from the
island.  The JAG folks could not and would not be
persuaded to remain there till statements were taken.
They’d gladly go to the station but they had had
enough of island life.

 

“This is my FINAL word on the subject.” AJ announced
on the return trip.  “As long as I am the Judge
Advocate General there will be no retreats. Is that
understood?”

 

The staff all muttered their agreement. 

 

THE END