Title: Foreign Affair 

Author: Audrey Higgans 

Email: audrey.higgans@tiscalinet.it 

Rating: R 

Classification: Romance/Story - Harm and Mac 

Summary: Ok, here goes. This is my second attempt at a
story and a sequel to 

my first fanfic "You're the one." 

In that story Harm and Mac finally get together just
after the "I'm glad 

you're here scene" in the episode The Mission. Just as
they seem to have 

solved their problems Mac finds out she might have a
problem with conceiving 

a baby due to an endometriosis condition. She tries to
leave Harm to protect 

him but he goes after her and they confess their love
for each other. This 

is my idea for a continuation. 

Anyone who is unfamiliar with the first story in this
series and would like 

to read it can find it on my web page which is hosted
on Kim's fanfic web 

site. Here's the link: 

http://www.wtv-zone.com/mck8686/Audrey/index.html 

I want to thank all of you who encouraged me so much
to write this sequel. 

It meant a lot to me. I particularly dedicate this
story to my friend Kim 

who also did the beta reading for me. I would
appreciate any feedback but 

please be gentle. 

Disclaimer: JAG, its characters and premise are the
exclusive property of 

Bellasarius Productions, Paramount Television and CBS
Entertainment. No 

monetary gain is appreciated from this endeavour, nor
is any copyright 

infringement intended. This story is created purely
for recreational 

purposes. 

 

****************************************************************************


DAY 1 

06.45 ZULU - 4 MONTHS LATER 

HARM'S APARTMENT 

NORTH OF UNION STATION 

WASHINGTON D.C. 

 

Still slightly breathless, Mac slipped her key into
the lock and stepped 

into Harm's apartment. As she closed the door quietly
behind her she leaned 

against it and briefly closed her eyes. She needed a
shower. She felt all 

sticky and sweaty from her morning jog. Trying to make
as little noise as 

possible she tiptoed across the living room to Harm's
bedroom. The room was 

in darkness and it took some time before her eyes grew
accustomed to the 

gloom. She blinked as she looked over at the bed,
seeing it was empty. Where 

was he? It wasn't exactly like him to be up so early.
She was alerted by a 

noise behind her. Harm emerged from the bathroom area,
a towel wrapped 

around his lean waist covering his nude form. He had
another towel in his 

hands and was gingerly rubbing his short hair dry so
he didn't notice her 

immediately. When he looked up and saw her standing
there his face broke 

into a smile. 

 

"Hi, you're back, I see." 

 

"Yeah. You're up early." Mac's eyes roamed hungrily
over his muscled torso. 

She never tired of looking at him. "What happened? Did
you fall off the 

bed?" 

 

Harm gave a warm chuckle. "No. Actually the Admiral
woke me. He called to 

say he wants to see me at the office like yesterday." 

 

"He said the same thing to me on my cell phone," Mac
told him. "Did he say 

why?" 

 

"No, he had already hung up by the time I felt wide
enough awake to ask him 

what this is all about. Are you ok?" 

 

His swift change of subject caught her off guard. 

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just need a shower." Mac looked up
at him innocently, 

moving towards the bathroom. As she went past him Harm
stopped her, his cool 

palm on her upper arm. 

 

"Are you sure?" he asked. She didn't fool him for a
minute. He was referring 

to her insomnia. Her bouts of anxiety were causing her
to sleep less and 

less and she was up early each morning trying to get
rid of it with her 

morning jog. 

 

Mac looked away. "You'd better get dressed. The
Admiral doesn't like to be 

kept waiting," she evaded. 

 

"Coffee?" Harm asked as she hurried to the bathroom. 

 

"Yes, thanks." As the hot water cascaded over her she
forced her mind to 

relax. At least the panicky feeling around her heart
had abated for the time 

being. Physical exercise always made her feel better. 

 

Harm was already in his uniform when she came into the
room. She was wearing 

a short, red, terry-cloth robe she had brought with
her the night before 

which left her silky long legs bare up to mid-thigh.
Placing their coffee on 

the table Harm took her hands in his and pulled her
towards him. He inhaled 

the unique scent he had come to associate only with
her, a mixture of her 

perfume and something else which was totally hers and
which never failed to 

stir his senses. Letting go of her hands, he slid his
palms up the back of 

her arms. As they embraced, one big hand fanned her
back while he ran the 

fingers of the other through the damp tendrils of hair
resting against the 

collar of her robe. Bending his head, he kissed the
hollow of her neck where 

her robe lay open. His lips were warm against her skin
as he worked his way 

up slowly moving his lips over the sensitive pulse
beating erratically in 

her throat. When he reached her lips he ran his tongue
between them seeking 

access. Feeling them give way under his, he leaned
into her, exploring the 

dark recesses of her mouth, one hand cradling the back
of her head. A 

trickle of desire ran up Mac's spine making her shiver
with delight as the 

tips of their tongues touched, their mating dance
reminding her of the night 

that had just transpired. Harm finally detached
himself reluctantly, 

planting a soft kiss on the tip of her nose. 

 

"Good morning," he whispered huskily. 

 

"Mmmm. you too," Mac smiled up at him, her eyes
closed. 

 

He looked down at her fondly. "As much as I hate to
leave you like this I 

have to go or the Admiral will have my hide." 

 

"Pity you can't stay." She looked up at him impishly. 

 

"Tease." Her heart skipped a beat at his sexy smile.
"I'll see you at work, 

Colonel. It's show time today," he finished
ambiguously, giving her a tender 

smile, his index finger trailing her cheek. Still
standing, he gulped down 

his coffee, grabbed his cover and briefcase and headed
out the door. 

 

Mac knew what he meant. They had finally decided to
tell the Admiral about 

their relationship and their decision to get married.
It had been four 

months since that fateful night at Ocean Shores when
they had both admitted 

their feelings for each other. She had decided to
accept his marriage 

proposal and that was something that still had the
power to overwhelm her. 

She had asked him to wait a few months and he had
relented, although he had 

made it clear he wasn't happy about it. She was glad
he wasn't pushing her. 

She had finished her therapy only three months ago and
his tenderness in the 

past few weeks had been her lifeline especially since
they had started 

trying for the baby. They had already started making
tentative plans for the 

wedding together although they hadn't set a date yet.
Besides they still had 

to talk to the Admiral and to everyone else for that
matter. It was just 

that this thing between them was so precious and new.
She was almost scared 

to tell anyone about it lest it should shatter and
disappear. She liked it 

being their own little secret to share away from
prying eyes. Their 

workloads kept them busy most of the week and they
often had to wait for the 

weekend to really spend some time with each other.
They had discussed the 

subject of their working relationship to death and
they had finally decided 

to let it rest with their Commanding Officer even
though, in a way, they 

both dreaded the possibility of not working together
anymore. It was 

becoming awkward to find quality time just for the two
of them without 

letting anyone else in on their plans. Harriet,
especially, had been a 

particularly hard obstacle to get around. Mac's lips
twitched as she 

dressed, remembering the other woman's comment at the
office only the day 

before. 

 

"Ma'am, don't you think the Commander has been acting
funny lately?" she had 

asked referring to Harm. 

 

"How so Harriet?" Mac had enquired, tongue in cheek. 

 

"Oh, I don't know. It's just that his smile reminds me
of the cat that got 

the cream." 

 

Mac had barely been able to contain herself from
laughing outright. Now that 

she gave it some thought, Harm's smile had grown even
more self-assured, if 

such a thing were possible, ever since they had got
together. Little did 

Harriet know that Mac herself was the proverbial
"cream" she had so aptly 

hinted at. Still smiling, Mac got into her corvette
and joined the stream of 

traffic towards JAG Headquarters. 

 

08.45 ZULU 

JAG HEADQUARTERS 

FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA 

 

"At ease." Admiral Chegwidden took off his reading
glasses and placed them 

on his desk, looking up at two of the best lawyers he
had ever had under his 

command. "Please, have a seat," he indicated. 

 

Harm and Mac both sat down. 

 

"The reason behind the urgency in this matter is that
I want you both to get 

on the first plane to Italy," he began without
preamble. 

 

"Italy, sir?" Mac couldn't mask her surprise. 

 

"Naples to be exact, Colonel," the Admiral continued.
"Recent drug-testing 

on junior personnel at the US Naval Base in Naples has
given a prevalence of 

positive results. Too many for comfort, in fact. The
US Navy's policy for 

use of drugs is zero tolerance, as you know. Both the
US government and the 

Italian one agree on that. The SECNAV has ordered an
investigation and you 

two have orders to look into it." 

 

Harm and Mac nodded. "The press would have a field day
with this, sir." 

Harm's statement revealed his scepticism where the
media was concerned. 

 

"I know I can trust you to keep this to yourselves,"
his C.O. answered. 

"Lieutenant Simms has your tickets ready. Keep me
informed. That will be all 

for now," the Admiral dismissed them. 

 

Seeing his chance Harm intervened. "Admiral, the
Colonel and I would like to 

have a word with you on a personal matter. We have
been putting it off for a 

while and ..." 

 

"Commander." Admiral Chegwidden looked up at them
knowingly, moving his head 

to one side and folding his arms on his chest. "I
think it would be best to 

put off this conversation until you get back from this
assignment." 

He knew exactly what Rabb wanted to tell him. He had
eyes and he prided 

himself in knowing all his officers very well,
although he was never one to 

meddle in their personal affairs. "Carry on." He
looked at them sternly but 

his _expression didn't fool Mac. She saw the smile
lurking behind the austere 

surface. 

 

"Yes, sir." They filed away from his office to see
what Harriet had arranged 

for their flight. 

 

DAY 2 

08.55 LOCAL 

CAPODICHINO AIRPORT 

NAPLES, ITALY 

 

Harm followed Mac off the plane and down the steps to
the tarmac below. It 

had been a long trip from Washington D.C. They had
changed planes twice 

after leaving Washington National. The first switch
had been made in New 

York at the JFK and the second one at the Leonardo da
Vinci Airport in Rome. 

The last leg of their journey had finally brought them
to their destination. 

A tall, well-built man in civilian clothes was waiting
for them next to the 

embassy car. He looked typically Italian with his dark
good looks and was 

roughly the same age as Harm. He had a rugged look
about him, which 

appealed to the other man. His grip was firm and his
smile open and sincere 

as they shook hands. Harm liked him on sight. 

 

"Commander Rabb. Colonel Mackenzie. I'm glad to see
you landed safely. 

Welcome to Naples." His English had a decisively
British accent, which 

seemed contradictory under the circumstances. "I'm
Antonio Esposito. Chief 

Warrant Officer of the Carabinieri anti-drug squad.
Tony to my friends," he 

added, smiling. 

 

"Nice to meet you, Tony. The name's Harm and this is
my partner Mac. I was 

beginning to think we would never get here," Harm
added in an amused voice 

referring to their considerable delay in Rome. "The
trip seemed endless." 

 

"Sixteen hours and fifty-five minutes actually," Mac
piped in with a smile, 

sensing the instant camaraderie between the two men. 

 

Tony's brown eyes gave the lovely woman in uniform a
surprised look. 

 

"It's a long story," Harm's eyes smiled at Mac in a
sidelong fashion as all 

three of them got into the car. 

 

"This is Italy," Tony gave a continental shrug as if
that explained 

everything. "Things are hardly ever on time here. I
suppose it takes some 

getting used to for an American." 

 

They exchanged pleasantries as he accompanied them to
a local cafeteria 

where Mac and Harm were completely bowled over by the
array of savouries 

presented at the bar. They couldn't make up their
minds so Tony finally took 

the decision into his own hands and treated them to a
typical Italian 

breakfast of foaming cappuccinos and crispy croissants
filled with a creamy 

concoction that made their mouths water. What struck
Mac as funny was that 

everyone seemed to be standing. There were hardly any
seats around and 

everyone was talking at once and seemed to be in a
terrible hurry. Balancing 

their trays as they edged their way through the
general confusion they 

managed to find a place to sit down. Harm grinned at
Mac's delight as she 

tucked into her breakfast. She was so obviously
enjoying herself. 

Tony's mother was English, London born which explained
his accent. She had 

met his father in Naples when she had come to Italy
for a brief holiday and 

had never gone back to England. 

 

"The lethal Latin charm I suppose," Mac couldn't
resist saying. 

 

Tony's eyes twinkled as he continued to explain. His
mother had always 

insisted that he learn English and it came in handy on
occasions such as 

this one. "She is a true Neapolitan now," he added
with a grin, his brown 

eyes crinkling at the corners as he looked at them
both. "In fact, true to 

the tradition of Italian mothers she keeps nagging me
to find the right girl 

and settle down." 

 

"I think that's a trait common to all mothers no
matter what their 

nationality," Harm declared wryly looking at Mac and
remembering how his 

mother used to go on about her. Come to think of it
she still did. He 

couldn't begin to imagine the satisfied smile that
would spread on her face 

when she found out about them. 

 

Tony did not miss the intimate look that passed
between the two Americans. 

He thought Harm was one lucky man to be working with
this stunning brunette 

for a partner. The uniform she wore provided a typical
military iron facade 

but he sensed the velvet behind the steel in her deep
brown eyes. 

 

Back in the car, on their way to the US Naval Base
they got down to 

business. "I have orders to inform you on the current
situation," Tony 

began. "We are a military police force and our squad
monitors anti-drug 

operations on a national level. Which is why we are
interested in what is 

going on at the base. We know that there is a
connection with an outside 

source." 

 

"You mean there is a go-between on the base who acts
as a link with the 

drug-pushers?" Harm demanded. 

 

"Exactly." Tony answered. 

 

"Do you think there might be a connection with the
International illegal 

drug trade?" Mac asked. 

 

"That's the idea," Tony answered. "A joint operation
is being carried out 

between our squad and the US Naval base here in Naples
to find out where the 

cocaine is coming from." As the car drew up outside
the base they exchanged 

business cards. "If you need anything just give me a
call. I'll be glad to 

help out any way I can. We're all in the same boat on
this one." Smiling at 

them both one last time, he waved his hand and was
gone. 

 

"Nice man," Mac commented staring after the car as it
faded into the 

distance. 

 

Harm looked down at her a quizzical _expression on his
face. It was true. The 

three of them had started talking as if they had known
each other for years. 

"Just remember, Marine," his breath fanned her ear and
his lips hovered just 

above her cheek quickening her heartbeat as they
waited for the officer on 

duty to admit them. "You're already spoken for." 

 

As Mac and Harm entered, a tall and wiry middle-aged
man with a bald pate 

hailed them. Mac noticed his eyes had a sad look about
them. He invited them 

into a nearby office and presented himself as Captain
Blake. They all sat 

down and to their surprise he asked after Admiral
Chegwidden. 

"He and I go back a long way. We used to see each
other now and then when I 

was in the States. I understand you are two of the
best JAG lawyers in 

Washington. Your reputation precedes you." 

 

"You're too kind, sir," Harm acknowledged. 

 

"I'm glad to know there are some competent people
checking this out. My son 

Matthew is in the Navy, too. Only just starting on his
career, actually." 

 

Just then the door burst open and a pretty
chestnut-haired, teenage girl who 

couldn't have been more than fourteen years old burst
into the room taking 

all of them by surprise. "Hi, Dad, can I go. Oh,
excuse me." her voice 

trailed off. She placed a hand on her mouth and
glanced at Harm and Mac her 

brown eyes alight with curiosity and laughter. "Sorry,
Dad," she apologised. 

"I thought you were alone." She grinned sheepishly.
Turning her waif-like 

face to Harm she stared at him for a long moment. When
he flashed his easy 

smile at her she blushed scarlet and her gaze moved to
Mac who had detected 

a dimple in one cheek. The girl's smile was sweetly
contagious and Mac 

smiled back. She reminded her very much of Chloe. 

 

"How many times have I told you to knock, young lady?"
the Captain scolded 

her. "Commander Rabb, Colonel Mackenzie, meet my
younger daughter, Giulia. 

She's the apple of my eye but she still has to learn
her manners." It was 

clear that he was very fond of her. 

 

"Hi, Giulia. You can call me Mac." Mac held out her
hand. 

 

"Isn't that a man's name?" the girl didn't seem to
want an answer as she 

continued. "Wow, a Colonel! That's so cool. When I
grow up I want to go into 

the Navy, too. The only thing I don't like about it is
that you have to wear 

a uniform all the time. I mean, there are so many nice
things I could wear 

to work, isn't it a pity the Navy doesn't allow it? I
just love clothes 

don't you?" Her unceasing flow of chatter filled the
room as she went on in 

the same vein and Mac warmed to her immediately. 

 

"Giulia." Her father interrupted her onslaught. "This
is neither the time 

nor the place to talk the Colonel's head off. We were
discussing important 

business here. Please excuse her, Colonel." His last
comment was directed at 

Mac. 

 

"That's ok." Mac reassured him. 

 

"Ok, ok, Dad. I'm going." Turning back to Mac the girl
asked impulsively. 

"Maybe I can show you around Naples sometime while
you're here? I have a 

brand new motorbike and we could drive over in no
time." 

 

Mac couldn't help but relent at her hopeful
_expression. "I'll look forward 

to that." 

 

"Great." Giulia enthused. She turned to leave, then
stopped abruptly 

remembering her manners this time. "Nice meeting you,
sir." She spoke 

demurely to Harm and then left the room. 

 

"You just made a conquest ma'am," the Captain smiled
at her. "My wife is 

dead you see and between me and my son ... well, let's
say she is sorely in 

need of some female attention." 

 

"She's a sweet girl, Captain," Mac replied. 

 

"Well, I won't keep you. You must be tired after the
flight." Captain Blake 

concluded. 

 

"It's been nice meeting you, Captain Blake." Harm
ended the interview 

smoothly. Saying their goodbyes they headed towards
their quarters. 

 

"Where do you want to start?" Mac looked up at Harm. 

 

"Well, the appointment with the drug-testing personnel
isn't until tomorrow. 

What do you say if we start working on the junior
officers who were present 

at the all-night party?" Harm suggested. 

 

"You mean the one which was held off base two days
ago? It must have been 

some party," Mac commented. "Funny how a good number
of them showed up to 

work all bug-eyed and jittery the next day." 

 

"Yeah," Harm agreed. "That's what started the random
testing in the first 

place." 

 

"So, what's your strategy?" Mac asked. "Do you want to
act the part of the 

bad guy in our little interrogation?" 

 

"No, I'll leave that to you. With your tough Marine
training and all, you're 

a natural." Harm's eyebrows lifted upwards mockingly.
Giving him a dirty 

look, Mac walked stiffly ahead of him her nose in the
air, his soft laughter 

still ringing in her ears. 

 

DAY 4 

18.00 LOCAL 

OFFICERS' HOUSING 

US NAVAL BASE 

NAPLES 

 

Harm knocked on Mac's door. They had both been back in
their separate 

quarters for over an hour and after a quick shower and
a fresh change of 

clothes into blue jeans and a black shirt he had
started to feel human 

again. It had been a gruelling two days and they
hadn't had much rest. They 

had interrogated a good number of junior officers
including Matthew Blake, 

the Captain's son and it had gotten them nowhere so
far. The officers' lips 

were sealed, or so it seemed, as to whom had come up
with the drugs in the 

first place. They were so obviously lying and Harm had
felt like wringing 

their necks. They were trying to play him for a fool.
The drug screening 

personnel at the laboratory on the base had provided
them with some 

enlightening information. Traces of cocaine remained
in the system for a 

standard of three days and were detectable through
urinalysis testing. When 

Mac had elaborated on the legal consequences of drug
abuse the faces of many 

junior officers had paled. Generally the services
didn't take every one to 

court for illegal drug use but most members were not
allowed to remain on 

active duty. It was a strong deterrent to violating
the rules. It had 

certainly wiped the smirk off their faces, he thought
wickedly. 

Harm forced his mind back to the present. He hoped Mac
would like to take a 

tour around Naples this evening. The view of the gulf
by night was said to 

be spectacular. She was taking her own sweet time in
coming to the door 

though, he thought. When she finally opened it her
greeting was 

half-hearted. He instantly noticed she had been
crying. Her puffy eyes 

provided all the proof he needed. Leaning against the
closed door he watched 

her as she sat on the bed, a forlorn _expression on
her face. She too had 

changed into civilian clothes - the tight jeans he
liked so much and a pink 

wrap-over top he had never seen her in before. Her
hair was freshly washed 

and dried and framed her small face in silky waves. He
always noticed these 

little things about her. His heart went out to her in
the silent room. Her 

anguish was palpable. 

 

"Mac," he began. "What's wrong?" 

 

"What could be wrong?" she answered dully. "Nothing
... everything." 

 

"You did the test," he stated on a sigh, referring to
the pregnancy test she 

had been doing each month for the past three since she
had finished her 

therapy. They hadn't been lucky so far. With each
passing month Mac had been 

growing more uptight and anxious. She had had a couple
of panic attacks as 

she called them during the last few weeks and it was
becoming harder and 

harder for Harm to get through to her and calm her
down when they came on. 

 

"Why won't it happen?" Mac lay down on the bed. "Why,
why, why?" she 

repeated in a softly whispered litany feeling the
sadness welling up inside 

her and threatening to swallow her alive. She pressed
her fist to her mouth 

and looked up at the ceiling as if she could find her
answer there. Harm 

approached the bed and sat down next to her prone
form. 

 

"Give it time, Mac." His voice was gentle. 

 

"I feel so useless," Mac muttered to herself more than
to anyone in 

particular. But useless didn't even begin to explain
the feelings of 

inadequacy and inferiority she felt every time she had
to face up to her 

possible infertility. 

 

"Mac, don't feel guilty about this. It's not your
fault." Harm attempted to 

comfort her but his words had the opposite effect. The
truth was, he 

probably would have obtained the same reaction
whatever he tried to say. 

Mac suddenly sprang up from the bed, her ever-quick
temper coming to the 

surface. 

 

"Not my fault? Harm, that's exactly what the problem
is. This is my fault, 

whether I like it or not. I'm not pregnant and we both
know that I'm the one 

who lacks what's necessary for that, not you," she
finished angrily. 

 

"I've told you once before. It doesn't matter to me."
Harm gently tried to 

console her. 

 

"Well, it does to me," she retorted glaring at him,
the tears which were 

threatening to fall making her even more angry at him,
at the world, at 

herself for acting so weak. "Maybe you can resign
yourself to this so easily 

but I can't. It's eating me up inside and I just can't
bear it." 

 

"Mac, we're both tired." Harm made a move towards her
but she moved further 

away. 

 

"You obviously don't feel as deeply about this as I
do. You said yourself it 

isn't important to you." She threw his comforting
words cruelly back in his 

face. She felt guilty even as she uttered them. He had
wanted to make her 

feel cherished and wanted when he had told her that
and she had twisted the 

meaning turning his statement into that of a callous
man who couldn't be 

bothered to have children. But the words were out and
it was already too 

late. She had said them and Harm looked as if she had
slapped him. She could 

see the muscles working in his jaw and knew from
experience that he was 

barely controlling his temper. He faced her
menacingly, his hands on his 

hips, his green eyes brilliant with anger. 

 

"Well, if you want to get nasty about this I might as
well tell you a few 

home truths. I think it's about time you stopped
feeling sorry for yourself. 

You're so wrapped up in your problems you don't
realise the effect you have 

on the people who want to help you get through this." 

 

"Meaning you, of course," she lashed back at him, hurt
by the ugly picture 

he was depicting and wanting to hurt him, too. "What
is it, Harm? Are you 

tired of me already? Having second thoughts maybe? You
don't know the first 

thing about how I feel." 

 

"That's not true," he replied his voice growing
louder. 

 

"Harmon Rabb," she taunted her eyes mocking him.
"Brains, looks, a brilliant 

career ahead of you, a family who loves you, who has
always adored you. What 

do you know about the hell I've been through? What do
you know about guilt?" 

she cried. 

 

"Mac, don't. You'll only regret this later," he
attempted on a calmer note. 

She was evidently upset. Walking up to her he tried to
take her in his arms 

but she shrugged him off. 

 

"Just leave me alone, Harm," she warned. Her impulsive
nature got the better 

of her. "I'm getting out of here." She grabbed her
purse. 

 

"You're in no condition to go anywhere." Harm tried to
stop her as he stood 

between her and the door. 

 

"Watch me." The stormy brown of her eyes clashed with
the steely green of 

his. A knock on the door stopped short their argument.


 

Like a train letting off steam, Mac felt the fight go
out of her at the 

intrusion. As suddenly as it had taken hold of her,
her anger evaporated 

leaving her with a hollow feeling of shame. What had
she done? She had 

ruined everything. She always did. Feeling an urgent
need to get away from 

him and the tension inside the room but mostly from
herself, she strode to 

the door and opened it. Giulia stood there looking
rather embarrassed. She 

must have heard their raised voices. 

 

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Mac." Her voice was
uncertain, her brown eyes 

puppy-like and imploring. " I was just wondering if
you would like to come 

with me to do some shopping in the centre of Naples. I
thought it would be a 

good time to take you on that tour we talked about
yesterday." 

 

"Giulia." Mac's voice had a forced cheerfulness to it.
"I was just going 

there myself." Feeling the tension emanating from the
man behind her Mac 

hardly managed to hide her relief at the reprieve. 

 

"Mac," Harm called after her. 

 

She turned towards him, her eyes churning with pent up
emotions. No answer 

was forthcoming. Feigning a smile she turned towards
the younger girl and 

followed her outside. 

 

Harm was speechless. He couldn't believe she was
walking out in the middle 

of this. His mouth clamped shut and his eyes narrowed.
"Damn you, Sarah 

Mackenzie," he grated between his teeth, fighting an
insatiable urge to 

break something. "Damn it all to hell!" 

 

 

22.00 LOCAL 

NEIGHBOURHOOD KNOWN AS "SANITA'" 

NAPLES 

 

It was cold; bone-chilling cold. Lt.jg Matthew Blake
could feel it seeping 

through his black Armani leather jacket into his very
soul as he pressed his 

body flat in the doorway next to the Martelli National
Bank located in one 

of the most ill-reputed neighbourhoods in Naples. The
dark night provided a 

perfect sheath for anyone wanting to remain
unobserved. His breathing came 

in short gasps as he struggled to catch his breath,
fear and panic making 

him weak at the knees. Sticking his dark head out
briefly he peered into the 

pitch darkness. The overhead street lamp was broken
which made it hard to 

see anything beyond the bridge of his nose. His ears
strained as he tried to 

catch the slightest sound, which would give him an
inkling as to the 

whereabouts of the hoodlums who had been following
him. The night was 

silent. Taking what little courage he had left in both
hands he slipped out 

of the doorway and slithered along the wall of the
Bank. On rounding the 

corner he breathed a sigh of relief. Three roads up
was the Plaza 

discotheque. He could see the neon lights and a group
of people standing in 

front of the entrance. Their laughter and chatter
drifted across to him over 

the still night air. How he wished he could be a party
to that carefree 

laughter. But it was too late for that now.
Concentrating on his present 

plight he debated on what to do. If he managed to get
into the crowded 

night-club they would never find him. Someone there
would be sure to give 

him a lift back to the base. As he moved forward in
eagerness he failed to 

notice the entrance to a dark side alley before it was
too late. A hand shot 

out and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck. His
captor had his flailing 

arms in a vice-like grip behind his back before he
even knew what hit him. 

The first blow broke his nose. The second landed in
his ribs, doubling him 

over. He fell to the ground spluttering and holding
his face and mid-section 

as both his opponents proceeded to kick him blindly
until he begged for 

mercy. 

 

"That'll teach you to be such a smart aleck." The
man's foul breath on his 

face almost made him gag. "You'll pay what you owe us
or you will never 

see your sweet little sister or her American friend
again." 

 

The scuffling of their feet as they ran away was the
last thing he heard 

before he drifted into unconsciousness. 

 

23.00 LOCAL 

OFFICERS' HOUSING 

US NAVAL BASE 

NAPLES 

 

Harm lay stretched out on his bed still fully dressed,
his hands behind his 

head. A file containing papers on the case lay open by
his side. He had too 

much on his mind and he had finally abandoned any
pretence at work. He had 

hoped Mac would call or stop by when she came back
from her so-called 

shopping expedition but she hadn't. That was typical.
His mouth hardened 

into a straight line. So that was the way the wind was
blowing. He was still 

smarting after what had taken place earlier. He was at
his wit's end on how 

to deal with her. He had tried them all and he was
rapidly running out of 

resources. Tenderness and understanding had seemed to
work at first but 

lately he was having difficulty getting through to
her. Having overcome both 

their uncertainties regarding the possibility of an
intimate relationship 

between them he had hoped they could face anything
together. But this baby 

thing was bothering Mac more than he had expected and
he was afraid it would 

drive a wedge between them sooner or later. Her harsh
words still rang in 

his ears. What the hell did she want from him anyway?
When she acted this 

way he was simply mystified. It seemed that whatever
he said or did, it was 

doomed to be the wrong thing by her standards. All he
wanted was to be with 

her and that was the truth. It was as simple as that.
It had taken him some 

time to come to that decision, quite a lot of time,
actually, but he had no 

more doubts now. The fact that they might never have a
child of their own 

together touched him deeply and he resented her
implying anything to the 

contrary. But it didn't bother him so much that he
would even so much as 

think of giving up on their relationship. One would
think she would be glad 

he was so supportive. A long sigh escaped him. To be
honest this was their 

first quarrel ever since she had finally admitted that
she loved him. It had 

taken some persuasion on his part but that night at
Ocean Shores she had 

opened up to him in more ways than one. Their coming
together had been 

magical to say the least and had set the pace for
their relationship in the 

ensuing months. He hadn't been entirely surprised when
she hadn't wanted to 

get married immediately and he had tried not to make a
big deal out of it. 

The more he pushed, the more she would retreat. He
knew her well enough by 

now so he had patiently waited for her to make up her
mind. He wanted her to 

come to him willingly, not under any kind of pressure
from him. The Admiral 

had more or less spoiled their plans with this new
assignment. Thoughts of 

their conversation with the Admiral took Harm back to
their last night in 

Washington at his apartment. He felt a pang in his
chest around the area 

where his heart was supposed to be. God, he missed
her. He couldn't help it. 

She had gotten under his skin from the very first
moment and time had only 

deepened the sensation. She was so damn stubborn and
self-depreciating she 

probably thought he didn't want to have anything to do
with her after the 

way she had acted. He sat up. One of them had to make
the first move to stop 

this childishness. He had said a few harsh things
himself so he figured they 

were even. Thoughts of making up with her in their own
particular way drove 

him to her room. 

Reaching Mac's door he knocked but got no answer and
the door was locked 

when Harm tried it. He tried Mac's cell phone next but
it was dead. The 

first fingers of unease started working their way into
Harm's mind. This was 

getting stranger by the minute. He had thought Mac
back in her room long 

ago. He decided to ask for an extra key to Mac's room
but when he checked it 

there was no one there and the room was just as he had
left it. Back in his 

room he was trying to figure out where she could be
when the phone rang. He 

answered it swiftly hoping it would be her but a male
voice came over the 

static instead. 

 

"Commander Rabb? This is Captain Blake." 

 

"Captain, what can I do for you?" Harm enquired, a
frown marring his 

handsome features. 

 

"I'm sorry to bother you, Commander, but my daughter
Giulia was supposed to 

be home by 10.00 tonight. It's now past eleven o'clock
and well, I must 

admit I'm a bit worried. I know she was supposed to be
with the Colonel. 

Could she still be with her, do you think?" 

 

Harm was at a loss. "I haven't seen the Colonel myself
since this afternoon 

when they went out together. I have just been to her
room and there is no 

sign of her. Where are you now, sir?" 

 

"At my home not far from the base. Let me give you the
address." 

 

Harm jotted it down. "Thank you, sir. I'll be over
right away." 

 

23.00 LOCAL 

COUNTRYSIDE SURROUNDING BENEVENTO 

NAPLES 

 

The rope around Mac's wrists was so tight it chafed
her tender skin. The 

blindfold covering her eyes blocked her vision but she
knew it would be dark 

outside. They had been travelling for a little over
three hours. The car 

came to a standstill. As the car door opened she felt
the cold butt of a gun 

pushing against her ribs. The same gun they had
threatened her with in front 

of the ice-cream parlour in Naples. It had all
happened so fast. Her Marine 

instincts had been instantly awakened and had she been
alone she would have 

reacted but they had grabbed hold of Giulia and
pointed a gun at her head. 

The look in the man's eyes beneath the balaclava had
left Mac in no doubt of 

his intentions if she tried anything. Even if she
doubted he would really 

shoot the girl, she couldn't risk it happening. A
black BMW had coasted up 

to them silently and both Mac and Giulia were swiftly
bundled into it. Two 

hooded men sat in the back with them while a third was
already in the 

drivers' seat. 

 

Mac caught the sound of a whimper as they manhandled
her and Giulia out of 

the car. 

 

"It's ok, Giulia." She tried to reach out to the girl
in reassurance with 

the words but her head was jerked back roughly from
the knot in the 

blindfold. 

 

"Stai zitta." Her aggressor spoke in Italian but she
understood the meaning 

of the phrase if not the exact words. Fearing for
Giulia she did as the man 

ordered and remained silent. 

They climbed a flight of steps and when her eyes were
finally uncovered she 

found herself in a small whitewashed room with a high,
narrow and heavily 

barred window. The outline of two beds was all she
could make out in the 

moonlight. To Mac's surprise they untied her wrists
and Giulia's but they 

still held them at gunpoint. They had taken her purse
and she was unarmed. 

There wasn't much she could do against three armed men
except hold the 

terrified girl close as the hoods backed away out of
the room, the sound of 

the bolts on the heavy steel door clamping down on any
hopes Mac might have 

had of getting away. 

 

23.30 LOCAL 

CAPTAIN BLAKE'S RESIDENCE 

NAPLES 

 

"Isn't there any way we can reach the Colonel,
Commander?" Captain Blake was 

visibly worried. 

 

"I've already tried her cell phone a few times and
it's not working. Did 

your daughter say where she was going, sir?" Harm
asked just as urgently. 

 

"She mentioned something about going shopping with the
Colonel but she 

didn't say where exactly." Seeing the mounting concern
in the younger man's 

face the Captain tried to calm down. "They're probably
on their way home 

right now and Giulia will be giving the Colonel a
headache with her endless 

chatter while we're here worrying over nothing. Chalk
it down to a father's 

over protectiveness." 

 

"That's understandable. Still, Mac is unfamiliar with
Naples. I just hope 

nothing's wrong." The cloud of uneasiness that had
encompassed Harm just 

wouldn't lift. 

 

A grating sound turned their attention to the front
door. It sounded like 

someone was having difficulty inserting the key in the
lock. Captain Blake 

strode quickly over to it and pulled it ajar. His son
Matthew stood there, 

swaying dangerously, blood covering his face and white
shirt. 

 

"Matthew. What in the world." The Captain never got to
finish what he was 

about to say. The young man fell to his knees, the
strength of his father's 

arms only just keeping him from falling flat on his
face. 

 

"Giulia," he rasped. "They took Giulia and Colonel
Mackenzie. Oh God. Dad, 

what have I done?" Only then did the junior officer
register Harm's presence 

and his eyes widened at the forbidding look on the
Commander's face. 

Without saying a word, Harm plucked a card out of his
pocket. He pulled out 

his cell phone and dialled a number. 

 

"Tony. It's Harm. I need your help." 

 

"Harm, what's up?" Tony heard the urgency in Harm's
voice. 

 

"Meet me at the entrance to the US Naval Hospital in
twenty minutes. Make 

that fifteen." Harm's voice was brisk and
businesslike. 

 

"The hospital? Has anything happened?" 

 

"Just get over there as soon as you can. I can't
discuss this on the phone." 

Harm's voice brooked no argument. 

 

Tony asked no more questions. "I'm on my way." 

 

DAY 5 

01.00 LOCAL 

US NAVAL HOSPITAL 

NAPLES 

 

"You have to calm down, you know." Tony addressed
Harm's back as the other 

man paced to and fro like a caged lion in front of the
room where Matthew 

Blake was having his nose set. 

 

"I won't calm down until I know what the hell is going
on here," Harm 

responded tightly. 

 

"Well, the doctor should let us in to interrogate the
boy soon. I suggest 

you let me do the talking. You're way too involved in
this to be objective." 

Tony's look was all knowing as he glanced at Harm. 

 

"What's that supposed to mean?" Harm snapped. He
didn't like what Tony was 

implying. 

 

"I mean that I've been there. I know all the symptoms,
Harm. She obviously 

means a lot to you and I can tell that this is more
than a normal show of 

concern for a partner or a colleague." 

 

"I'm sorry, Tony." Harm apologised for his harsh tone.
"But Mac has been 

kidnapped in a strange country. Her knowledge of the
language is scarce and 

she is probably being held hostage God only knows
where." He listed the 

points he made on his fingers. His eyes darkened as he
continued, "I just 

hope they don't do anything to hurt her." Staring at
the closed door before 

him he punched his right fist into his left palm in
frustration. "Damn, 

what's taking them so long in there? Don't they
understand that every minute 

we waste could be fatal?" 

 

As if on cue, the door opened and both the doctor and
Captain Blake came out 

into the corridor. 

 

"You can go in now." The doctor nodded to Tony and
Harm made to follow him 

inside. Captain Blake's hand stopped him as it rested
against his chest. 

His face was haggard as he looked at him and he seemed
to have aged before 

their eyes. 

 

"My son and I may have a lot of problems but there's
one thing we have in 

common. We both worship the ground Giulia walks on.
I'm sure he'll do all he 

can to help you find her and the Colonel." 

 

Harm didn't know what to say. He acknowledged the
Captain's statement with a 

curt nod and went into the room. 

 

Matthew Blake was sitting on the edge of the bed, his
back towards them. He 

looked as if he had the weight of the world on his
hunched shoulders. And so 

he should, Harm thought. If they didn't find Mac and
Giulia soon he would be 

in deep trouble and Harm himself would be the first on
his list of problems. 

Crossing his arms, Harm stood to the side of the room,
feet apart, a 

merciless look on his face as he waited for Tony to
begin his questioning. 

 

"How's the nose, son?" Tony attempted a paternal
approach. 

 

"The bone is broken in two places, sir. The doctor
says it will take some 

time to heal." 

 

"Would you mind telling us how this happened?" The
warrant officer asked. 

 

"I was on leave today and I was taking a walk in
Naples when I realised I 

was being followed. Two thugs cornered me and
threatened me. I ran away but 

they caught up with me and beat me up." 

 

"When did this happen?" Tony asked. 

 

"At around 10.00 p.m. sir," the young man answered. 

 

"Why would they threaten you?" was Tony's next
question. 

 

"Because I owe them money. I have for quite some time
now and I guess they 

got tired of waiting." The Lieutenant lowered his
eyes. 

 

"How much money, Lieutenant?" Tony pressed. 

 

When Matthew revealed the sum he owed both Tony and
Harm blanched. 

 

"How on earth did you manage to accumulate a debt for
such an astronomical 

figure?" Harm couldn't help butting in, earning an
annoyed glance from Tony. 

Taking in Harm's foreboding countenance the younger
man was taken aback. 

 

"It . seemed so harmless at first," he ventured. "I've
been into gambling 

small sums of money ever since I was a fourteen
year-old kid. Small stuff 

like video poker, things like that. As I got older I
started gambling on 

clandestine horse-racing here in Naples. Last year a
man befriended me at 

one of these races and told me that if I was willing
to do a little job for 

them, they would lend me some money to make bigger
bets." 

 

"What kind of job?" Tony asked testily. 

 

"Selling drugs to other junior officers at the base,
sir," Matthew answered 

in a low voice. 

 

"The bastards," Harm muttered under his breath. 

 

"I never thought it would come to this." Matthew
looked at them imploringly. 

"This last year has been a total disaster. I've been
on a losing streak and 

each time I would borrow a bigger sum hoping to make a
good win. But I kept 

losing and . they charge a very high interest," he
finished lamely. 

 

"And who might they be?" Tony insisted. 

 

"I don't know." Matthew shook his head. "I only know
the guy who is my 

contact for the drugs. He's an Italian and he often
works with another two 

guys who are both Algerian in the area known as Sanità
here in Naples." 

 

"Would you be able to identify him?" Tony shot the
next question at him. 

"Yes, sir. I'm sure I would," was the Lieutenant's
reply. 

 

"Well, consider yourself under our custody. You will
be under constant 

surveillance but you won't be arrested for now. We
don't want to arouse any 

suspicions. Have these people contacted you since your
last meeting with 

them?" 

 

"No, sir." 

 

"If they do, act natural and try to gain some
information on your sister and 

the Colonel. We'll put your phone under control, too.
Buy time if you can. 

Meanwhile, one of our men will come over to your
quarters with the 

identification photos. We'll see if you can identify
your drug-pusher friend 

from there. Let's hope that will lead us to Giulia and
the Colonel, " Tony 

finished. 

 

"Commander Rabb." The young man addressed Harm as he
and Tony turned to 

leave the room. "I'm sorry. I never thought they would
stoop so low as to 

kidnap Giulia and the Colonel." 

 

"What did you think they would do, Lieutenant? That
they would send you a 

polite credit note to inform you that your time was
up?" Harm's voice was 

harsh and the boy's face went white. Guilt ravaged his
features and Harm 

suddenly took pity on him. Maybe there was hope for
the boy yet. They had 

taken his sister and he seemed to sincerely regret his
actions. "You 

concentrate on identifying this drug-pusher,
Lieutenant, and leave the rest 

to us. We'll find them somehow." 

 

"Yes, sir." Matthew saluted smartly and Harm and Tony
left the room. 

 

Once outside Harm turned to Tony with a frown. "I
still don't get it. Giulia 

I can understand, but why would they kidnap Mac in the
process?" 

 

"I think it's simply an unlucky case of Mac being in
the wrong place at the 

wrong time, Harm," Tony replied. 

 

"Tony, as a JAG lawyer I would like to offer my
assistance in this 

investigation." Harm looked Tony straight in the eyes
and the other man 

returned his look levelly. 

 

"As chief warrant officer in this investigation I
accept your assistance. As 

a friend, I want you to know I will do everything in
my power to find them 

and bring them back safely." 

 

"Thanks, Tony." Harm was glad he would be working with
the man. It would 

keep him from thinking too much on Mac's plight. The
handshake between the 

two men sealed the bond of friendship that had sprung
up on their first 

meeting. "Let's get to work." 

 

06.00 LOCAL 

COUNTRISIDE SURROUNDING BENEVENTO 

NAPLES 

 

Mac was curled in a sitting position on one of the
beds, her back to the 

wall. The incessant chirping of the birds outside the
window was the only 

sound to be heard in the early morning quiet. Her all
night vigil had done 

nothing to deaden her senses and escape was uppermost
in her mind. She had 

no idea where they were or why they had been kidnapped
but she knew that the 

longer they stayed there the more difficult it would
be for anyone to find 

them. Her main plan, her only plan under the
circumstances, was to lie in 

wait until someone came to open the door and use the
element of surprise to 

jump him. They probably didn't even know she was a
Marine and had taken her 

for a poor defenceless female. But could she tackle
three armed men and keep 

Giulia from getting hurt? The subject of her dilemma
lay sprawled on the bed 

opposite Mac, her long hair covering her face. She had
wanted to keep Mac 

company during the night but had finally fallen into
an exhausted sleep. 

 

The sound of the bolts being removed attracted Mac's
attention. A short 

burly man entered the room, his face concealed by the
standard balaclava. 

Pointing his firearm at Mac he moved towards her and
sidled up to the bed. 

Mac sat stock still as he ran the butt of his gun
along the side of her face 

and down between her breasts. She could smell the
sickening odour of sweat 

coming from his unwashed body. Pressing the gun in the
middle of Mac's chest 

he forced her to lie down. What she saw in his bulging
black eyes chilled 

Mac as she stared up at him. One grubby hand roughly
groped for one of her 

breasts. Mac drew back from the unconcealed lust she
saw in the man's gaze 

and tried to roll away from him but he pressed the gun
down harder, hurting 

her. In one swift movement he threw himself on top of
her. His weight pinned 

her to the mattress, suffocating her and she struggled
beneath him as he 

straddled her. A blood-curdling scream from the other
bed froze them both. 

The sound of heavy footsteps followed and mercifully,
Mac felt the man's 

weight being lifted off her. Mac's attacker was
dragged unceremoniously out 

of the room and the door was rebolted. She barely
managed to sit up before 

Giulia scrambled onto the bed next to her, clinging to
her shoulders and 

crying desperately. Mac heard angry, raised voices but
her knowledge of 

Italian was limited and their conversation was beyond
her comprehension. 

 

"Abdul, you're an idiot." Outside the room Marco Orsi,
the taller and 

slimmer Italian angrily faced the stocky Algerian he
had just dragged off 

the woman they were keeping hostage. "Don't you think
we're in enough 

trouble already without you trying to rape the woman?
You weren't even 

supposed to kidnap her in the first place. It's the
girl the boss is 

interested in." 

 

Abdul scowled beneath his hood. "The time of the
kidnapping was set for 

yesterday. I didn't see any reason to let the woman
spoil our plans. Besides 

the boss should be thankful. It will give the boy all
the more reason to pay 

up sooner," he snarled. 

 

"Stay away from her," Orsi warned. "Your job is to
stand guard outside their 

door and give them their meals, nothing more. I'm
warning you, Abdul, one 

more wrong move and you're history." The man's
retreating footsteps echoed 

in the hallway. 

 

Inside their prison, Mac was visibly shaken but she
turned her attention to 

Giulia as the commotion outside the door quietened
down. The girl was still 

sobbing quietly. Mac pushed Giulia's long hair away
from her face and tried 

to soothe her. "Giulia, I'm ok. That's enough, now.
Nothing happened." 

 

A fit of coughing took hold of the girl. When she
stopped she looked up at 

Mac with fear in her eyes. "I can't breathe," she
gasped with difficulty. 

 

"What?" Mac was confused. "What is it, Giulia?" 

 

"I'm an asthmatic . I can't . stand closed places,"
Giulia answered between 

harsh intakes of breath. Mac's eyes widened in alarm.
She could hear the 

wheezing in the girl's chest. 

 

"Isn't there some kind of medicine you carry around
with you?" Mac tried to 

keep her wits about her. This was an added
complication she hadn't bargained 

for. She saw their already slim chances of escape
dwindling away. There was 

no way she could get Giulia to run for a long distance
with her problem. The 

girl nodded and pulled out a Ventolin aerosol from the
pocket of her 

windbreaker. Mac checked it. It was almost empty. 

 

"Oh, Giulia. Is this the only one you've got?" The
girl nodded miserably. 

"All right. It doesn't matter. Now you listen to me. I
want you to calm down 

and tell me what you usually do in these situations."
Mac's strong voice had 

a steadying effect on the girl. 

 

"Two puffs with an interval of five minutes between
them," she answered. 

"Ok. Do the puffs one by one," Mac instructed. 

 

The girl did as Mac told her. When she was breathing
more easily Mac rubbed 

her hand in a soothing motion up and down Giulia's
back for a considerably 

long time. 

 

"Are you feeling better now?" Mac asked after a while.


 

"Yes," Giulia answered meekly. "My mother used to do
that when my attacks 

came on." The girl's shoulders started to shake. "I
miss her." 

 

Mac's tender heart squeezed. Pulling Giulia into her
arms she rested against 

the wall and stroked her hair as she hugged her close.
She was still a child 

after all and Mac knew what it was to grow up without
a mother to take care 

of her. 

 

"You remind me so much of her," Giulia continued.
"It's not just your 

colouring but the way you can be strong and tender at
the same time. She 

died five years ago and my life hasn't been the same
since." Giulia's words 

moved Mac deeply. "Do you have children?" Giulia asked
curiously, the road 

their conversation was taking momentarily distracting
her. 

 

"No, I don't and I don't know if I ever will," Mac
answered honestly. She 

smiled tiredly then. "I'm not even married . well, not
yet, anyway." 

 

"Well, I think you would make a wonderful mother."
Giulia sensed Mac's 

sadness. The girl's sweet smile melted Mac's heart and
tears sprang to her 

eyes. 

 

"That's one of the most beautiful things anyone has
ever said to me, Giulia. 

Thank you. I'd love to have a child one day and if he
or she is even 

remotely like you I would be very happy." 

 

They hugged each other, their newly found closeness
bringing them comfort 

despite the dangerous situation they were in. They
stayed like that for a 

while. 

 

"What's going to happen to us?" Giulia asked in a
small voice. 

 

"The Commander and your father will find us, Giulia.
I've been in sticky 

situations before and Harm has never let me down." Mac
reassured her. 

"But how will he know where to look?" Giulia's voice
was doubtful. 

 

"He'll find a way." Mac felt hope rising in her as she
said the words. 

Seeing the look of determination in the older woman's
eyes, Giulia resolved 

to try and be stronger. She trusted her new friend. 

 

19.00 LOCAL 

CARABINIERI HEADQUARTERS 

NAPLES 

 

The warrant officer stood just outside the door to his
office and his gaze 

took in the tired American sprawled on his couch. Harm
rubbed at his 

eyebrows and forehead and seemed to be miles away.
"Penny for your 

thoughts?" Tony prompted. 

 

"Tony! Any news?" Harm was startled back from his
musings. 

 

"Matthew Blake identified our man a few minutes ago."
Tony closed the door. 

"A certain Marco Orsi. It turns out he's a person
we've been suspecting for 

quite some time now. Only, we've never had enough
evidence to nail him down. 

Apparently he's also Matthew's contact for the money
they lent him. This 

money-lending business is a common enough phenomenon
here in Naples. They 

found out the boy's weakness and they fed on it." 

 

"So, what's the next step?" Harm stood up, ready for
action. 

 

"The Lieutenant knows all the pusher's favourite
haunts. Our plan is to have 

him followed constantly. He's bound to make a mistake
sooner or later. This 

guy is small potatoes, Harm. The Anti-Mafia
Investigation Department, or DIA 

as we call it, is after us to get to the brains behind
the operation," Tony 

informed him. 

 

"And what about Mac and Giulia? What does the DIA have
to say about that?" 

Harm asked tensely. 

 

"Harm, we all have the same interests here. Can you
blame them if they want 

to tie up both ends? They want to see both Mac and
Giulia rescued and the 

drug traffickers arrested." 

 

"Dammit, Tony. I don't care what they want. Mac and
Giulia are my first 

priority." Harm was adamant. 

 

"They're mine too, Harm." Tony soothed. "I'm on your
side, remember? But 

this could turn out to be a long wait. We've gained
permission to plant 

hidden video cameras in the areas where this pusher
usually works to try and 

get some good, clean evidence. Meanwhile we follow his
movements as well as 

those of his friends and acquaintances. This is
standard procedure and we'll 

get to the bottom of this. We all take the matter of
the kidnapping very 

seriously." 

 

"I know, Tony. I'm sorry." Yet again, Harm found
himself apologising for his 

outburst. It wasn't Tony's fault things were moving so
slowly. "Has the 

Lieutenant received any calls yet?" Harm's voice
revealed his anxiety. Tony 

shook his head and Harm realised he couldn't put it
off any longer. "I have 

to call the Admiral." It was something he didn't
relish doing. 

 

"You can do that from here." Tony was on the point of
leaving the room to 

give Harm some privacy when he stopped in his tracks.
"You're in love with 

her, aren't you?" They both knew who he was referring
to. 

 

"She's everything to me," Harm answered wearily but
without hesitation, his 

eyes serious as he faced the other man. 

 

"I can understand that," Tony nodded and Harm detected
a note of sadness. 

 

"Sounds like you've had your share of problems in that
area," Harm remarked. 

 

"You could say that. Only, she's marrying someone
else." Tony tried to 

appear nonchalant but failed miserably in Harm's
opinion. He had put on that 

act when Mac almost married Brumby and for a while he
had fooled everyone, 

even himself. Fate had given them a hand on that
occasion. Would it be so 

lenient the second time around? 

 

"I'll leave you to it." Tony's _expression was not a
happy one as he left 

Harm to make his phone call. 

 

The Admiral's reaction was exactly what Harm expected.
"Kidnapped? How in 

hell did that happen?" 

 

Harm explained, leaving out the argument he had had
with Mac before she left 

with Giulia. When he finished his C.O's voice was more
worried than angry. 

"How are you holding up, Commander? This can't be
easy. The best thing would 

be for me to get on the next flight out." 

 

"I would ask you to do that myself if it would solve
anything, sir." Harm 

knew he could always count on this man's support in
troubled times and for 

that he was grateful. "But the anti-drug squad and the
DIA are already doing 

all they can. They've accepted my assistance so at
least I'm in the thick of 

things and I know what's going on. It's also very
important to keep this 

thing out of the press. The kidnappers don't suspect
that the police know 

anything and we don't want them to find out." 

 

"You'll report daily and directly to me. I have faith
in your abilities, 

Rabb. The three of us have important things to discuss
on your return. Go 

find her and bring her back. " 

 

"I intend to, Admiral," were Harm's parting words 

 

 

DAY 7 

06.00 LOCAL 

OFFICERS' HOUSING 

US NAVAL BASE 

NAPLES 

 

The four men in the room listened tensely to the
masked voice coming over 

the speaker linked to Matthew's cell phone. "You have
three days to come up 

with the money. No tricks or you'll live to regret
it." 

 

Tony signalled to Matthew to stall for time as Harm
watched in trepidation, 

his hands tightly clenching the back of the chair he
was holding on to. The 

conversation was in Italian so he couldn't understand
a word. 

 

"How do I know my sister and her friend are really all
right?" Matthew had 

no need to simulate the fear that laced his words. 

 

"You don't. You'll just have to trust me." Orsi's
voice on the other side 

dripped sarcasm. 

 

"I need more time. It's a lot of money." Matthew tried
to lengthen the 

conversation to give the officer seated across the
table from him the time 

to trace the call. 

 

"Take a look at your watch. What does it tell you?"
Orsi ignored Matthew's 

plea. 

 

"It's 6.00 a.m." Matthew answered. 

 

"You have exactly 72 hours. We'll contact you to tell
you where to deliver 

it." The line went dead. 

 

"Did you get it?" Harm urgently addressed the officer
who was trying to 

trace the call. 

 

The latter shook his head and answered in Italian.
"No, mi dispiace." 

 

"I'm afraid not, Harm. Too little time." Tony
translated the gist of what 

had passed between Matthew and the kidnapper. Only the
presence of the two 

junior officers stopped Harm from uttering the string
of expletives that 

automatically popped into his head. He contented
himself with glaring at 

Tony in frustration. 

 

"Now what?" 

 

Tony was saved from answering immediately by a knock
on the door. Harm 

opened it and found himself face to face with Admiral
Chegwidden. 

 

"Admiral?" Harm was dumbfounded. "What are you doing
here?" 

 

"I thought it would do you good to see a familiar
face, Commander." A.J. 

raised his eyebrows as Harm made no move to invite him
inside. 

 

"Oh . Come in, sir." His C.O. had the knack of turning
up at the least 

expected moments. Tony came forward and Harm made the
introductions. 

 

"I've heard a lot about you from the Commander over
the past few days, 

Tony." A.J. shook the warrant officer's hand. 

 

"Good things I hope, sir." Tony smiled despite
himself. He had tried to 

include Harm in all that was being done to find traces
of Mac and Giulia but 

the American attorney had found it difficult to curb
his impatience and 

often expressed it explicitly when they were alone. 

 

"We appreciate everything you're doing," A.J. placated
him. "However, I 

thought you might need some extra help." 

 

"We need all the help we can get, Admiral," Tony
replied informing him of 

the latest developments with quite a lot of help from
Harm. 

 

"It seems I arrived just in time for some action."
A.J.'s look encompassed 

them all. 

 

"It's good to see you, Admiral." Harm belatedly
expressed his gratitude to 

his C.O. 

 

"I can imagine, Rabb. Now what do you people say if we
all sit down and work 

out a plan of attack?" A.J. had only been there for
fifteen minutes but that 

didn't stop him from taking immediate stock of the
situation. It made no 

difference that Tony was in charge of the operation
and that he wasn't 

directly under the older man's command. Tony
understood and gave in 

gracefully. 

 

"We can do that in my office, sir." 

 

Leaving Matthew in the care and constant company of
the two guards who had 

been standing outside the door and the other officer
in the room who had 

orders to keep Matthew's phone under surveillance, the
three men left for 

the Carabinieri Headquarters. 

 

DAY 8 

10.00 LOCAL 

COUNTRYSIDE SURROUNDING BENEVENTO 

NAPLES 

 

Panic gripped Mac. She felt dizzy from all the alcohol
the stalker had 

forced down her throat. She was trussed up and
completely helpless. A band 

of tape covered her mouth, preventing her from calling
for help. She looked 

at the array of photographs displayed around her. They
were all centred 

around the same subject - herself. How long had he
been following her every 

move without her knowing it? 

 

"Mac." Harm's breathless voice calling her name
sounded heavenly to her 

ears. Twisting her head round as best as she could,
she saw him. With one 

deft movement he removed the tape from her mouth. 

 

"You took your time getting here," she gasped. 

 

"Yeah, I had interference on the tracker signal," he
answered. "I lost you 

for a minute. Thank God I found you." Relief was
evident in his voice as he 

bent to free her feet. 

 

"The locator on the car was brilliant. You're a
genius." Mac was so glad to 

see him she could have kissed him. 

 

"Well, I don't know about that." Harm untied her hands
and helped her up, 

his arm supporting her as she stood up groggily. "Hey,
are you Ok?" 

 

Before she could answer he started shaking her. She
wanted to tell him to 

stop but he persisted and the words seemed to be stuck
in her throat. As she 

came awake, Mac's eyes focused on Giulia's face. 

 

"Mac, are you Ok?" the girl repeated worriedly as she
shook the older woman. 

"You were talking in your sleep." 

 

"I'm fine, Giulia." Mac sat up, running her hands
through her hair. 

Her dream had seemed so real. Thoughts of Harm had so
filled her mind ever 

since they had been locked up in here that she even
saw him in her sleep. 

She wondered where he was and what he was doing at
that precise moment. 

Probably driving himself crazy with worry, she thought
and wished she could 

find a way to ease both their burdens. Getting up she
went to the adjoining, 

makeshift bathroom, which had no window and only
provided the bare 

necessities. She splashed some cold water over her
tired features. She was 

far from rested notwithstanding the respite her brief
nap had given her. 

Sleep had frequently eluded her in the past days and
nights. Her mind had 

been working overtime but no matter what solution she
came up with, there 

had been no opportunity for escape. To make matters
worse Giulia had run out 

of the medicine she needed for her asthma and the girl
was too terrified 

each time the guard came in to tell him so. It was
always the same guard, 

the one who had attacked Mac, who brought them their
meals once a day in 

sullen silence. Mac had tried to explain in her
halting Italian but all she 

had received in response was a dark glare as he swiped
the aerosol from her 

hand. That had been twenty-one hours ago. At least he
had left her alone 

till now. She would never forget the evil look in
those menacing black eyes 

if she lived to be a hundred. Frustration filled her
mind as she went back 

to sit beside Giulia who promptly lay her head against
Mac's arm and 

snuggled up to her. Putting her arm around her, Mac
rested her dark head 

against Giulia's and rubbed her palm up and down the
girl's arm. The girl 

had come to depend totally on her in the past few
days. Mac smiled tiredly 

as she remembered the comment Harm had once made on
the strength of her 

maternal instincts. She supposed he was right. She
wasn't normally prone to 

taking pride in herself but she had to admit that she
had been good for 

Chloe and now she was helping Giulia too. She seemed
to have an inbred gift 

for it. Anxiety had heightened the frequency of
Giulia's asthma attacks and 

Mac had done her best to ease the poor girl's wheezing
with breathing and 

relaxation exercises and stories about her work and
Harm's to keep Giulia's 

mind away from their problems. Mac's reminiscing and
their present situation 

had probably caused the flashback, when she had
finally fallen asleep, to 

the time Harm had rescued her from the stalker. 

 

"Will they come for us today, Mac?" Giulia had been
asking the same question 

everyday and Mac was running out of responses. After
all she had no way of 

knowing if Harm was on their tracks or not. She was
just hoping against 

hope. 

 

"I'm sure they'll come for us soon, Giulia." Mac
forced herself to appear 

calm and composed. But deep inside her heart, her
emotions were a tangled 

mass. Oh, her military training helped and kept her
from losing control but 

fear clutched her heart every time Giulia was short of
breath and she didn't 

know what she would do if that awful creature tried to
rape her again. Just 

the thought of his dirty hands on her body made her
want to scream. 

 

"I have to stop this," she thought. 

 

"I think it's about time you stopped feeling sorry for
yourself." 

 

Once again, the angry words Harm had flung at her the
day she was kidnapped 

came back to haunt and torment her. Every time she
thought of him she was 

filled with remorse. If only she hadn't been so hasty
in leaving him, 

perhaps all this could have been avoided. If nothing
else, her forced 

confinement had given her the opportunity to take a
good look at herself and 

she honestly didn't like what she saw. Harm was right.
She was so engrossed 

in her own pain she couldn't see she wasn't the only
one suffering and that 

she was hurting him even more by shutting him out. She
couldn't believe how 

spiteful she had been towards him when she had made
those disparaging 

comments. Why was it so hard to believe that he really
loved her, whatever 

the outcome? The radiant look in his green eyes when
he had first confessed 

his love for her at Ocean Shores came unbidden to her
mind and she knew that 

she would keepsake that exquisite moment forever. But
even then her 

traitorous heart had doubted him, afraid it might be
pity he felt for her or 

that as her best friend he felt honour bound to help
her. He had given her 

time to come to terms with the depth of his feelings
for her and to see that 

he meant what he said. When she had finally admitted
she felt the same way 

he had proceeded to make such tender, beautiful love
to her that he had 

wiped away all her doubts and had driven her mindless
with wanting him. 

Abandoning her defences she had repeatedly professed
her love for him at the 

height of their passion. No man had ever made her feel
that way before. He 

had never let on that he blamed her for not providing
him with a child. If 

anything, he had tried to make her understand that it
was nobody's fault and 

that she was being too hard on herself. Why, then, did
that possibility make 

her feel so guilty towards him? Why did she have to
make things so 

complicated? Didn't she deserve to be loved for
herself just like any other 

woman? Harm wanted to give her that love and he was
the first man in her 

lonely existence to really trust and respect her. It
suddenly dawned on her 

that she had felt guilty ever since she could
remember. Her parents' unhappy 

marriage, her father's alcoholism and her mother's
departure had all weighed 

heavily on her young shoulders and had left her
feeling that maybe there was 

something she might have done to prevent it all from
happening. The rational 

part of her told her it wasn't her fault and that it
had been inevitable. 

Her emotions told another story. All the feelings of
insecurity she had 

buried inside her when she had overcome her drinking
problem had come back 

with a vengeance since she had been dealing with the
possibility of never 

having children. They had made her hard to live with,
she realised that now 

and they had threatened to overcome her. Well, she
would fight back, she 

resolved. They had both had their share of loneliness
and deserved some 

happiness. Harm's love was the closest thing to
perfection she could ever 

hope to find. She knew he really cared about her and
she couldn't let this 

chance pass her by. He had grown on her day after day
and now he had 

conquered a special place inside her heart only he
could fill. She admired 

him so much and if someone like Harm thought she was
worthy of his love than 

there had to be something really special about her
even if she almost always 

failed to see it. His love was a balm that was
teaching her to love herself 

more. Looking up at the patch of blue sky visible
through the unyielding 

steel bars at the window she sent up a silent prayer.
She wasn't giving up 

yet. Not by a long shot. She would make it up to him;
when he found her. If 

he still wanted her. 

 

13.00 LOCAL 

OFFICERS' HOUSING 

US NAVAL BASE 

NAPLES 

 

Harm's forehead creased in concentration as he lay on
the couch in his room. 

Beads of perspiration covered his face as his tired
mind played tricks on 

him and conjured hazy, distorted images. He came awake
with a start, feeling 

slightly disoriented. Reality came rushing back,
threatening to crush him 

with its intensity. Mac and Giulia were still missing.
Glancing at the time, 

his lips twisted wryly. His nap had lasted a full
twenty minutes. The 

Admiral had practically ordered him to rest for a
couple of hours while he 

talked to his old friend, Captain Blake. Harm had
wanted to refuse and had 

only given in when Tony promised to call if anything
came up in the 

meantime. Harm didn't feel like napping but, as the
Admiral had pointed out, 

lack of sleep was beginning to affect his reasoning
and his temper and he 

wanted to be fresh the next morning when Matthew met
the kidnappers. They 

had worked out a basic plan but they had to be
careful. Timing was 

essential. The kidnappers still had to call to inform
Matthew of the place 

of delivery and Tony was counting on their wanting to
make the exchange in a 

secluded spot which would give the anti-drug squad a
higher possibility for 

ambush. Getting up slowly he went straight to the
shower. Stripping down, he 

stepped under the warm water, letting it flow over
him, the sensation 

providing momentary relief as he moved his head from
side to side in an 

attempt to ease the aching muscles at the back of his
neck. He shampooed and 

soaped his body and then put the tap on cold. He
gasped as the water 

temperature changed drastically, the sharp needles
rudely awakening all his 

nerve endings. He let it flow for two minutes before
he turned it on to warm 

again. He repeated the procedure twice. When he was
finished his blood 

circulation was pumping vigorously and he was
wide-awake. It was a trick he 

had learnt during Navy training and it always worked.
Freshly dressed, he 

prepared a mug of coffee and sat down. He stared into
the dark brew. It was 

times like this that he hated. Active participation in
the investigation 

activities had kept him busy and no stone had been
left unturned. It gave 

him little time to brood but now there was nothing to
do but wait. His eyes 

took on a far away look as he thought of the last time
he had seen Mac. The 

bruised look in her soft brown eyes as she attempted
to hold back the pain 

was still fresh in his mind and he had stood there and
done nothing to ease 

it. He had lost count of the times he had mentally
kicked himself since 

their quarrel for having come down so hard on her. But
he always seemed to 

put his foot in his mouth where she was concerned. His
remark about her 

self-pity had been cruel. She couldn't help being so
fragile after all she 

had been through. Or maybe he was the fragile one. He
remembered how she had 

kept her infertility problem from him and tried to
protect him by ending 

their relationship. That had taken guts on her part.
But she had a way of 

getting his back up like no one else could. It was all
part of this 

chemistry between them. They had quarrelled quite a
few times over the years 

and she gave as good as she got. He had to confess he
liked that about her. 

She never backed down from a challenge. But then,
neither did he and when 

they met head on sparks tended to fly. He preferred
that to the silent 

treatment she sometimes gave him when she was really
mad at him. She was 

such a firebrand. Even when they made love she
continuously surprised him 

with her passionate nature. He felt a sudden yearning
for her rising up 

inside him. She was his soul mate. Sex and love had
ceased to be two 

different entities when they were together. She was
the only one for him 

and he loved her with an intensity, which surprised
even him. He closed his 

eyes, trying to make a mental connection with her.
Where was she? Was she 

hurt? Would he find her in time? 

 

"Come back to me, Mac," he whispered in the quiet
room. "I don't care about 

the rest. Just come back to me." 

 

"Commander, are you awake in there?" The Admiral's
voice accompanying the 

knock on the door brought Harm back to the present.
The coffee had grown 

cold. 

Going to the door he found Tony and the Admiral
waiting for him on the other 

side. The look on both their faces made his heart beat
twice as fast in his 

chest. 

 

"Harm, we have a lead. A good one." Tony made no
attempt to hide his 

excitement. Harm ushered them in and waited
expectantly, his throat suddenly 

dry. "You know we've been having the drug pusher's
girlfriend followed. 

Well, there's a house in the country in Benevento that
belongs to the 

woman's family and it has been shut up for quite some
time now. However, she 

has made various forays back and forth between Naples
and this house with 

foodstuffs in the past three days." 

 

"And?" Harm encouraged Tony. 

 

"Every night she comes back to Naples. But, guess
where her shopping spree 

took her this morning?" Tony continued. 

 

"Where?" Harm didn't have much patience for Tony's
sense of drama. 

 

The Admiral intervened. "She went to a pharmacy and
bought four Ventolin 

aerosols. It seems like they're planning on keeping a
good stock for someone 

who is in urgent need of asthma medicine. " 

 

"Giulia," Harm said, his eyes wide. 

 

"That's right," Tony continued. "The woman is at
headquarters right now. We 

brought her in for questioning." 

 

Harm needed no further urging. This was what they had
been waiting for. He 

accompanied the other two men outside. "Let's go see
what she has to say." 

 

15.00 LOCAL 

CARABINIERI HEADQUARTERS 

NAPLES 

 

Maria stared at the two-way mirror covering one wall
as the warrant officer 

circled the room and came to a stop in front of her.
She was sweating 

profusely, her eyes mirroring her fear as she looked
up at his sinister 

countenance. He had been questioning her for the past
hour and a half. 

 

"I'm losing my patience, girl." Tony's voice had a
steely edge to it as he 

loomed over her. "I'm going to ask this one more time.
Who did you buy the 

medicine for?" 

 

"It's for me. I need it for my allergy," the girl
defiantly gave him the 

same answer she had been repeating, running a shaky
hand through her stringy 

blonde hair. 

 

Tony shook his head slowly and scowled. He pulled out
a chair and turned it 

round. Straddling it, he rested his arms on the back
of it and sat down next 

to her. "Lies have a way of catching up with people,
Maria. You should know 

that. We checked your medical history and you suffer
from nothing of the 

kind." 

 

His softly spoken words had her unprepared for his
next move. He grabbed the 

girl's right arm from the wrist and pulled it out
forcefully. She cried out 

and tried to resist but she was no match for him. 

 

"It's something else you have a need for isn't it?"
The tell tale needle 

pricks on the inside of the girl's elbow were mute
evidence of her 

addiction. "Is this what Marco Orsi gives you in
return for your favours?" 

Tony's menacing tone made the girl cower. Her head
shot up, however, when 

she heard her boyfriend's name. Her watery blue eyes
were fraught with 

terror as she denied it. 

 

"I don't know anyone named Marco Orsi." 

 

"Really," Tony continued conversationally as he let go
of her arm, his 

pleasant tone belying the harshness of his next words.
"Then would you mind 

explaining how it is that you happen to have met him
every night at the 

Plaza discotheque in the past three days?" he roared.
Pulling out several 

blowups from the file on the table he slammed them
down in front of the 

girl. They were pictures of Maria and Orsi huddled on
a sofa and indulging 

in a hot necking session. 

 

"Unequivocal wouldn't you say?" Tony continued
pleasantly. "There are more 

where these came from, Maria. We have pictures of
practically everything you 

have been up to lately." His raised his eyebrows
insinuatingly. "You get my 

meaning?" 

 

"I don't know what you mean," she replied evasively,
lowering her eyes. 

Tony moved his face closer to hers. "I mean that if
you're lucky you'll get 

no less than two to three years in prison for aiding
and abetting your 

drug-pusher boyfriend with kidnapping a minor and an
American citizen." 

 

Tony saw his point drive home as the girl looked at
him in dismay, tears 

forming in her light eyes. Her nerves were stretched
to breaking point and 

there was a frantic note to her voice as she swallowed
the bait. 

 

"I didn't know anything about it, I swear. This is all
Marco's doing." 

 

In the next room, Harm heard the Admiral's sharp
intake of breath as he 

stood next to him. 

 

"What did she say?" Harm's question caused the Admiral
to frown. He held up 

a hand and signalled for Harm to be silent and they
continued to observe the 

scene before them. Harm balled his fists as he waited
impatiently, 

repressing the need to go into the next room and shake
the information out 

of the girl himself. 

 

Maria couldn't know it but she gazed straight at Harm
and the Admiral behind 

the mirror as she said the next words. 

 

"I had nothing to do with the kidnapping. When Marco
asked me for the key to 

my parents' house in the country I didn't think twice
about giving it to 

him. It's old and run down and they never go there
anymore. I didn't know it 

meant I would have to play cook to his bunch of hoods
as well. All I know is 

that I have to go there every evening and cook dinner
for them." 

 

"Did you get a look at the prisoners?" Tony asked. 

 

"Only once. Actually, it was yesterday evening. I saw
a child of about 

fifteen. They had accompanied her outside for a few
minutes because she 

wasn't breathing normally. That's who the medicine is
for, I imagine." 

 

"Is this the child you are referring to?" Tony placed
a picture of Giulia in 

front of the girl. 

 

Maria nodded almost imperceptibly. 

 

"Speak up. I can't hear you!" Tony bellowed, making
her jump. 

 

"Yes, that's the girl I saw," she mumbled defeatedly. 

 

Taking a deep breath, Tony straightened up. Striding
to the door he left the 

room and entered the one next to it. 

 

"Did you see that?" he asked. 

 

Harm nodded, his eyes burning with intensity. The
Admiral's _expression was 

deadly serious as he spoke. 

 

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Tony?" 

 

The Italian nodded. "There's been a change of plans.
We move in tonight." 

 

19.00 LOCAL 

COUNTRYSIDE SURROUNDING BENEVENTO 

NAPLES 

 

Despite the early hour, darkness blanketed the lemon
groves and lush 

orchards lining the country road. Well concealed in
the black clothes they 

wore, Harm and Tony had a relatively clear view of the
surrounding 

countryside as they waited in Maria's Fiat Punto. Harm
was settled in the 

back while Tony sat next to a terrified Maria. Her
hands gripped the 

steering wheel as she tried to swallow the lump of
fear in her throat. The 

Admiral waited with a group of Tony's men in one of
the cars parked further 

back. 

"There it is," Harm whispered to Tony as Maria stopped
the car and they 

looked at the house in the distance. The latter nodded
and issued an order 

into the mike attached to the earphone he wore. 

"Andiamo." Tony invited Maria to drive up close to the
building. The other 

three cars followed at a discreet distance. 

The detached house was in a lonely spot and the Punto
stopped a small 

distance away from it. All was quiet in the vicinity
and Tony's men were 

well hidden. The two men approached the front door
stealthily, urging Maria 

in front of them. When they reached it, Tony motioned
for her to stand 

before it while he and Harm positioned themselves at
its flanks, out of 

sight, their weapons drawn and cocked. At her knock
one of the kidnappers 

inside looked through the spy hole. 

 

Maria tried to stop trembling but failed. 

 

Noticing nothing out of the ordinary the hood opened
the door. Both Harm and 

Tony appeared behind the woman and pointed their
weapons at him. Panicking, 

the man stepped back and pulled out his firearm.
Aiming it at Harm, he 

missed as Harm ducked, pulling a screaming Maria down
with him. Tony fired 

once. The man dropped to the floor. Harm barely had
time to disarm the man's 

lifeless form before he, Maria and Tony sought cover
behind the couch as a 

volley of fire reached them across the open plan of
the house from the 

kitchen area. 

 

* * * 

A.J. heard the shots just as the three police cars
pulled up outside the 

house. Stepping out he ran to the door while the other
warrant officers 

surrounded the house as Tony had ordered. He attempted
to go inside and a 

bullet hissed by his head only missing him by a hair's
breadth. Throwing 

himself on the floor he rolled over behind an armchair
not far from Harm and 

Tony. 

 

"I thought you were supposed to wait outside, sir."
Tony addressed the older 

man. 

 

"It looks like I can be of better use in here, Tony,"
the Admiral answered. 

"How many?" This to Harm. 

 

"Three that I can see, sir," Harm replied. 

 

"Take a look in the other rooms on this floor and see
if you can find Giulia 

and the Colonel. We'll cover you." 

 

Harm moved forward to do the Admiral's bidding. A
well-aimed shot from A.J. 

brought forth a shout as another of the kidnappers
went down. The two teams 

were now evenly matched. Harm heard the sound of
breaking glass as he neared 

the other three rooms on the ground floor. Two warrant
officers had broken 

in through a downstairs window. In vain they went
through the rooms 

together. The three of them trooped back to the living
room. One of the two 

hoods left in the kitchen stood up to fire at A.J. The
warrant officer next 

to Harm was quicker on his trigger and the man
screamed as the bullet from 

the officer's gun embedded itself in his knee. He fell
to the ground, his 

weapon abandoned. Seeing he was outnumbered, the lone
kidnapper threw his 

weapon in the middle of the floor and raised his
hands, shouting for them to 

stop. 

 

* * * 

Abdul sat in his chair outside the steel door. The
confusion downstairs had 

him running to the top of the stairway. The minute he
saw the living room 

swarming with men he knew he was in trouble. The
stairs provided no escape. 

The only thing he could do was use the girl or the
woman as hostages to try 

and get out of the house. It was his only hope, he
thought wildly. He ran 

back to the room and drew back the heavy bolts 

 

* * * 

Harm ran up to the remaining kidnapper and grabbed him
by the front of his 

shirt, planting the tip of his gun against the man's
throat. "Where are 

they?" he snarled, his green eyes deadly. The man's
eyes shifted towards the 

ceiling. Letting go of him roughly Harm ran towards
the flight of stairs 

calling Mac's name with Tony and A.J. at his heels. 

 

* * * 

Mac jumped up from the bed. Was that a gunshot? Giulia
stood transfixed as 

she came out of the bathroom. Another series of shots
followed and they both 

waited with bathed breath. Then Mac heard a voice she
knew by heart. 

 

"Mac," Harm called out. "Where are you?" 

 

Hearing the sound of the bolts being removed she
signalled to Giulia to stay 

behind her as she crouched next to the door. Mac was
ready for him as Abdul 

entered. Using all her skills she gave him a stinging
kick in the groin, 

which sent him sprawling backwards in pain, as he
clutched at himself with 

his free hand. Turning towards the girl, Mac beckoned
to her but Giulia was 

paralysed with fear. Mac pulled the frightened girl
towards her and together 

they moved out into the hall. As they started down the
corridor Harm 

appeared at the top of the stairs. For a split second
Mac was distracted. 

Adbul grabbed the chair he had been sitting on and
smashed it down on Mac's 

back throwing her forward with the impact. He lunged
for her and they both 

rolled on the floor locked in a tight embrace. Giulia
looked on in horror. 

 

"Run, Giulia. Run!" Mac shouted as she struggled with
Abdul and tried to 

wrestle the gun out of his hands. 

 

Giulia looked over at the three men and recognised the
Admiral. She ran over 

to them and A.J. took hold of her as she clung to him
in fear. They all 

watched helplessly as Mac and Abdul fought for the
gun. Harm aimed his 

weapon but was powerless to shoot, afraid he might hit
Mac. She was too 

close to her attacker. Abdul finally managed to get
his arm around Mac's 

neck. His gun in the other hand he stood up and
dragged her up with him as 

he faced Harm. 

 

"L'ammazzo," the Arab cried deliriously, threatening
to kill her. 

 

He backed away with Harm and Tony advancing after him
menacingly. When he 

reached the steel door Mac realised he was going to
drag her inside with 

him. Putting all her strength into the blow she used
her elbow to back 

strike him under the chin and in the chest. Her swift
movements caused 

Abdul's body to detach from hers for a fraction and
she used the momentum to 

pull farther away. Both Harm and Tony fired in the
same instant. One bullet 

hit him in the centre of his forehead, the other in
his chest. Abdul fell 

back, dead before he reached the floor. His eyes still
wore a surprised 

_expression as they looked up blankly at the ceiling. 

 

Running up to him, Tony checked his pulse. "He's
dead," he declared. 

 

Mac collapsed against the wall breathing heavily. Her
uncertain gaze fell on 

Harm. Relief washed over him in waves as he continued
to stare at her. She 

was safe. Mac's weak, tentative smile broke the spell
and his feet propelled 

him towards her. Unmindful of the Admiral behind him
he pulled her to him 

and enveloped her in a bear hug. 

 

"Mac, honey, are you ok?" His voice shook as he leaned
back to look at her. 

 

"I am now," she reassured him her smile growing
tremulous. 

 

"Mac." Giulia ran over to her and Mac disengaged
herself from Harm to return 

the girl's hug. "Oh, Mac. I was so frightened." 

 

"It's all right, sweetheart. It's all over." The
Admiral ambled up behind 

Harm and his smile was genuine as he looked at Mac.
"Admiral, sir." Mac 

addressed her C.O. "I was never so happy to see anyone
in my entire life." 

 

"That was some fight you put up there, Colonel. I knew
you could take care 

of yourself." The Admiral gave her a warm smile, his
eyes full of 

admiration. 

 

"Thank you, sir." Mac touched the back of her shoulder
and grimaced. 

 

"Are you in pain?" Instantly concerned, Harm put a
protective arm around 

her. 

 

"A little," Mac admitted. She rested against him,
basking in his attention. 

 

"Well, after that little episode I wouldn't be
surprised if you had a couple 

of bruises. We'll take you both to the hospital." Tony
took charge. 

 

"Come on, Giulia." A.J. spoke tenderly to the girl.
"There's a certain 

Captain I know anxiously waiting for a call in Naples.
How would you like to 

give him the good news yourself?" 

 

At the thought of her father Giulia nodded vigorously.
She put her hand 

trustingly in the Admiral's and they all went down to
the waiting police 

cars, Mac leaning heavily on Harm for support. 

 

20.00 LOCAL 

PLAZA DISCOTHEQUE 

NAPLES 

 

Marco Orsi sat at the bar sipping his beer. He had
just finished making a 

long awaited phone call to Matthew Blake. As for his
sister and her friend - 

it all depended on how the boy behaved. He pulled out
a packet of cigarettes 

and his lighter slipped to the floor. He bent to
retrieve it and his gaze 

fell on four pairs of shiny black boots belonging to
the military policemen 

standing before him. 

 

"Marco Orsi?" 

 

He broke into a cold sweat. "Yes" 

 

"You are under arrest." 

 

 

DAY 9 

03.00 LOCAL 

GRAND HOTEL EXCELSIOR 

RAVELLO 

 

The hotel lay high above the Amalfi Coast situated
just south of Naples. 

Moonlight filtered through the open window on Harm's
face as he gazed 

outside with unseeing eyes. The cool night air touched
his bare chest. The 

location provided a bird's eye-view of the captivating
landscape spread 

before him. In the distance, the city of Amalfi with
its myriad of lights 

and charming antique architecture resembled a
Christmas Crib as it clung to 

the steep hillside which in turn gave way to a sheer
drop into the sea. The 

headlights from the occasional car moving along the
winding roads, typical 

of this area of the peninsula, could be seen clearly
by anyone who cared to 

notice. Over it all the night unfurled its splendour,
the sky's inky 

blackness broken by a scattering of stars. It was one
of the most beautiful 

stretches in all of Italy but Harm saw none of it. His
gaze was turned 

inwards and his face and stance betrayed a tension not
unlike that of a 

coiled spring, ready to burst forth as he relived the
instant when he had 

seen Mac struggle against the Arab with the gun
between them, unable to lift 

a finger to help her. She was sleeping now. He closed
his eyes as he 

listened to her soft breathing across the room and it
calmed him somewhat. 

For once it was him who was restless. Both Mac and
Giulia had been given a 

thorough examination at the hospital. Thankfully there
was nothing seriously 

wrong except for the bruise on Mac's shoulder caused
by that bastard. With 

the Admiral's leave, he had brought her here away from
it all so that they 

could both get some much needed rest. He sensed a
movement from the bed and 

swivelled round. 

 

"Harm?" her voice betrayed her panic as she called his
name. 

Mac woke up and reached out for him instinctively in
the dark. When she 

didn't find him there her heart leaped in her throat
and started hammering 

furiously. For an instant she thought she was still a
prisoner. Then she saw 

his tall silhouette by the window and breathed a sigh
of relief. Lifting the 

bed covers she slipped out of the bed, her bare feet
making no sound on the 

thick carpet that covered the entire room as she
glided quickly over to him. 

Even in his strung up state Harm admired the
gracefulness of her movements. 

Her sleek nightgown fell in silky folds from the
straps on her shoulders and 

clung seductively to her breasts and the lovely line
of her legs. The flare 

of her hips ignited the fire, which was ever present
in his loins when he 

looked at this woman. Her skin took on a pearly
ethereal shade in the 

moonlight. 

As they stood before the window he gazed down at her,
his eyes black pools 

of emotion in the darkness. Sensing his mood, Mac said
not a word but stared 

up at him silently, taking in the lines of strain
around his mouth and the 

rigidity of his posture. She waited for him to make
the first move. 

Lifting one hand Harm ran his thumb over her eyebrow
ever so softly. He was 

almost afraid to touch her, fearing she might
disappear from his view. 

Moving downward his fingers traced the delicate line
of her nose and 

cheekbones going on to the cupid-bow of her mouth.
Like a blind man he 

seemed to be committing her features to memory. He ran
the pad of his thumb 

over her lower lip, touching the moist softness
within. His other hand came 

up slowly and he cupped her face in both hands. An
invisible force seemed to 

be drawing them together. Then his mouth captured hers
in a kiss so tender 

it brought tears to Mac's eyes. His lips moved
hypnotically over hers, his 

mouth sucking and drinking in her very essence as he
attempted to absorb the 

fact that she was now safe and back in his arms. He
had kept an iron grip on 

his emotions during the harrowing days when she had
been out of his reach. 

Now, as her small hands covered his and he melted into
the sweetness of her 

kiss, he felt that control slipping from his grasp.
The multitude of 

feelings raging inside his heart ran rampant, too
strong to be ignored. He 

detached his lips from hers and wrapped his strong
arms around her soft 

pliable form, holding her so tightly her ribs
protested. Mac closed her eyes 

and returned his embrace, hugging him to her as she
felt him shudder. No 

words were needed as they both rejoiced in the simple
fact of holding each 

other again. Harm buried his face in her hair, rubbing
his cheek against the 

perfumed strands. Desire was put on hold as they
looked into each others' 

eyes and drank their fill. 

 

"Oh God, Mac." Harm's voice was a hoarse whisper as
his gaze held hers. "I 

was so scared. When I saw you on the floor like that I
thought ." 

 

"Harm, I'm all right." She caressed his cheek lovingly
feeling the light 

stubble there. The soothing lilt of her voice was like
sweet music to his 

ears. "I'm here now. Both Giulia and I are safe thanks
to you and Tony and 

the Admiral. That's all that matters." 

 

The strength he had always sensed in her and knew she
possessed reached out 

to him in reassurance, steadying him. He looked
slightly less hounded as he 

took both her hands in his. Bringing them up to his
lips he kissed her 

knuckles. He knew what he had to do to chase away all
the bad memories. 

 

"Come with me," he breathed in a low voice as he led
her to the bed. 

 

She knew she would follow him anywhere when he spoke
to her like that. 

Fluffing the soft pillows he helped her in between the
sheets. Slipping in 

beside her he switched on the bedside lamp and the
room was suffused with a 

warm glow. In a manner that had become familiar to
them both in the past few 

months of intimacy he slid his arms around her and she
rested her head 

against his shoulder, inserting both her legs between
his as her night gown 

rode up her legs. His muscular, hair-roughened thigh
tickled her skin as it 

moved up and his leg drew her closer still. Mac let
out a blissful sigh as 

she buried into the sweet cocoon of his warmth, his
clean male smell 

enveloping her senses. 

 

"Harm," she whispered and he felt himself drowning in
her dark eyes as she 

looked at him. "Is this a dream or am I really lying
here with you?" 

 

"Baby," he stole another soft kiss. Coming from his
lips the endearment 

touched Mac to the core. "I've dreamed of holding you
like this. It's what 

kept me going when I didn't know where they had taken
you. The knowledge 

that we would have this closeness again no matter what
happened." 

 

Mac stroked her palm up and down the length of his arm
as it encircled her 

waist. "I was so scared at first. Especially for
Giulia," she admitted her 

voice trembling. "But the thought of all the times you
rescued me in the 

past kept me sane. I knew you'd find me. It was just a
matter of time." 

 

"Did they hurt you?" His voice was barely audible as
he rested his chin on 

her head and waited for her answer. 

 

Abdul's lustful eyes appeared in Mac's mind.
Determinedly, she shut her 

eyes and pushed the memory aside. 

 

"No, Harm. Nothing like that happened." She didn't see
the need to torture 

him any further. Abdul was dead and he couldn't hurt
her or anyone else 

anymore. What had nearly happened was over and done
with. 

 

"Listen, Mac. I want to tell you something." Harm's
hand moved to her hair 

and he ran his long fingers through it in a soothing
motion as he spoke. 

"It's been on my mind ever since that day when we
quarrelled. I'm so sorry 

for what I said to you." 

 

Mac turned round to face his troubled gaze so that
both their dark heads lay 

close together on the white pillows. "It's ok, Harm.
I've been doing my 

share of thinking too and I have some regrets of my
own." 

 

He interrupted her. "No, wait. I overreacted and I
know I hurt you. You 

don't know how many times I've regretted it." 

 

Mac's smile was self-deriding. "You weren't far off
the mark in what you 

said about me, Harm. I laid all my problems at your
doorstep expecting you 

to find the solution and when you tried to help me I
took my frustrations ou 

t on you. I'm the one who's sorry. Forgive me?" Her
soulful eyes pleaded 

with his. 

Harm reached out and put a finger on her lips.
"There's nothing to forgive, 

Mac." His glowing look warmed her insides. 

 

I'll try to be stronger from now on," she promised
fervently. 

 

"Mac, I've never doubted your courage. You gave such
strong evidence of it 

yesterday. The way you tackled that scum when he
attacked you was nothing 

short of incredible. You never cease to amaze me." 

 

"Well, it was instinctive," Mac returned modestly. 

 

"Instinctive my foot. I'm so proud of you. You put
Giulia's safety before 

yours and risked your life to save hers. If that's not
being strong I don't 

know what is." 

 

Mac's heart swelled at his words. His esteem was so
important to her. "I 

know this may sound strange to you but back there when
I was with Giulia, it 

made me feel good about myself because she depended so
much on me and I was 

helping her." 

 

"She was lucky to have you with her." Harm smiled
tenderly at her. "You do 

have a way with budding teenagers." 

 

She watched as a shadow clouded his features. "What is
it, Harm?" she asked 

frowning. 

 

"Honey, I have a confession to make. When I saw you go
down with that hood a 

part of me shrivelled up and died. I know you're a
Marine and that you can 

watch out for yourself. The Admiral kept telling me
that when you were 

missing. But you're my woman now and if anything
happened to you." His voice 

trailed off and he swallowed convulsively. 

 

His woman. The words sounded wonderful to Mac as they
rolled so easily off 

his tongue. I'm so lucky, she thought and it showed in
her shining brown 

eyes. 

 

"Sarah, about our trying to have a baby together, all
I ask is for you to 

let me help you," he entreated. "I wish I could click
my fingers and give 

you all the happiness you deserve." 

 

"You know, Harm. Giulia told me I reminded her of her
mother." She lowered 

her eyes and her voice thickened with emotion as she
confessed one of her 

deepest desires. "She thinks I could make a good
mother some day." 

 

Harm put a finger under her chin and titled her face
up towards his. 

"Sweetheart," he whispered and he tenderly kissed her
tears away, his own 

eyes suspiciously wet. "I know you would." 

 

"You're so good to me, Harm." Mac thanked God that she
had such a wonderful 

man to love her and take care of her. "I am happy.
Really, I am. I know I'll 

find the strength to face this somehow as long as I
have you." 

 

"You know I love you." His green eyes were deep liquid
pools of sincerity as 

he declared the depth of his feelings for her. Every
time he looked at her 

that way she fell in love with him all over again. 

 

"And I love you, Harm." Her face shone as she leaned
in to kiss him full on 

the tempting curve of his lips. "I hate it when we
quarrel. This was our 

first lovers' tiff. I guess it had to happen sooner or
later." 

 

Harm's mouth turned upwards lazily, his eyes dancing.
"Well, I knew it 

wouldn't always be plain sailing when we got
together," he said in a lighter 

tone. "I don't mind so much if we quarrel as long as
we can make up 

afterwards." His eyebrows quirked suggestively. 

 

Mac returned his irresistible smile with an enticing
one of her own. 

Deliberately, she ran her hand tantalisingly up and
down his hard thigh as 

it lay over her legs. "Harm, let's not waste any more
time. Let's get 

married soon. I don't want to wait any longer." 

 

"Just say when, Mac." Harm replied, his voice tight as
he reacted to her 

soft caress. 

 

"How about a week from today?" She looked up at him
covertly, her hands 

circling in and becoming bolder. "It would give us the
time to tell our 

friends and the Admiral and make a minimum of
preparations." 

 

A wide grin lit up his features. "A week it is," he
answered moving closer, 

his thigh sliding down as he pressed into her. "I'm
holding you to that 

promise, Colonel. Think you can put up with my
idiosyncrasies?" 

 

"Oh, I have a trick or two up my sleeve." Her eyes
narrowed as he pushed 

against her intimately. "I can always deal you one of
my karate chops if you 

don't behave." 

 

They were back to their bantering. It was their own
way of chasing away 

their demons. Harm put on a pained _expression. 

 

"All this waiting and I'm getting a mean Marine for a
wife." 

 

"I can be mean if I want to," she conceded with a
slight laugh, the 

closeness of their bodies starting to wreak its sweet
havoc on her senses. 

Pushing her on her back Harm placed himself on top of
her, careful not to 

hurt her shoulder. She felt all her nerves tingle and
come alive as his 

lower body pressed flush against hers, the evidence of
his desire showing 

her what she was doing to him. 

 

"You can be very mean when you want to," he quipped
back, a teasing smile on 

his face. "But you can be other things as well." 

 

"Like what?" she asked pertly as he leaned over to
switch off the light and 

placed his arms on both sides of her. In the dark he
could hear the smile in 

her voice. 

 

"Like adorable." He dropped a kiss on each of her
eyelids. "Sweet." His lips 

grazed the corner of her mouth. "Loving," he whispered
huskily as he bit her 

earlobe and licked her ear, his come hither voice and
hot tongue sending 

shivers up her spine. 

 

"Mmm.. tell me more," she urged throatily, her hands
sliding over his 

shoulders and down the ridges of his back. They
travelled lower still and 

she arched against him. 

 

"Beautiful. sexy.desirable." As he uttered the words
he continued his 

seductive foray down her neck to the straps of her
night-gown. Pushing the 

garment down he kissed her shoulders and his lips
travelled down to the tops 

of her breasts. "The list goes on and on." He planted
a wet kiss in the 

cleft between the two proudly jutting globes. 

 

"Oh." she let out the breath she had been holding as
his tongue circled the 

peaks and he drew one erect tip into his mouth. She
surrendered to his slow 

assault on her senses. When the sweet torture grew too
much to bear she 

pulled his head up and caught his lips in a deep soul
searching kiss. "Make 

love to me, Harm," she pleaded wantonly. 

Harm obliged willingly, his powerful thrusts finding
an answering rhythm in 

the movement of her hips. Locked in a sweet embrace,
they both plummeted 

into their own private world of feeling where no one
else could intrude as 

he proceeded to prove his love for her over and over
again. 

 

DAY 10 

06.05 LOCAL 

DEPARTURE LOUNGE 

CAPODICHINO AIRPORT 

NAPLES 

 

"Thank you, Tony." Mac kissed his cheek and drew back
linking her hand with 

Harm's. 

 

You're very welcome, Mac. I hope this unfortunate
incident hasn't soured 

your opinion as far as Italy is concerned." Her warm
smile gave him his 

answer. 

 

"We couldn't have done this without you, Tony." Harm
shook his friend's 

hand. 

 

"Glad to be of help," Tony answered modestly. "Orsi
was arrested about the 

same time Mac and Giulia were rescued. He has a lot of
questions to answer 

to." 

 

"Do you think he'll talk?" Mac asked. 

 

"We're counting on that. I think that the rolls of
film we have on him plus 

Matthew's and Maria's testimony give us enough
evidence to lock him up and 

throw away the key. I'm sure he's interested in
earning a few years' respite 

from his long-term holiday." Tony grinned at them.
"What about Matthew?" 

 

"Well, his Navy career is ruined." Harm's eyes turned
serious. "He's 

pleading guilty, naturally and runs the risk of being
imprisoned for as long 

as six to eight years. Added to that he'll probably be
punished with 

forfeiture of all Navy pay and benefits plus a
dishonourable discharge." 

 

"What did his defence lawyer say?" Tony asked. 

 

"He's going to try and obtain a pre-trial agreement
for him to serve only 18 

months in prison seeing how collaborative he was with
the police. If he 

abides by the agreement he could be out of jail before
his 23rd birthday." 

Harm answered. 

 

"I'll try to give him a hand on that," Tony replied. 

 

"He's still so young," Mac added. "Let's hope the way
he jeopardised his 

sister's life will make him think twice about the
choices he makes in the 

future." 

 

"Well, I guess this is goodbye. I really have to get
back to headquarters," 

Tony concluded. 

 

"Hey, Tony." Harm stopped him, a mischievous smile
playing around his lips. 

"If you ever feel like coming up to Washington just
give me a call. We'll 

treat you to a typical Rabb breakfast." 

 

"Oh? And what would that be?" Tony asked in amusement.


 

"Lots of pancakes and strong coffee," Mac butted in as
Harm chuckled. "Harm 

makes the pancakes himself. I can vouch for them." 

 

"Well, maybe I'll take you up on that soon." Tony
replied with another grin. 

"And if you're ever out of a job, Harm, we're always
on the look out for a 

good marksman. You do need to brush up on your
Italian, though." 

 

"Languages aren't the Commander's forte," the Admiral
intervened as he came 

up and shook Tony's hand. "It's been a pleasure
working with you, Tony." 

"My thoughts exactly, Admiral. Who knows, maybe I'll
get to see you all 

again sometime. Rabb here has offered to put me up if
I decide to come for a 

visit. I hope you'll excuse me but I'm already late
for an appointment. 

Goodbye, sir." They watched as he left the airport. 

 

"Well?" A.J. turned his gaze on the two senior
attorneys before him, staring 

pointedly at their joined hands. "Is there something
you want to tell me, 

Commander?" 

 

Harm looked over at Mac and they shared a secret
smile. "Yes, sir...I have 

asked Mac to marry me and . against her better
judgement she has accepted." 

 

The Admiral placed a hand on each of their shoulders
and leaned his head in 

close to theirs, a conspiratorial _expression in his
eyes. "Great news. I see 

you two have finally come to your senses." Turning
round he started walking 

towards the departure gate entrance, with Harm and Mac
staring after him, a 

priceless look on both their faces. "Let's go, people.
We have a plane to 

catch." 

 

EPILOGUE 

 

4 YEARS LATER 

13.00 ZULU 

BARNARD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 

WASHINGTON D.C. 

 

The young elementary school teacher stood in the
December sunshine watching 

over her class of six year-olds running around in the
playground. A male 

colleague of hers came up to her. 

 

"Hey, Susan, here I am. I'll take over now. You go on
and finish what you 

were doing." 

 

Susan thanked her friend as he took her post amidst
the children. 

Back in her class, she sat down and contemplated the
stack of sheets on her 

desk waiting to be corrected. Picking up the first one
she studied the 

paragraph she had assigned for homework the day
before. The title on it ran, 

"A person I admire - by Stephen Rabb." Susan picked up
her red pen and 

started reading. 

 

"The person I admire most is my father Harmon Rabb. He
is very tall and 

strong. He is a JAG lawyer but sometimes he flies
planes for the Navy, too. 

Mummy is a lawyer too but she works at the Pentagon.
She says that if I am 

good in a few years' time I can go up in Daddy's
yellow plane, Sarah. My 

mummy's name is Sarah, too, but Daddy always calls her
Mac. She says Daddy 

is a very good pilot so he can teach me to fly
someday. When my sister Jenny 

and I were very little we were all alone but Mummy and
Daddy came for us and 

took us home with them. My Daddy says we will always
be a family no matter 

what. I love playing baseball with my Dad and video
games too, especially 

the ones with the planes. He is very good but I always
win. He says it's 

because I have much more time to practice than he
does. But I think that 

sometimes he lets me win on purpose. When my sister
Jenny cries, Daddy picks 

her up and they both spin round and round until she
stops crying and starts 

laughing instead. When I grow up I want to become a
pilot and a lawyer just 

like my Daddy. Mummy, Jenny and I all love him very,
very much." 

 

"Susan?" A female voice distracted the schoolteacher
from her reading. 

 

"Oh, hello, Mrs. Rabb." Susan smiled up at Stephen's
mother who was standing 

in the doorway. A tall man in uniform came up behind
her carrying a small 

girl of four on his arm. "We're looking for Stephen."
The woman's smile was 

beautiful. 

 

"He's in the playground with the others." Getting up,
Susan accompanied them 

outside. As soon as they emerged in the sunlight a
little dark haired boy 

came running up and slammed straight into his mother's
waiting arms. 

 

"Hey, Mum. Did you get the surprise?" 

 

Mac looked down at her son's freckled face as he
looked up at her adoringly, 

jumping impatiently up and down. She exchanged an
amused look with Harm. 

"Hello to you too, squirt. Yes we did get the surprise
but you have to calm 

down." If he was already this excited she couldn't
begin to imagine what he 

would do when he saw the Labrador puppy waiting for
him at home. 

"Did you thank your teacher for letting you leave
early today for your 

birthday?" 

 

"Yes, Mum. I thanked her this morning. Do I have to do
it again?" 

 

Mac's lips twitched. "No. Go get your school bag," she
urged. 

 

"Yes, ma'am," the little boy saluted and ran off
inside. It was a little 

game they played at home. The boy was already crazy
about the military. 

 

"Thank you for allowing my son to leave early today,
Susan." Harm smiled 

down at Stephen's teacher who felt her heartbeat
accelerating as she looked 

up at the Commander's dazzling green eyes. If she
wasn't already engaged to 

her Tim she could think of another couple of things to
admire in the man 

besides the ones Stephen had mentioned. She hoped
things would turn out as 

well for her and her fiancée. It was plain for all to
see that the Commander 

had eyes only for his wife. Mrs. Rabb was one lucky
woman. 

 

"That's all right, sir. We'll be working on the school
play anyway, so he 

won't be missing anything important." 

 

"All set, Mum." Stephen ran back out and trustingly
slipped one grubby hand 

into that of his mother. 

 

"Shall we go, Jenny?" Harm spoke to the shy little
girl with the long black 

hair clinging to his shoulders and kissed her cheek. 

 

"Yes, Daddy," she replied beaming down at him and Mac.
Susan watched as Harm 

put his arm around Mac's shoulder. 

 

"Come on, Mac," he looked at her with what could only
be described as love 

in his eyes. "Let's go home." 

 

THE END