TITLE: "Nor Iron Bars a Cage"
                       AUTHORS:  Anne R. and Pat
Steiner
                        NOTE:  This is a stand alone
story, having nothing to do with any other series 
or story that is in our repertoire.
                       SUMMARY:    A man behind bars
and in trouble and a woman who will do 
almost anything, to include risking her life, to help.
 Story is set early Summer, 2002, post-
Enemy Below, though the events depicted there are not
a factor.
                       CLASSIFICATION/RATING:  
J/S/R/A    PG for language and mild violence.
                       SPOILERS:  In any of our work,
any JAG episode may be referred to.
                       FEEDBACK:  If you're so moved
but never expected nor begged for.  Addy is 
ssbpmn@aol.com.  Please however, we request you
respect the work, and the effort that goes 
into writing it.
                       NOTE:  All parts of this story
and previous chapters, as well as much of our 
other works, are available at 
                                     
                                                 
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containing our stories:
                                     
                                         
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not always up and running]
                                     
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http://destined.to/btlarchive - {BTL H/M Fanfiction
archive.}
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Nor Iron Bars a Cage"

"Good there you are," Harm called, spotting Mac
leaning up against the outer wall of her office, 
starting intently at a piece of paper, balanced atop a
pile of folders and other paper.  "Mac the 
admiral wants to know if we're going to be ready with
the Noland thirty-two this afternoon."

When she did not answer, he walked up behind and put a
hand on her shoulder.  "Mac?"

She actually physically jumped, and at the same time
slammed her palm flat onto the paper 
from which she was reading and then crumpled it into a
ball.

"What the hell is the matter with you, walking up
behind someone to scare them to death," she 
raged, much to his surprise, and he pulled back at
once, throwing his hands up in surrender.
 
"Hey look I'm sorry," he gasped.  "But I've got things
on my mind too, and I didn't need the 
Admiral chewing my six about this case.  You know you
and I have had three dates to eat 
pizza and work on that along with some other nagging
cases and you've broken every one."

"Since when are we dating," she demanded testily.

"Since never OK.  Just substitute appointment for date
in the sentence.  We were supposed to 
spend time working on it anyway.  But you haven't been
able to fit that into your busy 
schedule."  

"Sorry.  Since we got back there's been a lot going
on.  Things got real behind.  I'm sorry."

"Stop being sorry and just tell me if we can have
something even if it's tentative on Noland for 
this afternoon," he told her, shaking his head.  They
had been back from Afghanistan for three 
weeks now, and almost at once she had seemed
distracted and preoccupied, as if she was 
dealing with something--something she did not care to
share.

"Come back in an hour and I promise we can work up
something so at least he knows we 
haven't neglected it."

"Yeah OK I can do that," he nodded, still mystified.  

"OK," she whispered and for a fleeting second he
imagined she had given him a pleading look 
before her face once again blanked and she ran into
her office.

Still shaking his head he started across the bullpen
only to be intercepted by Sturgis.  "What 
the hell is wrong with Mac?" 

Harm gave out an exasperated snort.  "Hell if I know. 
I'm only her partner and her best friend 
and the man who. . ."  Just in time he bit back
anything further that might have come rolling 
out.

"Something's eating at her.  I've been needing to talk
to her for three days about a case and 
we don't get anywhere.  Yesterday I asked her when a
writ she was working on was going to 
be done and I swear if she'd been armed I'd been a
dead man."

Harm shook his head and shrugged helplessly.  "Look if
I could figure her--or any woman for 
that matter--out I'd write a book and become rich. 
I've got an appointment with her--which that 
alone shows the situation is becoming ludicrous--in an
hour.  Maybe I can get her to talk to 
me."

"You might try that somewhere away from here," Sturgis
suggested lightly.

"Like I haven't thought of that," Harm groaned,
walking away.
 
  At the appointed time he returned to her office,
only to find it was empty.
  
  "Okay this works well" he sighed as he looked around
the bullpen for any 
  sign of her.
  
  "Sir, have you seen the Colonel?" Tiner asked as he
walked over to Mac's 
  office. "I have an overseas call from Commander
Brumby and he doesn't want 
  to leave a message."
  
  "No I haven't" Harm snapped. "Do I look like her
keeper?"
  
  "Sorry sir" Tiner said quickly before hurrying back
to his desk.
  
  "Brumby" Harm muttered. Of course it had to be
Brumby. She obviously had 
  been corresponding with him again and now he was
calling for her. "Probably 
  on his way over and wants to set up a meeting with
her."
  
  "Hey where's Mac?" Sturgis asked as he walked over
to him. "I thought you 
  two had an appointment."
  
  "Not in this life" Harm sighed before heading to his
office and slamming the 
  door after him.
  
  Sturgis was still standing there shaking his head
when Mac came tearing 
  through the bullpen towards her office.
  
  "Hey Mac" Sturgis started.
  
  "Not now" she said as she pushed past him and into
her office, the door 
  slamming a second later.
 
  "Okay I think I should stay out of this one" Sturgis
murmured to himself 
  before heading to his office.
  
  It was after hours when Harm finally emerged from
his office, having spent 
  the rest of the afternoon there. Fortunately the
Admiral seemed to have 
  forgotten the Noland case and with a sigh he
realized they'd have to deal 
  with it tomorrow.  He was on his way across the
bullpen when her door opened 
  and a sullen Sarah Mackenzie emerged.
  
  "Do you think you can spare a minute for the Noland
case tomorrow?" he asked 
  as they stood at the elevator.
  
  "Why didn't you remind me?" she sighed. "Didn't I
tell you to come back in 
  an hour?"
  
  "I did. You weren't around."
  
  "Yes I was."
  
  "You weren't in your office when I went there."
  
  "I do have other things on my mind Commander" she
snapped. "And you could 
  have waited for me. And why didn't you come back
later?"
  
  "I was busy too" he retorted. "You're not the only
one who has a full load 
  around here you know."
  
  The doors to the elevator opened and they both
stepped inside. They road 
  down in silence and once the doors opened she
quickly sprinted out of the 
  elevator and to the parking lot.
  
  "Nice going Rabb" he muttered to himself as her
Vette peeled out of the 
  parking lot a few seconds later. With a long sigh he
headed to his car. If 
  she was involved with Mic again, there was nothing
he could do about it.
  
  Two hours later he was flipping channels and nursing
his second bottle of 
  beer when someone knocked at his door.
  
  "Hi" Mac said quietly when he opened the door.
  
  "This is a surprise. You're the last person I
expected to see here."
  
  "Yeah well I know I was a little rough earlier. And
I'm sorry. I just have a 
  lot on my mind."
  
  "So I guessed" he said as he motioned for her to
come inside. "And nothing 
  you want to share."
  
  "There's nothing to share. Just something I have to
work out myself."
  
  "I see," he said quietly, his mind picturing her and
Mic together again. "So 
  did you stop by for a reason?"
  
  "I thought maybe we could handle Noland tonight.
Unless of course you've got 
  other plans."
  
  "No of course not. Have a seat. Any reason for the
sudden interest in 
  Noland?"
  
  "I don't want the Admiral to hang us for not getting
this done" she said as 
  she sat down. "So I figured we'd be ready in the
morning with it."
  
   "Well OK but we could have taken care of it in the
first hour or so," he said, unsure as to why 
it was suddenly urgent when it had not been up until
now.
 
 "I know but this way the day is clear for other
things," she told him, heading for the table and 
spreading out the case file.  "You could put on some
coffee."
 
 "Yeah you got it," he nodded, still puzzled.  He
busied himself with the Mr. Coffee and then 
with elaborate casualness went on, "by the way did
Tiner find you earlier?  He had a call for 
you.  Said it was from Australia."
 
 "Yeah he did.  And yes it was Mic, as if you didn't
already know," she smiled and blushed.  
"Just a little business we needed to clear up.  No
biggie."
 
 "OK."  He took a long breath before turning around,
adding a silent prayer that the man was 
not returning to haunt his life, and to destroy the
beginning he had made with her.  "Let's get to 
this case shall we before the Admiral is forced to
conclude he no longer needs us on staff."
 
 For the next three hours the conversation was limited
to case talk, and finally they had a 
reasonable plan of attack to present.  "OK that wasn't
so bad once we got to it," she sighed, 
her head lolling forward as she tried to rub some life
back into the back of her neck.
 
 "Let me give you a hand," he offered, rising and
coming behind her.  His long fingers went to 
work as he gently but firmly kneaded protesting tight
muscles.
 
 "Rabb you should do this as a moonlighting job," she
declared with a soft moan.  "Thank you.  
And now I'm going to get out of here.  I've got an
early. . .I mean I have to get up early."
 
 "Because?"
 
 "Because I have to come to work dumb-ass," she
chortled.  "I'm glad we had this time.  It's 
been fun."
 
 "Mac we drank lousy coffee and worked on a case," he
told her, helping her to gather her 
papers.  
 
 "Yeah but it's always like old times when we do
that," she smiled.  "Plus I did feel bad for how I 
treated you this afternoon.  You didn't deserve that. 
We're better than that.  I've just. . .well 
something has been on my mind and I need to get it
resolved."
 
 "OK.  I can respect that," he nodded.  "But
Mac---talk to your friends, remember?"
 
 "When the time is right," she smiled, feeling a
sudden rush to tears and that was the last thing 
she wanted to show him.  "Good night Flyboy."  As
quickly as possible she made her way to 
the door, Harm on her heels however, and his large
hand stopped it from opening.
 
 "I want to help," he persisted.
 
 "I know, and I love that you do, but it's something I
need to handle," she told him over her 
shoulder.  "Please.  If you care about me at all
you'll understand that."
 
 His shoulders slumped and he removed his hand.  "Good
night Mac."
 
 "Night."  She was nearly through the door when she
turned back, and to his undying surprise, 
placed a gentle kiss at the corner of his mouth,
slipping through the door before he could react.  

  "Mac what is going on with you?" he murmured to
himself. With a long sigh he 
  closed the door and headed to the window, watching
her climb inside the 
  Vette before it hurried off.
  
  ****************
  JAG  HQ
  Next Morning
  
  It was with a frown that Harm stepped off the
elevator. He'd noticed at once 
  Mac's car wasn't there and the dark office told him
she hadn't arrived by 
  other means. After a restless night of wondering
what was going on with her 
  he'd come to work determined to find out what was
bothering her.
  
  "Mr. Rabb there you are" AJ said as he made his way
through the bullpen. "We 
  need to talk this morning. Your partner has taken
some time off and you're 
  going to need to handle her stuff while she's away."
  
  "Time off" Harm said quietly, his hopes of talking
to Mac suddenly gone. 
  "For what?"
  
  "I don't know. She said it was personal and
requested the rest of the week 
  off."
  
  "You didn't ask her for what?" Harm demanded.
  
  "No Mr. Rabb I did not" AJ said with mild amusement.
"I would have if I'd 
  talked to her but she left me a voice mail."
  
  "She knew she was leaving" Harm muttered.
  
  "Excuse me. Something I should know about
Commander?"
  
  "She came by last night to work on Noland" Harm
sighed. "I wondered what her 
  hurry was."
  
  "Good. I was just going to ask you about that. So
you're all set there?"
  
  "Yes sir" Harm sighed. "I'll handle it while Mac
goes off to meet her 
  lover."
  
  "Did I miss something here?" AJ asked with genuine
confusion. "Did you say 
  meet her lover? Last time I noticed the Colonel
wasn't with anyone."
  
  "Ex-lover then. That idiot from Australia" Harm said
before walking away.
  
  "Commander maybe you and I should chat a little
more" AJ sighed. "In my 
  office would be better. I'll see you there after
you've gotten your coffee."
  
  Harm nodded and headed to his office. He wasn't
surprised to see the message 
  light blinking and immediately he reached for the
phone.
  
  "Hi Harm. I'm sorry to do this to you on such short
notice. But I need some 
  time to take care of something. If I don't do it
now, it's going to drive me 
  crazy. I'm sorry for not telling you last night but
I need to do this. And I 
  didn't want you to try to stop me. I hope we can
talk when I get back."
  
  "Stop you from making the same mistake twice" Harm
muttered as he dropped 
  the phone. "I never stopped you the first time."
  
  **************
  Aboard a plane Sarah Mackenzie sat quietly, her mind
on several things. But 
  a certain tall and handsome sailor was the one thing
she couldn't seem to 
  shake. The kiss had been an impulse thing and now
every time she closed her 
  eyes she could imagine they were kissing again.
She'd almost opened up to 
  him about what she was doing but at the last second
had backed away. He 
  would have tried to stop her from doing this and she
had to. He needed her 
  and she had to help him.
  
  The seatbelt seat came on again as the Captain
announced they would be 
  landing shortly.  A short time later the plane
pulled to a stop at the gate 
  and she quickly made her way off.  She still had a
two-hour drive and she 
  wanted to get there before lunch. It didn't take
long to secure her rental 
  car and soon she was on her way to Leavenworth.
  
  *************
  JAG HQ's
  Same Time
  
  "So are we better now that we've had our coffee?" AJ
asked as Harm sank into 
  a chair in front of his desk. "Or is that scowl a
permanent fixture until 
  your partner returns?"
  
  "I don't care what my partner does."
  
  "Yeah and I've got some land for sale in Florida
real cheap" AJ smiled. 
  "Look I may be your CO but I'm not blind to what's
going on with you two."
  
  "Sir there's nothing go on with us" Harm sighed. "At
least there never will 
  be now that she's gone back to Brumby."
 
 "Rabb get a grip will you," AJ scoffed.  "Nowhere
does it say she's gone back to Brumby.  She 
took some time--had some business.  Big deal.  It
happens to all of us.  Something with her 
mom maybe; maybe she's got something on her mind she
needed to take some time to work 
through.  Maybe she just felt like a few days on a
beach somewhere would do wonders.  
Maybe she needed some kind of medical treatment."
 
 "Oh that makes me feel a helluva lot better," he
groaned, as a look of panic passed across his 
features.
 
 "Point is---you're borrowing trouble mister.  Go to
work.  My hunch is she'll be in touch.  And 
my gut feeling is if you try to press her here when
she obviously does not want you to, you're 
going to only do harm."
 
 "And if she and the Australian bozo are trying again?
 I'm just supposed to smile and be happy 
about it?"
 
 "In that unlikely event, if you want to keep her as a
friend, in a word---yes."
 
 It was as if a giant brick hit him in the belly and
his head slumped to his chest. "Yes sir.  
Permission to be dismissed."
 
 "To go brood, no.  To get done whatever the Navy pays
you for, by all means."
 
 "Yes sir, thank you."  He executed his dismissal turn
and AJ held his breath, counting five. 
.six. .seven. . .When he got to fifteen he heard the
Rabb office door slam.   "Right on cue.  
Rabb you are so predictable."
 ==============
 The two hour drive to Leavenworth was long, but
finally the gray buildings loomed before her.  
"OK Mackenzie, suck it up and prepare to get into
trouble," she whispered as she pulled up to 
the guard shack, proffering her ID.
 
 "Lieutenant Colonel Sarah Mackenzie, JAG HQ. 
Commandant Brinkley is expecting me."
 
 The guard saluted her sharply.  "Yes ma'am.  Follow
the driveway, first right, second left takes 
you right to his HQ."
 
 With another quick prayer that she could pull this
off, Mac was shortly marching into Brinkley's 
office. 
 
 "Colonel Mackenzie, welcome to Leavenworth," Brinkley
smiled, holding out his hand.
 
 "Colonel Brinkley thank you for seeing me," Mac
smiled with as much ease as she could 
muster. 
 
 "Sit please.  May my aide bring you something to
drink?"
 
 "Thanks I'm fine."
 
 "Then maybe we could get to the point of your visit?"
 His tone held just a twinge of sharpness 
and Mac took a deep breath.
 
 "Yes please.  Sir I'm investigating allegations of
misconduct on the part of your staff here.  
Specifically those who mix with the prison
population."
 
 Brinkley's eyes narrowed.  "You care to share details
Colonel, and do you have proof?"
 
 "No.  This is why they're allegations," she replied
calmly.  "I have it on good authority however 
that for one thing, your guards are selling
protection."
 
 "Excuse me?  Define that if you would."
 
 "Certainly.  Protection as in looking the other way
if there's an altercation and the victim is one 
who turned down an offer of protection.  Like a shop
owner in New York or L.A. paying the 
local street hood to keep his shop from being
vandalized or worse."  Mac sat back in her chair 
and studied Brinkley's face. 

"I don't suppose you're going to tell me who made
these allegations?"
 
 "No sir."  At the same time she sent a prayer
skyward.  "Please don't let him know Matthew 
O'Hara is my uncle."
   
  "I'd like to know who's making these allegations"
Brinkley continued.
  
  "I'm not at liberty to say sir. At least not until
I've had a chance to 
  investigate the allegations."
  
  "Well I can assure you that whoever's making those
allegations is lying. And 
  I'm sure their motive is to find a quick way out of
here and it's not going 
  to work. I trust my men and the behavior you're
talking about does not 
  happen here."
  
  "Well that's what I'm here to find out. And I will
find out the truth."
  
  "Look Colonel you can investigate all you want. You
won't find any 
  misconduct here."
  
  "I hope not," she said as she rose from her seat. "I
trust I will be given 
  access to conduct my investigation. Including
talking to some of the inmates 
  and guards."
  
  "Of course. We have nothing to hide here Colonel.
And to make sure you can 
  properly conduct your investigation I'm going to
assign Major Jack Roush to 
  assist you with whatever you might need."
  
  "Thank you sir. I appreciate that. And I'd also like
to get started as soon 
  as possible."
  
  She was exhausted by the time she reached her hotel
room at the end of the 
  day. Major Roush had been helpful but Mac wasn't
about to trust anyone.  She 
  had purposely avoided Uncle Matt's area the first
day, not wanting anyone to 
  realize the connection between her and him. Tomorrow
she would see him and 
  find out for herself if he really was okay. His
letters about the activities 
  at Leavenworth had sent chills down her spine and
there was no way she could 
  ignore what was happening to him.  Her mind drifted
to Harm again and 
  several times she reached for the phone to call him
and tell him where she 
  was and what she was doing. But she couldn't. She
would risk her own career 
  to help her Uncle but she wouldn't allow Harm to do
the same. She would have 
  to handle this on her own.
  
  ****************
  JAG HQ's
  Two Days Later
  
  "Harm that was way too easy" Sturgis smiled as they
walked back from the 
  courtroom. "Not that I don't mind winning but we
both know my client was 
  guiltier than hell. What's up with you?"
  
  "Nothing" Harm muttered.
  
  "Yeah I'll bet. More like you're worried about where
a certain Marine 
  Colonel is at this moment."
  
  "Since she's likely with Bugme I'd rather not think
about it" Harm 
  countered.
  
  "Harm you have no proof of that. She could be
anywhere."
  
  "If she were anywhere why wouldn't she have told me?
Told anybody for that 
  matter. Why be so secretive about it?"
  
  "Maybe the woman just wanted some time alone"
Sturgis offered. "To get her 
  head straight about what's going on with you two."
  
  "There is nothing going on with us" Harm sighed.
"And there never will be."
  
  "Okay Mr. Doom and Gloom. I was going to see if you
wanted to go out for 
  beer and a pizza but maybe that's not such a good
idea. You obviously want 
  to brood the rest of the evening."
  
  "No actually I don't. So I'll take you up on your
offer."
  
  "You're buying right?" Sturgis teased.
  
  "Don't push your luck buddy" Harm groaned.
  
  "Lighten up Harm. I'm just joking. You really are
all uptight about Mac 
  being gone aren't you?"
  
  "Only every time I close my eyes and see her with
Brumby again" Harm sighed. 
  "I can't believe she'd go back to that idiot again."
  
  "Well she wasn't getting any better offers here."
  
  "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
  
  "It means you are so blind sometimes Rabb" Sturgis
sighed. "You can't see 
  what's right in front of you. And it's been there
for a while. Waiting 
  patiently for you to get your head out of your six."
  
  Harm gave him a withering stare.  "It's pretty far
out there now I think.  I mean what does she 
want from me--flowers and candy and . . ."
 
 He stopped when he caught Sturgis's patient smile.  
 
 "Turner, Mac isn't like that.  That's not the kind of
stuff that would impress her."
 
 "And you know this because?  Get real Rabb.  You
don't want her with anyone else but you're 
not making any moves yourself.  Just how long do you
expect that to wash with her?  Now I 
doubt very seriously she's gone back to someone who
was obviously a past mistake, but if she 
has it's because she's a beautiful woman with a
helluva lot to offer a guy."
 
Harm hit him with another glare between the eyes. 
"Are you saying you could be interested?"
 
 "Yeah maybe at one time.  Before I knew exactly what
I was stepping in." Sturgis admitted 
candidly.  "But it would never work.  First she and I
are friends and that kind of friendship 
doesn't translate into more, unlike yours.  Secondly,
I wouldn't do that to you, and thirdly--most 
important--it's you she cares for."
 
 "This conversation is over," Harm sighed tiredly.
 ==============
 FT. LEAVENWORTH
 
 "Colonel I feel I should stay with you," Roush
insisted, having shown her to the cellblock 
where Matthew O'Hara was assigned.
 
 "Major we have been over this," Mac said with as much
patience as she could muster.  "I need 
to talk candidly to these people, and if you'll pardon
me for stating the obvious, in there you are 
considered the Commandant's boy.  If I'm going to find
out what I came here for--to prove or 
disprove the allegations--then I need candidness from
these men.  Thank you for bringing me 
this far.  I'll have the guard page you soon as I'm
done."
 
 "Ma'am. . ."
 
 "Dismissed Major," she told him crisply, nodding to
the guard to let her through, and to let 
Roush out.
 
 "Ma'am pardon me for speaking up," the young man
smiled as he opened the heavy door 
when they were alone, "but that was great.  No one
ever--that I've ever seen--has stood up to 
him like that."
 
 "I'm just trying to do my job Corporal Harris," Mac
smiled, reading his name on his uniform. "In 
fact you might be of some help.  It doesn't sound to
me like you've any love lost between you 
and the Brinkley-Roush team.  Would you like to talk
to me?"
 
 "Can it be off the record?"
 
 "Name the time and place."
 
 "I'll get back to you ma'am."
 
 "You do that, now excuse me please."  She walked into
the cell block, smiling tolerantly at the 
looks she was receiving, from the guards as well as
the prison population.  As she had been 
promised, there was a small table in the back of the
dayroom set up for her, and the first of her 
interviews was already there waiting.  On purpose she
had listed several other names ahead 
and after Matt's, not wanting to call attention to
him.  
 
 When he approached her desk, not having been told it
was her, his mouth dropped open and 
he shook his head in surprise and shock.  "Child what
in god's name do you think you're 
doing?" he gasped.  "Whatever possessed you to come
here?  Is Harm with you?"
 
 "Ssshh, keep your voice down," Mac cautioned.  "What
else could I do when I got your letters.  
No Harm isn't with me.  He doesn't know where I am. 
In fact I'm on leave."
 
 "You're here alone?  Have you lost what common sense
God granted you?  I never meant for 
you to come.  I figured you'd simply get an
investigation started."
 
 "And if the facts I gathered didn't warrant, then I
would have been told no.  This way I'm here 
and no one has to know I bluffed my way in here.  Now
enough of that."  She pulled out her 
legal tablet and looked at him expectantly.  "What can
you tell me that I don't already know."
   
  "Sarah this is crazy" Uncle Matt hissed. "I want you
out of here. Now."
  
  "I can't. I'm in now and I'm staying. I'm not going
to let this continue. 
  Now tell me what else is going on."
  
  "How much did you tell Brinkley?" he asked.
  
  "Nothing. Just the basics. I never mentioned your
name of course. He didn't 
  like that I was here. And he assigned Major Roush to
stay with me."
  
  "Roush is bad Sarah. He's up to his ears in this
mess. Stay away from him."
  
  "Hard to do when he's assigned to be my assistant"
Mac sighed. "I barely got 
  him to let me conduct the interviews alone."
  
  "I don't want you alone with him" Uncle Matt said
seriously. "I mean it 
  Sarah. He's trouble. I don't want anything to happen
to you."
  
  "Well I don't want anything to happen to you either"
she whispered. "Why do 
  you think I came out here?"
  
  "I would have thought you would have brought your
sailor with you at least. 
  I don't like the fact that you're handling this
alone. Especially when 
  you're doing it under false pretenses."
  
  "And that's exactly why I didn't tell Harm. I don't
mind putting my career 
  at risk for you. But I don't want him doing the
same."
  
  "Well you could have at least given him the choice.
Seeing as how he stuck 
  his neck out for me the first time around."
  
  "He's a good man Uncle Matt" Mac said softly. "And
yes he probably would 
  have agreed to do this but I don't want him mixed up
in this."
  
  "So you stick your neck out alone instead" Uncle
Matt sighed. "Sarah this is 
  a dangerous place. I can handle myself in here but
I'm not sure you realize 
  what you're going up against here."
  
  "I can handle myself too. Now is there anything else
you can tell me?"
  
  "Just watch your back Sarah. I mean it."
  
  "Do you trust Corporal Harris?" she asked. "He
seemed willing to talk about 
  Roush."
  
  "Harris is okay. He's on the right side."
  
  "Good. Then I'll arrange to meet him after hours. He
might be able to give 
  me something concrete to use against Roush."
  
  "Just be careful please" Uncle Matt begged. "I
really wish you weren't here 
  alone."
  
  "I'll be fine. Just take care of yourself for me
please" she said softy. 
  "You're all I got Uncle Matt. I don't want to lose
you."
  
  She spent the remainder of the day interview the
other inmates, not learning 
  much more than she already knew. She could tell
several wanted to talk but 
  seemed afraid and she made notes to try them again
later.
  
  As she had the prior two nights she headed to her
hotel nearby the prison. 
  Uncle Matt's warning rang through her head as she
made her way down the long 
  corridor to her room. She would have to be careful
while she was here. 
  Careful that Brinkley didn't find out that she was
there unofficially and 
  careful that they didn't find out her connection to
Uncle Matt. She juggled 
  her purse and briefcase as she dug for her room key,
turning around quickly 
  when she suddenly got the feeling she was being
watched. She looked around 
  the long corridor but saw nothing and she quickly
made her way into the 
  room, locking and dead bolting it behind her. Her
heart racing she dropped 
  her stuff on the bed before going back to the door
and looking through the 
  peephole. The corridor was empty and with a sigh she
dropped to the bed.
  
  "It's just your imagination Mackenzie" she sighed.
"No one is there."
  
  But at the same time she had to resist the urge to
pick up the phone and 
  call Harm. She would feel better if he were with
her. And she had no doubt 
  that he would come if she asked. But she couldn't
place him in that 
  situation. Not when she could handle it herself.
  
  *************
  JAG HQ's
  The Next Morning
  
  "Morning Harm" Sturgis smiled as his friend walked
off the elevator.
  
  "What's good about it?" Harm growled.
  
  "I didn't know you were so grouchy when you were
hung over" Sturgis teased. 
  "Course three beers shouldn't have been enough to
get you drunk."
  
  "I'm not hung over."
  
  "Okay so you're just grouchy as usual" Sturgis
sighed. "I know better than 
  to deal with you when you're in this mood." He
walked away and Harm 
  continued to his office, the scowl never leaving his
face. He was grouchy 
  and he didn't care. Waking up with nightmares of Mac
and Brumby for the 
  third night in a row was doing nothing for his mood.
 
 That same mood suffered no improvement over the next
two days and the JAG staff came to 
ignore him. 
 
 For Mac, her concern was not so easily ignored.  It
had started with that feeling her room was 
being watched, progressing to feeling eyes boring into
her as she moved among the guard and 
inmate population.  Major Roush increasingly attempted
to stick to her, and even more 
alarming was the fact that Harris, the guard who had
agreed to talk to her had disappeared.  
 
 "Family emergency leave," Roush had claimed.
 
 "Right and I'm going to be directly appointed
Admiral," she had muttered under her breath.
 
 Next the messages started.  On her voice mail at
first, warning her to back off.  One on her 
hotel room door and one on her car later.  All only
serving to get her back up.  To activate her 
Marine stubbornness and pride.  She would not be
chased off.  The fact that someone wanted 
her gone meant that she was onto something.  The fact
that she was being warned instead of 
harmed meant that the people were smart enough to know
the death of a JAG officer would 
bring down a formal investigation.
 
 At 8PM on her fifth night there she came back to her
room from using the copy machine in the 
hotel's business center.  Gone only fifteen minutes,
she sensed something wrong as soon as 
she walked back in.  
 
 The cloth doll was on her pillow.  Dressed as a woman
Marine officer, twelve inches long, with 
a steak knife through its middle.  The note lying next
to it said "you've used up your last chance 
to get out.  Prepare to meet your Maker."
 
 Her hands shook as she held the doll and the note as
cold fear swept over her, followed by 
another wave, this one of anger.  She would not run. 
She would not leave her Uncle Matt.  
Angrily she threw the doll against the far wall and
sank down onto the bed, wanting to cry and 
yet not wanting to give in.  What she did want was. .
.Harm.  She needed him.  Her resolve to 
leave him out was cracking under the weight of this
threat, and before she could think and 
perhaps change her mind, she was dialing his number,
praying he was home. 
 
 At Harm's apartment the phone rang at the same time
the last hope of the baseball team 
struck out for the third out of the inning, and at the
same time he realized he was out of beer.  
Hence when he picked it up instead of the crisp voice
that normally went "Commander Rabb 
speaking", she got "Who the hell is this?"
      
  "I'm sorry" she started and at once he recognized
the voice.
  
  "Mac" he gulped. "Oh god I'm sorry. Please don't
hang up. Mac are you 
  there?"
  
  "I'm here," she said finally. "Look I'm sorry. I'm
obviously bothering 
  you.."
  
  "No" he said quickly. "You're not. I'm sorry. I
shouldn't have answered the 
  phone like that."
  
  "I shouldn't have called anyway. Just hang up and
pretend your phone never 
  rang."
  
  "Mac no. Don't hang up without at least telling me
why you called? And while 
  we're on the subject where are you?"
  
  "It's silly. Honestly. I was just being paranoid."
  
  "Why would you be paranoid?" he asked, the warning
bells going off in his 
  head. "Mac where are you and what's wrong?"
  
  "I'm in Leavenworth Kansas" she whispered.
  
  "Leavenworth. You're on vacation and you're in
Leavenworth? Mac talk to me. 
  What's going on here?"
  
  "I'm not here on vacation," she said quietly. "I'm
here because Uncle Matt 
  wrote me about some problems at the prison. So I
came out here and I'm 
  pretending to be conducting a JAG investigation."
  
  "You're what? Mac are you crazy? Do you know what
will happen in the Admiral 
  finds out what you're doing?"
  
  "I know and that's exactly why I shouldn't have even
called you. I don't 
  want you mixed up in this mess."
  
  "You called and I'm mixed up now. So tell me what's
going on. I know you 
  didn't just call me to tell me you were there. You
could have done that 
  before you left. Which by the way it would have been
nice if you'd told me 
  you were going away."
  
  "I'm sorry. I didn't want to tell you about this
because I knew you'd either 
  want to help or try and stop me."
  
  "Why would I want to stop you?" he asked. When she
didn't answer right away 
  he let out a long breath. "Mac what's going on out
there? What kind of 
  problems are there at the prison?"
  
  "A lot Harm" she whispered. "And none of it is good.
And I'm scared to death 
  for Uncle Matt. He's in the middle of this mess and
I'm afraid he's going to 
  get hurt. And I can't trust anyone here because I
think the Commandant is 
  behind it."
  
  "Mac I don't like this. You have got to stop this
investigation and let it 
  get handled through official channels."
  
  "I can't now" she sighed. "I'm in too deep."
  
  "Mac you're not telling me everything are you?
There's another reason why 
  you called isn't there?"
  
  "I started getting threats the other night" she said
quietly. "Warning me to 
  back off or else. When I got back to my room tonight
there was a doll 
  dressed in a Marine Uniform with a knife through
it."
  
  "Mac" Harm screeched. "Are you crazy? I want you out
of there now and on the 
  first plane home."
  
  "Harm I will not be bullied out of here" she said
firmly. "They're just 
  trying to scare me and it's not going to work."
  
  "Well if you're not scared for you I sure as hell
am. Mac I'm serious. I 
  don't want anything to happen to you."
  
  "I won't let them get away with this Harm. I can
bring them down if I can 
  just find enough people to help that aren't scared."
  
  "Okay I can see I'm talking to a brick wall here" he
sighed. "What hotel are 
  you staying at?"
  
  "Why?"
  
  "Because I'm getting on the first plane that's going
out there. I'm not 
  going to let you handle this alone."
  
  "Harm no. I won't let you risk your career like
this."
  
  "And I won't let you risk your life" he retorted.
"Because even if you don't 
  care about you, I sure as hell do."
  
  "You do?" she said with a small smile.
  
  "Yes I do Marine. Now where are you? I'm serious.
I'm going to call the 
  Admiral and tell him I need a few days off and I'm
coming out there to help 
  you."
  
  "Harm how do you know the Admiral will let you have
off?"
  
  "Oh trust me he will" Harm smiled. "I've been a bit
of a pain in the six 
  since you left. I'm sure he'll be more than happy to
have me gone for a few 
  days."
  
  "Why have you been a pain in the six?" she asked.
  
  "Because you left and I thought you were with
Brumby." The words rolled out 
  before he could stop them and he didn't miss her
laugh on the other end.
  
  "You thought I was with Mic?"
  
  "Well what else was I supposed to think?" he
demanded.
  
  "Harm, Mic-really?" she giggled, not that unhappy to
note the upset in his voice, and glad of 
anything to take her mind off her current situation
even if for a moment.
 
 "Yes Mic," he snapped.  "I mean you got a phone call
from the jerk. . .I mean the gentleman. . 
.just before you left."
 
 "Yeah I did," she smiled.  "He wanted two things.  He
had left some papers in a box in my 
storage closet that he needed, and the other thing was
to tell me that a sheila named 
Constance was wearing his ring."
 
 "Oh."
 
 "You're damn right oh," she giggled, "talk about
jumping to conclusions."
 
 "I stand corrected and quit changing the subject. 
Where are you staying and don't you dare 
fabricate something."
 
 "OK but I'm taking full responsibility for my actions
and for you coming," she sighed.  "No way 
are you getting in trouble on my account."
 
 "We can talk about that later.  Where?"
 
 "Red Roof Inn, two miles south of the main gate, room
229," she sighed.  "And much as I hate 
that I am, I'm glad you're coming.  You know it's not
easy for me to ask for help.  And if 
anything were to happen to you on my account. . ." 
Her voice trailed off and he chuckled 
lightly on this end.
 
 "Careful Marine, you're sailing into waters that are
about to reveal your feelings."
 
 "Sort of like you did before when you said you cared
about me?"
 
 That brought him up short.  "Yes.  Exactly," he
finally got out.  "OK now here's what's going to 
happen.  You're going to be sure you're locked up
good, and get some rest.  I'm going to check 
on flights and I'll be there soonest.  I'm betting
there's a red eye out of Reagan into KC 
tonight."
 
 "OK I can do that.  I wish you weren't coming, but
I'm glad you are.  See you soon."  With that 
she hung up the phone, burying her head into the
pillow in a moment of total frustration.  
Finally, determined to be ready to present the facts
of the case to Harm in a reasonable 
concise manner, she spread her files out before her
and started to work, turning the radio on 
for company.
 
 Three hours of staring at her notes and the computer
screen later, the tiredness grew too 
much and she put her head down onto her pillow.  In
her sleep, her alertness dulled by 
exhaustion and with the radio on, she did not hear the
master keycard being inserted into her 
door.  Not until the hand clamped around her head and
the cloth was covering her mouth did 
awareness that something was wrong hit.  By then she
could do no more than give a few weak 
kicks as she was forced to inhale the chloroform.  
 
 A minute later she went limp within her assailant's
grasp and he gave her a rough shove to the 
floor, dropping a folded piece of paper on top of her
still form.
   
  ************
  Harm was still thanking his good luck that he'd
managed to secure the last 
  seat on the last plane direct to Kansas City when
he'd reached the airport. 
  Now he simply had a forty five-minute drive to the
hotel and he'd be there 
  with her. He couldn't shake his apprehension about
her being there alone, 
  especially after the warnings she'd received.
  
  The Red Roof Inn finally loomed ahead of him and for
a moment he couldn't 
  decide if he should go to her room or get a room for
himself first. The 
  desire to see her quickly won over and he parked the
car outside her room. 
  He sprinted up the stairs to the second level doors
and knocked on the door 
  to room 229.
  
  "Mac it's me" he called. "Open up."
  
  He waited, knocking again a few seconds later when
he didn't hear any sound 
  from inside. "Mac you in there?" he called. "It's
me."
  
  He listened closely for the sound of water thinking
she might be in the 
  shower but heard nothing. He attempted to look in
the window but the drapes 
  were drawn closed just enough that he couldn't see
anything either.
  
  "Calm Rabb" he ordered as he felt a wave of
uneasiness wash over him. It was 
  possible she'd gone somewhere and was just out. But
then again she knew he 
  was coming and even if she'd gone to get food she
would have been back long before now.
  
  He finally made his way down to the lobby of the
hotel, a young kid behind 
  the desk.
  
  "Can I help you sir?"
  
  Deciding the kid might not just let him into Mac's
room without a reason, 
  Harm quickly concocted a story.
  
  "Yeah I'm meeting my wife here. She said she was in
room 229 but I think she 
  may have gone out for something. Can I get a key to
her room?"
  
  "Room 229" the kid said as he punched a few keys on
the computer.
  
  "Yeah. Colonel Sarah Mackenzie."
  
  "Let me call her first" the kid said as he reached
for the phone. He waited 
  as the phone rang before finally hanging up. "She's
not answering."
  
  "Obviously cause she went out" Harm said as calmly
as he could. So can I get 
  a key?"
  
  The phone rang and minutes later the young man was
in the middle of a fight 
  with what appeared to be his girlfriend.
 
  "Look Julie, you're the one who said you wanted some
space."
  
  "Excuse me" Harm interrupted. "Can I get a key
please?"
  
  "What room?" the kid snapped.
  
  "229" Harm said patiently and moments later secured
the key card to the 
  room. He practically ran back to the room, his
fingers nervously fumbling to 
  get the card into the slot. He threw the door open
and let out a small gasp 
  at the sight of her on the floor.
  
  "Oh god Mac" he whispered as he hurried across the
room, stopping only long 
  enough to make sure the door behind him was locked.
He reached her just as 
  she started to stir and he let out a small prayer of
thanks as he looked her 
  over. She didn't appear to be hurt anywhere and he
gently cradled her head 
  in his lap.
  
  "No let go" she wailed as she struggled against him,
her muddled mind 
  thinking he was her assailant.
  
  "Mac it's me" he said softly but firmly.
  
  "Harm" she murmured as she forced heavy eyelids open
to look up at him.
  
  "Yeah it's me. What happened to you?"
  
  "They got in my room" she whispered as memories of
the attack returned. 
  "They knocked me out with something. I think it was
chloroform."
  
  "Okay just take it easy" he said gently. "I'm
guessing you've got one 
  monster headache."
  
  She nodded, a move she immediately regretted as the
world spun around her, 
  her stomach lurching at the same time.
  
  "Harm I think I'm going to be. . ." she started as
her hand flew to her mouth. At 
  once he understood and with amazing quickness lifted
her into his arms and 
  hurried to the bathroom, making it just in time.
  
  "For Godsake kill me now," she gasped, trying to
hold to her head and her stomach at the 
same time while her stomach offered up its contents
once more.
 
 "No but I will take care of you," he said softly. 
"Just as soon as my heart stops pounding from 
finding you on the floor."  Grimly he held her
forehead until she nodded that she was done and 
signaled she needed the sink.
 
 "OK honey OK," he soothed, using the endearment
without giving it any thought.  He helped 
her to her feet, all but carrying her back to the bed
and easing her down.  "Mac I need to get 
you to the ER somewhere.  Chloroform poisoning is
nothing to fool around with."
 
 "Harm no please.  Just let me alone here.  I can
sleep it off.  Maybe get me some Advil from 
my little blue case."
 
 He frowned but said nothing as he helped her get
comfortable on the pillow then retrieved the 
requested pills along with some ice in the ice
bucket's plastic bag and a can of gingerale from 
the mini-fridge.  "OK let's see if this helps, but if
you start getting worse, or start passing out on 
me, I'm on with 911."
 
 "Thanks.  I think I just need to rest, and could you
maybe power down a little Commander.  
You're booming."
 
 "Sorry.  When I see someone I care about as much as I
care about you on the floor and the 
first thought is I didn't get here in time and they've
killed you, I tend to be a little agitated."
 
 She opened her mouth in instinctive retort and then
closed it as his words registered fully.  
"Care about me?" she murmured.
 
 "Was there ever a doubt?" he smiled, cupping her
cheek with his palm as he held the ice in 
place.
 
 "Well I guess maybe not lately," she admitted with a
wry smile.  "Since Mic and Renee have 
left our lives, things have been pretty good between
us."
 
 "I think things have been great," he said softly. 
"We're good for each other again, good 
together working, we have off duty time together, we.
. .well we're best friends again.  And it's 
starting to look like we might. . ."
 
 "Hey don't stop now, you're on a roll," she urged,
her eyes closing as she spoke.
 
 "When you're not drugged, maybe we'll talk," he
whispered, moving the ice bag enough to 
place a quick kiss on her forehead.
 
 "Harm I need to. . .tell you what's going on here,"
she murmured.  "Uncle Matt, these guys are. 
. ."
 
 He stopped her with a gentle finger to her lips. 
"You need to rest honey.  None of that is going 
anywhere.  When we know you're OK then we'll get into
it."
 
 His hand was still pressed to her cheek and she
reached up and covered it with her own.  "I'm 
feeling all floaty again," she sighed.  "You're
staying with me right?"
 
 "Like glue," he assured her.
 
 "OK then I'm gonna sleep."  Her words slurred and her
eyes closed tightly.  "Love you."
 
 He froze in place, staring into her now-sleeping face
and his heart began to pound.  "Get a 
grip Rabb," he chided himself.  "She's drugged and
sick and doesn't know what she's saying."  
Still. . .still it could be under just those
circumstances that a person could be most honest.  
That anything they might say could come from them
without benefit of censure.  He shuddered 
slightly and managed a small smile.  "We'll talk again
when you're awake," he whispered.  
 
 Satisfied he had done what he could for her he
dropped onto the far side of the bed, marveling 
at the size of the bed.  King.  The kind of bed Renee
wanted him to purchase for their. . .at 
once he pushed thoughts of the blonde film producer
from his mind.  That he had spent over a 
year with a woman because the one he really wanted was
otherwise occupied was not 
something of which he was particularly proud.
 
 Later, returning from a trip to the bathroom and a
quick check of her breathing, he spotted the 
paper that had been left by the attacker.  At first,
thinking it was something belonging to Mac, 
he started to set it aside.  Then the light caught it
and he could tell it was not an official looking 
document.  Carefully, holding it by the edges now, he
unfolded it.
 
 'This was just to show you how serious we are.  Get
out of here.  Forget you ever came here.  
Next time the stuff you breathe in won't be as
harmless as chloroform.  Maybe with your last 
dying breath, you'll wish you'd listened to good
advice.'
 
 In the middle of that hotel room, Harmon Rabb Jr.
shook with repressed fury.  These people 
were serious, and if he did not find a way to make Mac
step away, or at the very least, to 
protect her, he was going to lose her.  
 
  With a long sigh he slid into the bed beside her,
now more determined that 
  he was either going to talk her out of this or stick
with her like glue. 
  Whatever was going on at Leavenworth prison was
deadly serious.
  
  "I won't let anyone hurt you" he whispered as looked
over at her. "Sleep 
  angel." A gentle hand to her cheek and then he
finally forced himself to try 
  and sleep. Sleep as much as one could with their eye
on the door and window, 
  waiting for the next attack.
  
  Somewhere in the early hours of the morning he
dropped off to sleep and it 
  wasn't until Mac tried to slip off the bed that he
woke.
  
  "Sorry" she said softly when she saw his eyes open.
"I was trying not to 
  wake you."
  
  "It's okay," he said with a long yawn. "How are you
feeling?"
  
  "Just a little headache that's all. Otherwise I'm
fine."
  
  "You were very lucky you know," he said as he sat
up.
  
  "I know" she nodded, realizing how easily her
attacker could have done a lot 
  worse. "And that's why I'm glad you're here even
though I wish you weren't 
  in the middle of this mess."
  
  "Well I'm here for the duration. Mac they left a
note. This is just a 
  warning. Next time they're not going to be so nice.
So unless I can persuade 
  you to give this whole thing up and go back home,
I'm not leaving."
  
  "Harm I can't" she sighed as she sat down on the
edge of the bed. "First of 
  all I'm in way too deep now. I can't just take off.
They would know right 
  away that this wasn't an official investigation. And
secondly I can't leave 
  when I know Uncle Matt is still in trouble."
  
  "I figured you were going to say that. So then the
other alternative is me 
  sticking with you everywhere you go."
  
  "My bodyguard" she said with a small smile.
  
  "I happen to care very much about you and I don't
want anything to happen to 
  you" he said softly.
  
  "Didn't we have a conversation about this last
night?"
  
  "You fell asleep on me" he smiled. "And I'm not
holding you accountable for 
  anything you said."
  
  "What did I say?" she blushed.
  
  "Well first you told me how you do that time thing"
he teased. "And then. . ."
  
  "Liar" she grinned. "I did no such thing. We weren't
even talking about 
  that. I think we were talking about us. And Mic and
Renee. And how glad I've 
  been that we've gotten along so well the past year."
  
  "Yeah that was it" he nodded.
  
  "There's more?" she asked.
  
  "Why don't we save that for when this is all figured
out. Right now we have 
  to figure out how to keep you safe while we
investigate what's going on 
  there."
  
  "Not just me Harm" she said seriously. "You're going
to be a target once 
  they know you're investigating as well."
  
  "Let me worry about that. I much more concerned
about you since they've 
  already made their threat. I swear if I could send
you back to DC today I 
  would. Which brings me to a valid point. Why can't I
simply walk in and take 
  over the investigation for you? You were called back
to JAG for something 
  else and I'm taking over this investigation."
  
  "No way" she said quickly. "I will not let you
handle this alone. It's way 
  too dangerous."
  
  "And it wasn't too dangerous for you to handle on
your own?"
  
  "Okay so maybe it's a little more than I first
thought" she sighed. "I had 
  no idea this went up to the top. I figured it was
just a few guards. I would 
  never have guessed the commandant and his assistant
were behind it."
  
  "You really believe that don't you?" Harm asked.
  
  "Yes I do" she nodded. "Harm think about it. Who
else would have that kind 
  of pull to get into my room last night? I didn't let
anyone in. They had the 
  key."
  
  "You didn't let them in?"
  
  "No. I never heard them until they were right behind
me."
  
  "Okay I'm liking this less and less" he groaned.
"Mac seriously we need to 
  talk about you giving this up and going home. "
  
  "Not going to happen sailor. I can't walk away from
this."
  
  "Well then I suggest we find another place to stay.
Not that it will help 
  any but we know they have access here. And knowing
they can just walk right 
  in here doesn't sit well."
  
  "Okay. We can do that. Then what?"
  
  "You and I figure out this mess as quickly as we
can" he sighed. "Before 
  anything else happens."
  
   "I'm worried about Uncle Matt," she said softly,
shaking her head as little wisps of despair 
threatened to overwhelm her.  "I almost wish he had
just let it go when he first got wind of it, 
but he couldn't."
 
 "Yeah well that stubborn streak must run in the
family," Harm chided her.  "Mac when they 
realize they didn't scare you away, they're going to
start being less and less subtle."
 
 "Then the obvious answer is to bring them down isn't
it," Mac smiled and started to get to her 
feet once again, only to know at once she had tried to
move too fast and she dropped back 
onto the pillow, her hand to her temple.
 
 "Mac?" His concern was deep and immediate and he bent
over her closely.
 
 "I'm OK really," she insisted.  "At this point I
think I need food.  My stomach feels totally 
empty."
 
 "I think you took care of that last night," he
smiled, still concerned.  "So here's the plan.  We 
check out of here, and into someplace else.  And of
course breakfast is in order.  And a run by 
the infirmary to get you checked out."
 
 "Well you were on a roll up to that point," she
smiled.  "I'm fine really.  A hot shower and food 
and I'll be ready to go."
 
 "OK but don't--do not--entertain any thoughts of
ditching me," he warned, reaching for her to 
help her to her feet.  "If I think you're being
reckless I'll tattle."
 
 "You'd rat me out to the Admiral?" she yelped.
 
 "If it meant keeping you from getting hurt, yeah, in
a heartbeat," he vowed.  "Which brings us 
back to how much I care about you and that I don't
want you getting hurt.  When I closed my 
eyes here during the night I could see you on the
floor every time.  I swear my heart stopped 
until I knew you were not shot or worse."
 
 "I'm sorry," she sighed.  "And glad as I am that
you're here, part of me still regrets calling you.  
If you were to get hurt because of this. . .because of
something I got you into. . ."
 
 "Stop that," he scolded.  "And go get your shower.  I
want us to get out of here soonest."
 
  "Thank you for coming" she said softly.
  
  "I'm always here for you Sarah" he whispered. "Don't
ever forget that. Now 
  go before we have a Hallmark moment."
  
  An hour later they'd both showered and dressed and
he took her bags down to 
  his car.
  
  "Harm what about my car?" she asked.
  
  "Call me paranoid but I'd rather we took mine" he
said as he looked around. 
  "I'm sure they know which car you have and who knows
what they might have 
  done to it."
  
  "I'll eventually have to take it back to the rental
place" she reminded him.
  
  "I'll take it back. You are not going near it."
  
  "Harm you are paranoid" she sighed. "And I thought
we were staying together 
  on this."
  
  "Okay fine. But I get in the car and start it up
first" he said as he loaded 
  the bags into his car.
  
  She shook her head and started towards the lobby of
the hotel. His eyes 
  never left her as she checked out and minutes later
she returned to him.
  
  "All right. We're checked out. There's a Holiday Inn
down the road we can 
  check into tonight."
  
  "Sounds good. Now what's there around here for
breakfast?"
  
  After breakfast he headed to the prison and with a
long sigh he followed her 
  inside.
  
  "Let me do the talking" she reminded him quietly.
"And remember no one knows 
  that Matt is my uncle."
  
  "You're in charge Colonel. I'm just watching your
back."
  
  "Good morning Colonel" Major Roush greeted her as
they made their way to the 
  small office that she'd been given to use. "I didn't
know the reinforcements 
  were coming?"
  
  "Major Roush this is my partner Commander Rabb" Mac
replied. "He's come to 
  help speed up the investigation."
  
  "I see" Major Roush nodded. "Course I'm still not
sure there's anything to 
  investigate here Colonel. Except for a few wild
allegations from prisoners 
  eager for any attention they can get."
  
  "We'll make that decision" Harm replied. "Thank you
Major."
  
  Major Roush nodded and turned and walked away. "Okay
I don't like that guy" 
  Harm whispered when they were alone. "Has he been
this close to you the 
  whole time?"
  
  "Yes. He wasn't going to let me talk to the
prisoners alone at first."
  
  "I wonder if I can get Sturgis to look into our
friend Roush for us" Harm 
  murmured. "See if there's anything in his background
that we might need to 
  know about. Unless you don't think we can trust
Sturgis to keep it a secret 
  from the Admiral?"
  
  "I think we can trust him," Mac said softly, her
mind thinking back to the 
  secret he'd been harboring for the past six months.
  
  "Okay. We'll call him tonight. Now where are you on
this investigation?"
  
  "Trying to find someone besides Uncle Matt who will
tell me what was going 
  on around here" she sighed.
  
  "Maybe they don't like your tactics" Harm smiled.
"Why don't you let me try? 
  Sometimes they're more willing to answer the
questions when a guy is 
  asking."
  
  "Be my guest Commander. And maybe we can find out
when Corporal Harris is 
  coming back."
  
  He nodded and they made their way to the cell block
area.
  
  "Morning Colonel" the guard nodded. "Commander."
  
  "Corporal do you know when Corporal Harris is going
to be back?" Mac asked.
  
  "You didn't hear ma'am?"
  
  "Hear what?"
  
  "He's dead ma'am. Gunshot to the head. Apparently he
committed suicide."
    
 Mac took a step back in shock and Harm grabbed her
arm.  "He was just a kid," she gasped.  
"Thank you Corporal.  Come on Commander."  She pulled
away from Harm and hurried down 
the long corridor. 
 
 "Mind if I know where we're going?" Harm called,
catching up with her.
 
 "I want to know why Roush failed to tell me about
Corporal Harris," she hissed.  "I swear that 
man is up to his Army ass in dirt here and I'm going
to take him down."
 
 "Hey you just power down there," he ordered sharply. 
"You're not going to find out anything 
like that.  And the more insistent you are--the more
you scare these people--the more they're 
going to want you off the case.  Anyway they can."
 
 "I'm not afraid of him," she muttered fiercely.
 
 "That's OK because I'm afraid enough for both of us,"
he replied.  "Whatever's going on here, 
they're playing for keeps.  Now before you storm troop
into this man's office, you're going to 
take a couple of deep breaths and approach him calmly
and professionally."
 
 "Stuff it Harm," she spat and was at once sorry. 
"Hey that was unforgivable.  I'm sorry.  I still 
have my headache, and now this news and. . .and yeah
I'm scared.  For you, for Uncle Matt, 
and OK for myself."
 
 Her pace slowed as she spoke and she finally stopped,
leaning against the wall and looking 
up at him.  "And I'm making you crazy on top of
everything."
 
 "Breathe Mac," he smiled.  "And if you'll remember
that you're not alone here that will help.  
Never mind that you should never have been alone. 
That I should have come from the first.  
Now you want to confront Roush about Harris's death. 
Good.  But let's do it without shouting."
 
 "Thanks.  I'll try, but no promises at this point."
 
 With a firm calming hand to her back, he followed her
to Roush's office.
 
 "Colonel Mackenzie needing a word with Major Roush,"
she announced as she breezed 
through the outer office, having spotted him at his
desk.
 
 Harm gave a small shake of his head.  Here was
Colonel Sarah Mackenzie in full Marine 
mode.
 
 "Major why was I not told about Corporal Harris's
death?"
 
 The Army officer looked up, startled at first and
recovering quickly.  "I do apologize Colonel.  
Pure oversight in all the other crisis's big and small
that happen around here hourly."
 
 "I consider a man's death, especially a man who might
have had material information, to be 
pretty major," Harm frowned.
 
 "Look the kid killed himself.  It's a tragedy, but
the fact is, he killed himself," Roush countered 
mildly.  
 
 Mac leaned over his desk, her eyes flashing.  "No. 
No way.  Where is his body?  What kind of 
investigation determined the cause of death?"
 
 "Ma'am I was called to the scene.  It was pretty
obvious.  He had been drinking and he left a 
pretty detailed note about how he didn't think he
wanted to live any longer without Liz."
 
 "Do we know this Liz?" Harm frowned.
 
 "She's a civilian worker here," Roush told him, his
eyes narrowing.  "Elizabeth Barber.  
Medical records tech in the infirmary.  I understand
she's on leave, understandably upset."
 
 "This wouldn't be the same leave that Harris was on
would it?" Mac scowled suspiciously.
 
 "Hey I'm just telling you what I know," Roush
growled.  "If you want to see her by all means go 
for it."
 
 "You can be sure we will," Mac nodded.  "Now if
you'll excuse us, there are several members 
of the prison population I haven't had a chance to
speak to yet."
 
 Mac turned on her heel and marched out, not noticing
that Harm had not followed her, but 
instead had closed the door after her, leaning back
against it.
 
 "Something I can do for you Commander?"
 
 "I'm a lawyer Major, and often I give advice in my
job," he smiled disarmingly.  "And if I was a 
civilian lawyer I'd get paid big bucks for it, but
since I'm a JAG, I work for salary, and this 
advice to you is totally pro bono.  Colonel Mackenzie
has received some pretty serious threats 
to back away from this case."
 
 "Are you accusing me Commander?" Roush asked mildly,
his expression not changing. "You 
have proof I'm involved?"
 
 "No I don't, for which you can thank your Maker.  On
the other hand, if anything happens to 
Colonel Mackenzie I'm going find you and when I do I'm
going to reach my hand into your 
throat and rip out your heart.  My career be damned."
 
 With that he executed a dismissal turn and strode
out, nearly bumping into Mac who had 
turned back to see where he had gone.
 
 "Everything OK?  You're looking a little stressed
there," she frowned.
 
 "Everything is just fine.  Where to?" he smiled.
  
  "I don't know" Mac sighed. "Corporal Harris was one
of the few who was 
  willing to talk. Obviously they found out and that's
why he's dead."
  
  "Yeah and that's exactly why you aren't going
anywhere without me" he said 
  seriously. "These people are serious Mac."
  
  "Yeah well so am I. I want to go talk to Uncle Matt
and make sure he's 
  okay."
  
  Harm nodded and together they headed back to the
cell block area. Minutes 
  later they were let into Uncle Matt's cell and Mac
gasped when she saw him, 
  the one side of his face bruised and beaten.
  
  "What happened?" she demanded as she hurried to his
side.
  
  "Nothing I can't handle Sarah" he whispered before
looking up at Harm. 
  "Commander it's good to see you. Have you talked any
sense into your partner 
  here?"
  
  "No sir. And I can see why I can't. Sir this can't
continue."
  
  "Commander I can deal with it. What I can't deal
with is something happening 
  to Sarah. I want her out of here before something
happens to her like it did 
  Harris."
  
  "You know about Corporal Harris?" Harm asked
quietly.
  
  "Right after Sarah talked to him Roush came for him.
That was the last time 
  he was seen alive. And word gets around here quick.
And I can assure you 
  Harris did not commit suicide."
  
  "Okay we need to come up with a plan here" Harm
sighed. "Sir who did this to 
  you?"
  
  "I can tell you but it's only going to put both of
you in more danger" Matt 
  replied. "I want you both to go back to JAG and
forget about what's going on 
  here."
  
  "I will not" Mac vowed. "We can't let them get away
with this. This has to 
  be stopped."
  
  "I'm with her sir" Harm said quietly. "There's no
way we can walk away from 
  this."
  
  "Can't you get someone else in here to investigate?
Anyone besides Sarah?"
  
  "I'd be happy to put her on a plane sir and handle
this myself. But unless I 
  drug her and tie her up that isn't going to happen."
  
  "Damn right it's not" Mac muttered. "I will not let
you handle this alone. I 
  shouldn't have even told you what I was doing out
here. If I'd know it was 
  getting this serious I wouldn't have."
  
  "Yeah and then I'd be out here investigating what
happened to you" he 
  retorted. "It was bad enough that I found you in the
hotel room like I did."
  
  "Wait did something happen to you Sarah?" Matt
demanded. "Did they do 
  something to hurt you?"
  
  "It was just a warning Uncle Matt."
  
  "What kind of warning? Commander you tell me what
happened to her."
  
  "They got into her room and knocked her out with
chloroform" Harm explained 
  quietly. "And left a note saying that next time it
wouldn't just be 
  chloroform."
  
  "Sarah I want you out of here" Matt gasped. "Now."
  
  "I can't leave you alone with this going on" she
whispered. "I won't let 
  anything happen to you."
  
  "Sir, I'm going to be with her from now on" Harm
spoke up.
  
  "Well that's better than her being alone" Matt
sighed in capitulation. "I know you'll take 
  good care of her. You always have."
  
  "Yes sir, I've tried" Harm nodded. "And I'm just as
worried about her being 
  here as you are."
  
  "Does anyone else know you two are out here?" Matt
asked quietly.
  
  "No sir. Mac didn't tell the Admiral and neither did
I. I figure we can 
  explain it all to him when it's over."
  
  "You're both risking your necks and your careers
here. I don't like that."
  
  "Sir, we'll manage" Harm assured him. "The important
thing is to put an end 
   
 "Harm what you need to understand is that these
people have ears and arms that are 
reaching further than I ever thought possible.  Like
breaking in to Sarah's room," Matt said, 
desperation in his voice.  "I figured she was safe
there.  Never in my wildest dreams."  He gave 
his niece's hand a quick squeeze.  "Harm she's the
only family I've got now.  She means the 
world to me."
 
 Mac blushed at her uncle's display of emotion and
Harm took her other hand, remembering 
what she had mumbled in her almost sleep the night
before.  "Sir she means the world to me 
too.  Believe me."
 
 "Commander I saw the seeds of that on your face six
years ago in the Arizona desert," Matt 
smiled.  "Take care of each other.  You're good
together.  A blind man could see that."
 
 "We will."
 
 "Count on it sir," Harm added.  "And sir, about your
face?  Can we count on you to. . ."
 
 "Oh yeah," Matt said firmly.  "I'll take the stand
and point them out as this all comes together."
 
 "You're a brave man sir," Harm smiled, "but then I
knew that from before.  OK Mac shall we 
see if we can line up some other brave men, though I'm
not real hopeful.  Just that it wouldn't 
take that many to get the power of JAG and the Federal
Prison System behind us and bring 
down these people."
 
 "We'll check back with you later," Mac nodded,
kissing Matt's cheek before they left the cell.
 
 "We should split up and do this," she pointed out and
his mouth opened at once in objection.  
"OK OK waste of breath.  Let's just get started."
 
 For the next two hours they talked to prisoners.  In
cells, at workstations and in the yard.  
Some flat out told them they would not have anything
to say, though they did get a few who 
promised they would help if they were guaranteed
safety.
 
 They were just leaving one cell block and heading for
the next when she stopped suddenly, 
steadying herself with one hand to his arm and one to
the wall.
 
 "Mac what's wrong?"  His concern was immediate and
deep and he at once took hold of her 
arms.  "Talk to me Mac.  You're pale and shaky and
damn me for not noticing before."
 
 "I just have this headache that about every minute
seems to ratchet up a notch," she sighed.  
"I'm sorry.  I'm sure it's from the chloroform, and
from not eating and then the stress."
 
 "Infirmary, now," he growled.
 
 "Or the quiet hotel room and some food and Advil,"
she countered.  "A cool shower might be 
good too.  Please.  I am truly not in the mood to be
poked at by some Army doctor who 
couldn't get a practice on the outside."
 
 "OK but I'm not making any promises I won't be
dragging you in later," he replied, putting his 
arm around her waist as he turned her back toward the
parking lot.
     
  A half-hour later he helped her onto the bed of
their new room at the nearby 
  Holiday Inn.
  
  "How you doing?" he asked as he sat down beside her.
  
  "I'm okay" she sighed. "Just tired and hungry. And
in need of that shower."
  
  "Shower first and then we'll see about dinner."
  
  "Have I thanked you for this yet?" she asked softly.
  
  "Yes. And don't worry about it. We'll get this mess
figured out. But right 
  now taking care of you is my main objective."
  
  He helped her up and to the bathroom and he stood
nearby as she took her 
  shower. He knew better than to think they were safe
just because they'd 
  moved to another hotel. And he wasn't going to let
his guard down for a 
  second.
  
  "So what's for dinner?" she asked when she emerged.
  
  "You up to going out?" he asked. "Or would you
rather just order something 
  in?"
  
  "Something in please" she sighed as she sank down on
the bed. "I don't have 
  the energy for going out."
  
  "I wish you'd let me take you to the infirmary" he
fretted.
  
  "I don't need the infirmary," she said with a small
smile. "I need you to 
  order us some Chinese and then come and join me over
here."
  
  "Mac" he sighed.
  
  "Harm I'm okay. I promise."
  
  He ordered dinner and then slid beside her on the
bed, gathering her close 
  to him, her head resting on his shoulder.
  
  "Better?" he asked softly.
  
  "Much. This is all I need."
  
  "Mac I'm worried about keeping you safe here" he
sighed. "This is deeper 
  than I imagined. And if anything happened to you, I
don't know what I'd do."
  
  "Careful Flyboy" she whispered. "You're getting
close to admitting some 
  feelings there."
  
  His mind once again drifted to her words from the
night before. The I love 
  you that had been uttered without censor from her
lips.
  
  "And would that be so bad if I did?" he smiled.
  
  "No but you'll have to wait for me to peel myself
off the floor" she teased. 
  "Harmon Rabb admitting his feelings is not something
I expected to hear 
  anytime soon."
  
  "Cute Marine. I've told you how I've felt before."
  
  "If you mean the Admiral's porch on the night of my
engagement party, I 
  guess I would agree. Though it would have been nice
if you'd provided the 
  translation to what you were saying."
  
  "Okay so I'm not real good at this," he admitted.
"But you know."
  
  "You know the reason" she smiled. "That's what you
told me the night Mic 
  left. You know I've been waiting over a year for you
to tell me the reason."
  
  "Let me show you instead" he whispered before he
lowered his lips to hers, a 
  long kiss ensuing.
  
  "It's getting a little clearer" she sighed when they
parted. "But I may need 
  a few more lessons before I'm sure."
  
  "We'll work on that" he promised with a smile.
  
  "Do I have your word on that Flyboy?"
  
  "You have my word. There's a lot more I want to say
to you Sarah. But we're 
  in the middle of this case and I promise that once
this is finished."
  
  "Unofficial case. And I haven't forgotten about how
much trouble you would 
  be in if anyone finds out about this. I hate that I
dragged you into this."
  
  "Hey I was a very willing participant. And there is
nowhere else I'd be 
  right now then right here helping you with this."
  
  "You're a great friend and a great partner Harmon
Rabb," she said softly as 
  her hand gently stroked his cheek. "There's no one
else in this world who's 
  been there for me like you have."
  
  "I want to be a lot more than just a great friend"
he whispered. "I want us 
  Sarah. That us that we've kind of let slip away
again. The one I know will 
  work if we just give it a chance."
    
 "You sound awfully sure of yourself," she said
slowly, taking his hand and placing it atop her 
heart.  "You can see the affect you're having on me
here.  I want us too Harm.  I want us very 
badly."
 
 "Then you hold that thought because once we get
through this case it's going to happen.  
Promise."
 
 "One of your promises you don't make that you can't
keep?"
 
 "You better believe it," he said softly, stroking her
hair.  "Close your eyes Sarah and let it all go 
for a few minutes.  You can't help your uncle if your
sick and exhausted."
 
 "Harm we've got to," she gasped, the memory of the
older man and why they were there 
flooding to her.
 
 "Honey relax and let it go. Please.  We're on it. 
The A team is here remember.  But you're not 
a hundred percent and I'm worried about you.  Please
rest."  He tightened his hold of her and 
she did close her eyes.  A few minutes later her
breathing told him she was giving in to the 
exhaustion and he pressed his ear to her lips.  "Love
you," he whispered.  "Love you now and 
always."  What he did not see was the small smile that
formed on her lips.
 
 He allowed himself to doze as well and it was the
ringing of her cell phone that woke them 
both three hours later.  Harm grabbed it off the night
stand before she could.  "Hello 
Commander Rabb."
 
 "Commander we haven't met but my name is Liz Barber,"
the woman's voice on the other end 
of the phone said quietly.  Harm sat up straight,
grabbing onto Mac at the last second as she 
was slower to awaken.   As part of their earlier
inquiries they had left a message with her 
mother, hoping against hope she would get in touch.
 
 "Ms. Barber thank you for returning our call," he
said softly.  "You know why we want to talk to 
you.  Where can we meet?"
 
 "They're watching me," she whispered.  "I feel them
everywhere."
 
 "OK I understand," he told her, adding gently, "but
you've come forward.  You must want the 
people that got to Corporal Harris put away."
 
 "You damn right I do," she hissed.  "I loved Mark. 
He did the right thing and it got him killed.  
Now I want them to pay.  I've got his files and stuff.
 Evidence he was gathering.  But I haven't 
looked at it.  Can I turn that over to you?"  
 
 "You name the time and place and I'll be there."
 
 "We Flyboy, we," Mac told him sternly, finally coming
awake enough to realize what was 
happening.
 
 He glared at her as he grabbed a piece of paper,
listening to Liz.  "OK Ms. Barber.  You bet I. . 
.uh we. . .will be there.  Don't worry, you're doing
the right thing."  He broke the connection and 
shook his head as Mac's eyes met his.  "The only
reason you're going is because I'm more 
afraid of leaving you alone."
 
 "Harmon Rabb I don't believe you," she yelped.  "Not
only are we supposed to be partners 
and friends and much more, but this started out as my
investigation and I intend to. . ."  A quick 
kiss from him stopped her and she relaxed in his
grasp.  "When you do that I can't think what 
I'm saying," she sighed.  "Just know that I'm going."

  "I hate this" he sighed. "But I have no choice."
  
  "Where are we meeting her?" Mac asked.
  
  "A city playground" Harm frowned. "And she thinks
she's being followed. Did 
  you bring your weapon?"
  
  Mac nodded and moments later they were both ready.
"Harm I'm getting a bad 
  feeling about this" she said suddenly.
  
  "You want me to go alone?"
  
  "No I don't want you to go at all" she yelped. "Harm
what if this is a 
  setup. What if they're waiting for us?"
  
  "Then you better be behind me," he said quietly.
"Because I don't want 
  anything to happen to you."
  
  "And you think I want something to happen to you?"
she whispered.
  
  "Nothing is going to happen to either of us. We're
going to get the info 
  from Liz and we'll bring this all to an end. And
we're going to do it 
  without anyone getting hurt."
 
  "When you say it like that I almost believe you" she
said with a small 
  smile.
  
  "Yeah me too" he sighed. "Come on. We can get there
early and scope 
  everything out before we make ourselves known."
  
  A half-hour later they walked slowly around the
deserted playground.
  
  "Do you see her?" Mac asked.
  
  "Not yet. Course we won't even know if it's her
since we've never met Liz 
  Barber."
  
  A sudden chill went down her spine and she grabbed
onto Harm's arm.
  
  "What if Liz Barber is dead too?" she hissed. "Like
Corporal Harris? We have 
  no idea who she is or what she even looks like."
  
  Before he could answer, a woman stepped out from the
shadows.
  
  "Commander Rabb" she called quietly. "Is that you
and Colonel Mackenzie?"
  
  "Yes ma'am" Harm called back and slowly they
approached the woman.
  
  "I'm sorry to make you come out here like this," she
said nervously. "But I 
  thought this would be safer."
  
  "You said you had Mark's files?" Harm asked and she
nodded and withdrew a 
  small folder from her under her jacket and handed it
to him.
  
  "Everything you need is in there," she said quietly
as Harm opened the 
  folder, Mac peering at it as well. "I hope you can
make Mark's killers pay 
  for what they did."
  
  They were so intent on what they were reading, they
never noticed the two 
  men approach them from behind. The women said
nothing, her face remaining 
  expressionless as the men leveled their blows to the
back of Harm and Mac's 
  heads. They crumbled to the ground and she looked up
at them with a smile.
  
  "I wonder what the real Liz Barber would have done"
she smirked. "Guess 
  we'll never find out."
  
  "Get rid of that stuff" Roush ordered. "We'll take
care of Rabb and 
  Mackenzie."
  
  ********************
  Consciousness slowly returned for Harm and with a
groan he forced his eyes 
  open. But somehow that didn't seem to make a
difference. It was still black. 
  Using his hands he gently felt around, looking for
Mac.
  
  "Mac" he wailed softly. "Mac are you in here? Mac?"
  
  He soon figured out that he was in some kind of
small room. Dark and damp 
  and cut off from everywhere else. There wasn't
another sound until he heard 
  a small moan.
  
  "Mac honey is that you?" he asked. "Mac?"
  
  "Harm" she groaned. "Harm where are you?"
  
  "I'm here honey. I can hear you but I don't think I
can get to you. We've 
  been locked up somewhere."
  
  "Harm why is it so dark?" she asked in a frightened
voice. "I opened my eyes 
  and it's still dark."
  
  "Yes it is. Wherever we are, there's no light at
all. And no one else around 
  but us."
  
 "I don't know what happened," she sighed.  "We were
supposed to meet Liz and then. . .then 
the next thing I remember is a horrible pain in my
head, which I still have.  And then blackness.  
It's all black.  My eyes are open but it's all black
and I don't know what to do.  Are you OK?"
 
 "Yeah I think so, just sore from being dumped onto
this floor," he replied, trying to remain calm 
at her news that she was in pain.  What if she had a
concussion. . .or worse?  "Mac I want you 
to just take it real easy until we can get some help."
 
 "Harm I don't see how that's going to happen," she
said softly.  "I mean who knew we were 
coming to see Liz.  In fact no one even knows where we
are.  This was not one of my more 
intelligent moves, coming out here like this.  Even
with Uncle Matt needing me."
 
 "You should have told me, as your partner and your
friend and the man who loves you," he 
returned.  "Because as all those three I would have
wanted to help."
 
 "Well you see what wanting to help did for you," she
sighed with a tearful note.  "Now you're 
stuck here with me and we don't even know where here
is.  God it's so pitch black.  I'd think I 
was blind if it wasn't for you saying it's just as
dark for you."
 
 "I'm going to do a little exploring," he told her. 
"There has to be a way out of here.  Besides 
you and I might be together and we don't know it."
 
 "Harm be careful please," she begged.  "Tell me what
you're doing."
 
 "I'm going to step forward until I can't go any
further."  He got to his feet and with slow 
deliberate steps forward, his arms outstretched, took
no time in finding a wall.  And with that 
accomplished, little other time to know that he was in
some sort of cell.  The walls were damp 
with age and groundwater seepage and the floor springy
with god knows how many years of 
muck.
 
 And then he knew.  "Mac it's the hole," he said
softly.  "In the old part of the prison under that 
wing that's been condemned.  Where they would put
prisoners they couldn't control.  Threw 
them down here in these cells and sometimes
conveniently forgot about them."
 
 "No," she gasped.  "Harm I know what you're talking
about.  They would leave them here to 
rot and then claim they died of pneumonia or
something."
 
 "Exactly," he said quietly.  "But that's not going to
happen to us.  We'll figure a way out of 
here.  I just wish you were in here with me so I could
hold you."
 
 "Harm there's something you should know about me,"
she said after a few moment's silence.
 
 "That you're not wearing underwear?" he bantered
back, trying to ease her feelings.
 
 "Other than that."  Her attempt at humor failed in
light of what she said next.  "I have a morbid 
fear of the dark.  A phobia and I'm not sure how long
I can keep it together here."
   
  "You're going to keep it together Marine" he
ordered. "I know it's dark but 
  I'm right here next to you. And everything is going
to be okay."
  
  "I want to believe you" she whispered. "But I'm
scared."
  
  "Mac it's going to be okay. I promise. Just tell me
what I have to do to 
  keep you from losing it on me."
  
  "Take my mind off of where we are" she said with a
deep breath.
  
  "Okay let's talk. About us."
  
  She couldn't help but laugh at his words. "Harm
we're being held prisoner 
  and now you want to talk about us."
  
  "Okay my timing isn't so good" he smiled. "But
there's no better time than 
  the present to tell you how I feel."
  
  "Am I going to like this?"
  
  "You better" he said softly. "Because I love you
Sarah Mackenzie. For so 
  long now that I have no clue when I didn't love
you."
  
  "You do?" she whispered. "You're not just saying
that cause we're stuck here 
  and likely to die."
  
  "No" he said vehemently. "First off we are not going
to die here. We'll get 
  out of this. Somehow. And second, I meant it when I
said I love you. And 
  right now if there were anyway on earth to get to
you I would."
  
  "I know you would" she sniffled. "And I want you to
know how I feel too. I 
  love you too Harmon Rabb. And I'm sorry I got you
mixed up in this mess. And 
  if anything happens to you I'll never forgive
myself." Her words ended in a 
  small sob and he ached to hold her.
  
  "Mac it's going to be okay" he whispered. "Please
honey, don't cry. We'll 
  get out of this."
  
  "How?' she wailed.
  
  "I'm working on that" he sighed. "But there has to
be a way."
  
  *********************
  "Corporal have you seen the two JAG officers today?"
Matt asked the guard.
  
  "No I haven't. Maybe they wrapped things up and went
home."
  
  Matt said nothing as he went back to his bunk. There
was no way Mac and Harm 
  would have left without seeing him first. Something
was wrong. That much he 
  knew.
  
  He was still sitting at his bunk when another guard
came into the cellblock.
  He didn't pay much attention to their conversation
until he heard the name 
  Liz Barber and the word dead. At once he listened
more intently, realizing 
  that the girlfriend of the guard who'd supposedly
committed suicide was now 
  dead as well. And Harm and Mac were gone.
  
  *******************
  Somewhere in the prison
  4 Hours Later
  
  "Mac honey you still with me?"
  
  "I'm here," she said in small voice. "Just keep
talking please. I hate the 
  dark and the silence."
  
  "I will" he promised. "I just need to know you're
okay over there."
  
  "I'd be a lot better if you were holding me" she
whispered.
  
  "I know. So would I" he said softly. "But you know
I'm here right. And you 
  can imagine my arms around you can't you?"
  
  "I'd rather have the real thing" she sniffled.
  
  "Well you will as soon as we get out of here.
Because I promise I'm not 
  going to let you go for a long long time."
  
  "Can I get that in writing? Cause I'm afraid this is
all part of a really 
  good dream and I'm going to wake up and find I'm
alone in this hell hole and 
  they've hurt you or worse." She started to cry
again, her own words scaring 
  her more.
  
  "Mac stop it" he ordered. "I'm right here next to
you and I'm okay. They 
  haven't hurt me. You need to stay calm."
  
 "But they might.  They might hurt you knowing that
there's nothing in the world that would hurt 
me more," she wailed softly. 
 
 "Well I feel the same about you," he reminded her. 
"I love you remember.  And I do promise 
that we're going to get out of this."
 
 She sobbed once more and finally wiped her face.  "At
least they could have let us die 
together."
 
 "Quit that right this second," he ordered.  "Tell me
why you've got a phobia about the dark."
 
 "OK," she sniffled.  "Were you ever sent to your room
to be punished?"
 
 "Are you kidding?  My mom had this look and I knew
exactly what it meant.  She didn't even 
have to say it.  I just beat feet away from her.  I
was a hellraiser as a little kid.  But what's that 
got to do with the dark?"
 
 "Most of the time growing up we lived in crummy
crappy places.  One or two rooms.  So I 
didn't have a room to be sent to.  I had a closet."
 
 He was silent for a moment as he envisioned the sweet
little child he'd always imagined her to 
be being ordered into a closet--a dark closet.
 
 "A closet?" he finally stammered.
 
 "Yeah.  One place in particular was out in the
country.  Daddy and Mom were working on a 
farm and we were given a so called guest house to live
in as part of their wages.  So one night 
I did something.  I don't even know what.  Didn't have
to be much to piss him off when he'd 
been drinking.  Anyway, he put me in and then they
passed out like normal.  Only this time 
they blacked out I guess because the next morning they
woke up and went to work like they 
usually did, thinking the mound on the mattress in the
corner was me, but it wasn't--it was just 
my blankets.  Anyway I got pretty hysterical in there
by the time they let me out.  I knew exactly 
how many hours I'd been in there see when I woke up,
and of course my screaming didn't get 
their attention since they were gone."  She took a
deep breath before she went on.  "Long 
story short, it was twelve more hours before they came
back and let me out.  I was pretty crazy 
by then from being scared they weren't ever coming
back and no food or water.  I thought I 
was going to die Harm.  And since then I haven't liked
the dark.  I keep a light on in the hallway 
at the apartment and a nightlight in the bathroom. 
And now you know.  Your partner is loony."
 
 "My partner was an abused child," Harm replied
softly, his hands opening and closing in fists 
as he imagined them around the throats of her parents,
and he ached to hold her right then.  
"Honey I'm so sorry.  And I wish I could make it
right."
 
 Her reply was a long sob and he pounded his fist
against the cell wall in frustration, vowing to 
get her out of there no matter what it took.
 =================
 Matthew O'Hara casually walked through the day room
and the exercise yard, knowing the 
guards were talking about more than the A's baseball
team and the new red head in Admin.  
Finally spotting one he knew he could confide in, he
sidled over to her.  "Junie, I need to talk to 
you."
 
 She smiled softly and leaned casually in his
direction.  "What's on your mind Matt?"
 
 "The JAG officers that were here.  They've not been
around at all today have they?"
 
 "No not that I know of.  Maybe they took the day off
and went to KC for some steak?"
 
 "No.  I can't tell you why I know, but no.  That's
why I need your help."
 
 "Matt you know I'm not going to put my neck on the
chopping block.  I need this job.  And my 
three kids need their mom.  I'm all they've got."
 
 "Junie I know.  I wouldn't want you to.  But you can
make a call on your break can't you.  
Please.  You know I wouldn't ask you unless it was
urgent."
 ===============
 JAG HQ
 2 Hrs Later
 
 "Admiral excuse me," Tiner called, catching AJ as he
approached his office.  "Sir, the caller 
declines to ID herself, but she says she's got
information on Rabb and Mackenzie that's 
urgent.  That's all she'll tell me sir.  She says she
was instructed to talk to you only."
 
 "What kind of trouble have those two gotten into
now," he sighed, "and they're on leave 
anyway.  I swear if they've been arrested I'm telling
her I've never heard of them."  With that 
threat, he strode into his office and picked up his
phone.  "Admiral Chegwidden.  To whom am 
I speaking please."
 
  "I can't say" the voice said quietly. "But this
isn't some prank. Your two 
  officers are in trouble."
  
  "What kind of trouble?" AJ asked. "Have they been
arrested?"
  
  "No sir. They were at Leavenworth prison
investigating allegations of 
  abuse."
  
  "Commander Rabb and Colonel Mackenzie are on leave.
And I know nothing of 
  them investigating anything at Leavenworth."
  
  "I know sir. They were handling it unofficially. Sir
I can't tell you 
  anything else except that you need to come to
Leavenworth yourself. They 
  haven't been seen since yesterday afternoon and the
Colonel's uncle is 
  pretty sure something has happened to them."
  
  "He's talked to them?"
  
  "Yes sir. I believe it was his letters that prompted
Colonel Mackenzie to 
  come out here to investigate. And since she's
arrived sir, a guard and his 
  girlfriend have been found dead. They're calling it
suicide sir but that's 
  not the case."
  
  "Can I get your name?" AJ asked.
  
  "No sir. I have kids and I'm sorry but I can't. I'm
only doing this because 
  I like Matt and he's desperate to find his niece."
  
  "Does the Commandant know what's going on?" AJ
asked.
  
  "He's behind it. And I have to go sir before someone
hears me. But you need 
  to come out here right away. The Commander and
Colonel's life may depend on 
  it."
  
  She was gone and AJ stood there for several seconds
holding the phone before 
  finally hanging up. He wasn't sure whether to
believe the caller or not. But 
  at the same time there had been something desperate
in her voice.
  
  "Tiner get me Commander Turner" he bellowed. "And
find us a flight to 
  Leavenworth today."
  
  *********************
  "Mac" Harm called softly. "Mac honey please answer
me."
  
  "I'm here" she whispered. "Harm I want out of here.
Please get me out of 
  here. I don't know how much longer I can take this."
  
  "I know you do" he sighed. "And if I could do
anything to get you out I 
  would. But you need to try and stay calm."
  
  "Harm they're going to leave us here to die aren't
they?"
  
  "No. We're going to find away out of here. People
will know we're missing 
  and they'll look for us."
  
  "Only Uncle Matt" she wailed. "No one else knows
we're here. And with us out 
  of the way, god knows what they've done to him."
  
  "Mac stop it" Harm ordered. "You're upsetting
yourself for no reason. We're 
  going to get out of this.  Without anyone else
getting hurt. Honey you have 
  to believe me."
  
  Her sobs were the only response and he uttered a
silent prayer heavenward. 
  Mac's fears were very valid and he knew it was very
possible no one would 
  find them before it was too late. It would be so
easy for Roush and the 
  Commandant to tell the others that they'd simply
left. And since neither of 
  them had told the Admiral where they were going, it
would be days before he 
  missed them.
  
  **************
  JAG HQ's
  Same Time
  
  "Sorry sir. There's storms all over the place out
there and everything is 
  delayed on the commercial airlines."
  
  "Tiner this isn't the answer I wanted" AJ sighed.
Something told him that 
  the woman who'd phoned him earlier had been serious
about Harm and Mac being 
  in trouble. And uneasy feeling had come over him and
he'd wanted to get to 
  Leavenworth as soon as he could. "I need to get out
there. "
  
  "Sir what's going on?" Sturgis asked.
  
  "I don't know just yet" AJ sighed. "Did either Harm
or Mac tell you where 
  they were going on their leave."
  
  "No sir. I do know Mac was upset about something
right before she left."
  
  "I got a call from an unidentified person at
Leavenworth prison. She said 
  Harm and Mac were there investigating allegations of
inmate abuse and that 
  they were in trouble."
  
  "Sir why would they be at Leavenworth?"
  
  "Mac's uncle is in Leavenworth. The first case Harm
and Mac worked together 
  was when her uncle stole the Declaration of
Independence. Harm defended him 
  and got him a reduced sentence at Leavenworth. If
he'd told her there was 
  something bad going on out there, she'd go. He's the
only family she has."
  
  "Then you think this person might have been telling
you the truth then?" 
  Sturgis asked. "That Harm and Mac are in some kind
of trouble?"
  
  "I have a bad feeling" AJ sighed.  "Can you clear
your schedule and come 
  with me?"
  
  "Sir may I ask why you haven't just called the
Commandant and asked him if 
  Harm and Mac are there?"
  
  "The caller said he was behind it. And that two
others have already died 
  because of this."
  
 Sturgis knitted his brow, frowning broadly.  "Sir if
I might suggest making a few calls out there.  
See if you can get the rep from the Bureau of Prisons
to check on them perhaps?"
 
 AJ nodded thoughtfully and picked up the phone. 
"Tiner get me. . .never mind son."  
 
 "No?" Sturgis frowned again.
 
 "No.  I can't explain it except to say that if this
corruption is wide spread, then I'm not sure how 
far it reaches.  If they think the Judge Advocate
General is about to bring them down, they 
might go to lengths they haven't yet, including
getting rid of Harm and Mac."
 
 "Or we might get there and find it's nothing to panic
over."
 
 "You a betting man Commander?"  AJ raised an eyebrow
to the newest member of his staff.
 
 "Yes sir, but I wouldn't take this and the points for
nothin'," he sighed.
 ==============
 LEAVENWORTH PRISON
 3 Hours Later
 
 Harm startled himself awake.  In panic, he realized
he had fallen off to sleep with the sounds 
of Mac's muffled sobs in his ears. And now he heard
nothing.  Quickly he got to his feet, his 
ears straining to hear any sound from her.  His own
breathing was the loudest thing he could 
hear-the only thing he could hear save the steady
dripping of water somewhere, and he held 
his breath.  Finally just as he was about to scream
her name in frustration and fear, he 
detected a small sound from her cell.  She had
obviously cried herself to sleep and at that 
moment he hated himself for not being able to protect
her better.  He cursed himself for not 
sending her packing back to JAG when he first realized
how bad the situation was becoming.
 
 Satisfied for the moment that she was OK, he sank
back against the wall, feeling his own 
tears of frustration threaten.  That he loved the
woman so near and yet so far from him he was 
beyond positive.  And he was equally sure that as soon
as they got out of this situation--he 
refused to think otherwise--he would make good on his
desires.
 
 How long he sat there he was not sure, but at long
last he heard Mac begin to move.  "Mac 
I'm here honey." he called at once, wanting her to
know first thing she was not alone.
 
 "No."
 
 "Huh?  Excuse me?"
 
 "You're not here," she murmured.  "Like everyone else
in my life you've gone."
 
 "No that's not true," he returned at once, vehemence
in his voice.  "I'm not going anywhere 
missy.  Not now and not ever.  You and me--we're going
to get out of this somehow.  We're 
going to get out of this, go back to DC and then I'm
going to do what I should have done 
forever ago."
 
 "Yeah what would that be?"  Her voice was toneless,
no inflection at all.
 
 "I'm going to put a ring on your finger and make you
my wife," he replied, surprising himself 
with not only the content of his declaration but with
the ease and strength with which he 
delivered it.  "I mean it Sarah," he added lamely.  "I
love you."
 
 "Thank you," she sniffled and got to her feet.  "I
love you too.  And I will marry you Harm.  All 
you have to do is get me through this with my sanity
intact.  And of course our lives.  Since 
Roush is going to leave us down here to die."
 
 "I don't believe that's going to happen, not for a
minute Mac, and I don't want you to either," he 
told her staunchly.  "We are going to get out of this,
and once we do, well you never have to be 
alone in the darkness again if you don't want.  I'll
be there to hold you."
 
 "Awwwww isn't that just the sweetest thing you've
ever heard."  Roush's voice, mixing with his 
echoing footsteps, reached them before she could
reply.  With the aid of a powerful flashlight 
illuminating the floor, he walked to the door of
Harm's cell.  
 
 "Mixon is going to let the little lady out to join
you for now in fact," Roush went on.  "Because 
you know what, something really fascinating.  Seems
like there's an inmate here who knows of 
you two."
 
 "I'm sure between us we've sent more than one here,"
Harm said  guardedly.  "What's that got 
to do with the Colonel."
 
 "Well when this gentlemen found out that I had the
two of you for guests, he was especially 
interested.  Apparently he has some kind of score to
settle with you Commander for putting 
him in here."
 
 "OK so I say again, what's that got to do with the
Colonel?"  As he was asking, tiny hairs of 
suspicion were prickling the back of his neck.
 
 "The man would like a little revenge is all," Roush
smiled,  "and he's not stupid. He knows all 
about you and your partner.  Anyway, I promised him a
good time with her.   Until I can 
arrange it though, I don't want her little red choo
choo going off the track.  Mixon move Colonel 
Mackenzie to Commander Rabb's cell, and tell Mr.
Palmer that as soon as my bank account 
shows his deposit, I'll arrange the meeting."
  
  The light blinded Harm moments later as the door
opened and Mac was shoved 
  into the cell with him. As quickly as it had opened
the door was closed 
  again, locking them in the darkness again.
  
  "Harm" she wailed.
  
  "Right here honey" he whispered as he quickly found
her and wrapped his arms 
  around her. "I'm right here and everything is going
to be okay."
  
  "Palmer" she whispered.
  
  "No" Harm said quickly. "It's not going to happen. I
won't let it."
  
  "How do you plan to stop them" she wailed.
  
  "I don't know honey" he said as he hugged her
tightly ."I just know that I 
  won't let anything happen to you. And right now I'm
just happy to have you 
  in my arms again."
  
  "For how long?" she murmured.
  
  "I'm not letting you go" he whispered. "They will
not get you from me 
  without a fight. I promise you that."
  
  "Harm I don't want to lose you. I couldn't stand
that."
  
  "We're going to get out of this. Somehow. Just try
not to think about it. 
  Right now we're together and that's all that
matters."
  
  She burrowed deeper into his embrace, just his touch
comforting her. She'd 
  been so scared alone in the other cell but at least
with Harm's arms around 
  her she could hold it together. At least for a
little while longer. Until 
  they came back.
  
  "Harm I love you" she murmured softly.
  
  "I love you too honey" he whispered before dropping
a quick kiss on her 
  forehead.
  
  ****************
  "Junie did you call?" Matt asked when he saw her
again.
  
  She nodded and looked cautiously around. "I did
Matt. I think they believed 
  me."
  
  "Thank god" Matt sighed. "You haven't seen either of
them around have you?"
  
  "No. Roush told us they were finished and had gone
back to JAG."
  
  "Liar" Matt swore. "He's done something with them. I
just hope it's not too 
  late when the Admiral gets here."
  
  "I told him it was a matter of life and death" Junie
said quietly. "I hope 
  he believed me."
  
  "Thank you. You may have saved their lives by making
that call."
  
  ********************
  Enroute to Leavenworth
  Same Time
  
  "Everything okay sir?" Sturgis asked as he looked
over at AJ.
  
  "Yeah I just wish we hadn't gotten delayed for so
long" AJ sighed. "I'm 
  getting a real bad feeling here."
  
  "We'll be there in a few hours sir. And hopefully it
won't take long for us 
  to get to the bottom of this and find Harm and Mac."
  
  "And then find out what's going on at that prison"
AJ mused. "Were you able 
  to find out anything about the Commandant?"
  
  "Oh just that he's got a small little gambling
problem" Sturgis said as he 
  pulled out the file. "His finances are a mess
because of it. Wife left him 
  and he's trying to pay alimony and child support and
hit the casino every 
  other week."
  
  "So there's motive to start up a little side
business if that's in fact 
  what's going on out there" AJ sighed.
  
  "Yes sir. And he'd probably go to any length to keep
anyone from finding 
  out."
  
  "Including murder" AJ said quietly. "We're you able
to verify the guard's 
  death?"
  
  "A guard and a woman in the infirmary" Sturgis
nodded. "They were involved 
  and their deaths were ruled suicides."
  
  "So whoever called me wasn't lying about that."
  
  "No sir. Something is very wrong out there."
 
 AJ scowled.  "Then why haven't we heard from Rabb and
Mackenzie to that affect asking for 
help?"
 
 "Sir I think we would have if there were able.  And
with due respect I think you're thinking the 
same thing."
 
 "Yes OK, I just didn't want to admit it," he
muttered.  "Better question, why did they feel like 
they needed to use their own time.  Never mind.  I
know.  Because I wouldn't have authorized 
it.  I would have told them to file the report with
the Bureau of Prisons."
 
 "Bingo. . .sir."
 
 AJ glared at him.  "I just want to get there and make
sure they're OK, and then we can find out 
how bad it is."
 ===============
 LEAVENWORTH
 The Hole
 
 An unknown time later someone sent via the pass
through a small tray with two bottles of 
water, crackers and fruit and a candle by which they
could see to eat.  "Enjoy your meal, you 
never know when it could be your last," the unknown
voice echoed in the otherwise empty 
chamber.
 
 Harm moved from her just enough to reach the tray,
grateful for the candle that allowed him to 
see her face, dirty and tear streaked that it was.  He
opened one of the bottles and she drank 
greedily while he held it steady for her.
 
 "Thanks.  Harm are you doing OK?  You've been so busy
looking after me that I'm not sure 
you're worried enough about yourself, which brings me
to my next point.  I don't want you 
doing anything like. . .well no crazy heroics or
anything OK?  Even with Palmer.  I'll handle him 
if it becomes necessary."
 
 "No-way-in-hell," he replied, his words spaced for
emphasis.
 
 "I'm not letting you go, not without a fight, and
certainly not for that man's entertainment the 
sick bastard.  He knows he can get to me by hurting
you and that's what he's going to do 
apparently.  Somehow he's going fix a deposit to
Roush's bank and when he does, then Roush 
is going to give you over to him, except it will only
happen when the pry you out of my dead 
lifeless arms."
 
 "NO.  No please don't even think that," she gasped,
trying to suppress a sob.  "Harm if you 
were hurt trying to protect me I'd hate myself for the
rest of my life."
 
 "OK OK give it a rest Tallulah and try to eat
something," he chided her.  "We're not there yet 
and hopefully we won't be."
 
 "Who the hell is Tallulah," she gasped, still holding
back her tears.
 
 "My mom used to say it all the time.  Tallulah
Bankhead was an actress in the 40's, known for 
dramatics and over-acting," he laughed softly, turning
her face up to meet his.  "You know the 
40's, when movies didn't have people in bed, but there
was a lot of this."  His lips gently closed 
over hers and his kiss left no doubt as to the depths
of his feelings.
 
 "When we do that it almost seems OK," she sighed when
they had to breathe.
 
 "It is going to be OK," he maintained.  "We're going
to get out of here, and we're going to 
make sure your uncle is safe for the rest of the days
of his confinement here.  Somehow.  I 
mean have I ever steered you wrong--don't answer
that."
 ===================
 LEAVENWORTH PRISON HQ
 
 The young corporal behind the duty desk was reading a
magazine when AJ and Sturgis 
approached, his feet on the desk and deeply engrossed.
 
 "Sign in and state your business," he murmured, not
looking up.
 
 "I'm Admiral AJ Chegwidden, Judge Advocate General
and right now you mister are my 
business," AJ roared, leaning over the desk to get in
the young man's face as much as 
possible.
 
 "Sir yes sir," he yelped, leaping to his feet with
the magazine and chair both flying.
 
 "Shall we try that again boy?  Starting with you
coming to attention and asking me how you 
can help me?"
  
  "Yes sir, how can I help you sir?" he stammered.
  
  "I need to see one of the prisoners" AJ replied.
"Matthew O'Hara."
  
  "There's no visiting hours right now sir."
  
  "I don't need visiting hours to talk to Mr. O'Hara"
AJ growled. "I'm the 
  Judge Advocate General. If I want to see a prisoner,
I can see him."
  
  "Yes sir. I'll just need to inform Major Roush."
  
  "You'll inform no one" AJ snapped. "I want to see
Mr. O'Hara and you'll do 
  as I ask son."
  
  "Yes sir" he gulped. "Right this way sir. Junie will
take you to see him." 
  The young man lead them down the hall to the cell
block where a woman 
  waited.
  
  "Junie these two are here to see O'Hara. Can you
take them to him."
  
  "Of course" Junie nodded as she looked at AJ and
Sturgis. "I'll take them to 
  them right away."
  
  "Thank you" the harried corporal said before
hurrying back to his duty 
  station.
  
  "Right this way sir" Junie said as she lead them
down the long cellblock. 
  She finally stopped in front of Matt's cell, who
immediately stood up at the 
  sight of AJ.
  
  "Admiral" he gasped. "You're here. Thank god."
  
  "What's going on here?" AJ asked as he and Sturgis
walked into the cell once 
  Junie opened it.
  
  "Nothing good sir" Matthew O'Hara said soberly. "Mac
and Harm were here 
  investigating and now they've suddenly disappeared.
But you know that or you 
  wouldn't be here."
  
  "I got a call," AJ said as he looked at Junie as she
locked the cell and 
  walked away. "Telling me that Harm and Mac might be
in trouble."
  
  "They are" Matt continued. "No one has seen them for
almost twenty four hours. 
  And obviously they didn't go back to JAG like Roush
is claiming or you 
  wouldn't be here."
  
  "No they didn't" AJ nodded. "But we'll find out
what's going on here. By the 
  way this is Commander Sturgis Turner. He'll be
helping me find out what 
  happened to Harm and Mac."
  
  "Whatever you do, don't believe a word that Major
Roush and the Commandant 
  tell you" Matt whispered. "They're the ones behind
this."
  
  "Well I'm sure it's just a matter of time before the
Corporal at the duty 
  desk lets them know we're here then" Sturgis said
quietly. "So you best tell 
  us everything you know now."
  
  "I just know that Harm and Mac were here yesterday.
They were pretending 
  they were conducting an official JAG investigation.
Then suddenly they 
  disappeared. No one has seen them since. And this
was after Mac was attacked 
  in her hotel room the night before."
  
  "Wait. She was attacked in her hotel room?" AJ
demanded.
  
  Matt nodded soberly. "They knocked her out with
chloroform and left a 
  warning that next time it would be worse. And now
that I think about that, 
  I'm sure that's what happened. They got to them sir.
And for all we know 
  they could already be dead."
  
  "They could but then again we're talking about Harm
and Mac here" AJ sighed. 
  "They've gotten themselves out of tough spots
before."
  
  "Sir they're playing for keeps here" Matt said
quietly. "Two people are 
  dead. Because they were going to talk to Harm and
Mac."
  
  "I understand" AJ nodded. "But we'll find them."
  
  "Sir maybe we should go back to the hotel they were
at" Sturgis spoke up. 
  "Since that might be the last place they were."
  
  "We will" AJ replied. "But not before we do some
more poking around here. I 
  want to find out who knows what around here."
 
  "They're not all in it" Matt said quietly. "Junie is
one of the good ones. 
  She's the one I asked to call you."
  
  "I thought so. Do you think she knows anything
else?"
  
  "If she did she'd tell me. I trust her. She's afraid
but if she knew what 
  happened to Harm and Mac she'd tell me."
  
  "But can she find out?" AJ asked.
  
  "I don't know" Matt sighed. "You can try and talk to
her. But she's scared. 
  And with good reason."
 
 "Is there anyone else we can trust Matt?"
 
 He shook his head solemnly.  "Honestly Admiral, you
can't tell the good guys without a 
scorecard any more.  I've gotten so I don't trust
anyone completely.  Junie almost, but she's 
scared and that's something they might use.  I had
been trying to keep out of it, to keep my 
nose clean and just do my time, but it's gotten pretty
far out of hand.  Now that's over.  I want 
this blown open, and I'm your star witness Admiral. 
But first I want my niece to be safe."
 
 "OK Matt.  Just stay calm now.  I don't want them
thinking they've got reason to fear you, or 
us." AJ looked at Sturgis who gave him an encouraging
nod.
 
 "I'm in sir, for it all."
 
 "Thanks Commander," he smiled.  "Matt you stay out of
trouble now.  We'll talk to Junie and 
find that niece of yours.  And her partner.  God would
not allow anything to happen to either of 
them until I've had my turn."  He clapped Matt's
shoulder and walked to the cell door.  "Guard, 
open up.  We're through here."
 
 Junie casually strolled to the door and let them out,
giving Matt a slight nod.  As AJ and 
Sturgis passed her, she pressed her hand against
Sturgis's, sliding a very small slip of paper 
into it.  Sturgis did not look at her, but simply kept
walking.
 
 Once they were out of the cell block, Sturgis nudged
AJ's arm and opened his hand just long 
enough to show him the note from Junie.  "Why don't we
get some coffee," he said aloud.  "We 
can come back later when everyone is in more of a mood
to talk."
 
 AJ nodded and followed Sturgis to the car.  Only when
they were inside did he open his hand 
to see what the paper said.  "1329 Wannamaker Blvd.
One Hour."  Sturgis crumpled it and 
stuffed it into his pocket.  "Sir this could be a set
up.  You heard the Colonel--even he doesn't 
trust her one hundred percent."
 
 AJ furrowed his brow and pinched the bridge of his
nose at the same time.  "Damned if we do, 
damned if we don't Commander."
 ====================
 LEAVENWORTH PRISON HOLE
 Same Time
 
 Harm stirred and forced his eyes open.  The candle
burned dimly now, just enough for him to 
see the outline of the face of the woman who was
snuggled in his arms.  He leaned over and 
kissed her forehead.  "Hey Angel.  You're still with
me right?"
 
 She moved and her arms went around his back more
tightly.  "I was dreaming," she said 
softly, more awake than he had realized.  "Dreaming
about Palmer.  And when I came awake I 
thought it was him that was holding me.  I'm glad it
was you."
 
 "So am I," he whispered, "but if you were having that
dream how can you be so calm?"
 
 "Because I made a deal," she said tonelessly.  "I
agreed to go with Palmer willingly, to make it 
good for him, if they would not hurt you."
 
 "No.  NO," he shouted.  "You will not.  No way in
hell would I let you do that.  Where the hell 
was I in this dream anyway."
 
 "Oh you were right there," she sighed.  "Doing just
what you're doing now, screaming no."
 
 "Well at least I was in character.  Sarah promise me,
promise me if it comes to that you won't.  
Not to save my sorry six.  I'm not worth that." 
    
  "Yes you are" she murmured.
  
  "No I'm not" he whispered. "And I won't let you do
it. No matter what."
  
  *****************
  1329 Wannamaker Blvd
  1 Hour Later
  
  "Okay we're here" Sturgis murmured to no one in
particular as he and AJ 
  wandered around the city park.
  
  Moments later they saw Junie behind a large tree and
she motioned for them 
  to come to her. They looked carefully around before
heading to her.
  
  "You're the one who called me aren't you?" AJ asked
when they reached her.
  
  "Yes sir. Matt asked me to."
  
  "Do you know what happened to the Commander and the
Colonel?" Sturgis asked.
  
  She looked around again before nodding. "Major Roush
set them up. They 
  thought they were meeting Liz Baker. But they
weren't."
  
  "Where are they?" AJ asked.
  
  "Roush and the Commandant have them in the old
prison hole."
  
  "Are they alive?" Sturgis asked.
  
  "So far as I know yes. I saw one of the guards
that's in tight with Roush 
  heading down there with some bread and water. That's
how I know they're down 
  there. That part of the prison hasn't been used in
years. No one is supposed 
  to be down there."
  
  "Okay well at least we know where they are" AJ
sighed. "Now we just have to 
  get them out."
  
  "The sooner the better sir" Sturgis said quietly.
"Because if they find out 
  we're on to them, you know they won't hesitate to
kill Harm and Mac."
  
  "I know" AJ said soberly. "I think it's time I made
a few calls. Hopefully 
  it won't take too long to get some action."
  
  "Sir I can get you in to get them out" Junie offered
quietly. "I have 
  access. We're not supposed to go down there but I
can get you in."
  
  "You realize it might not be that simple" AJ
countered.
  
  "I know sir. But I can't let two more people die
because of this. Corporal 
  Harris was a good kid who had his life ahead of him.
Liz too. They didn't 
  have to die."
  
  "You sure you want to do this?" AJ asked again.
  
  "Yes sir. It's the right thing to do."
  
  "Thanks Junie" AJ nodded. "You've probably saved
their lives by doing this. 
  I won't forget this."
  
  "Just promise me you'll keep my babies safe. That's
all that matters."
  
  "I will. Commandant Brinkley and Major Roush aren't
going to be able to hurt 
  anyone again."
  
  "I have to go back," Junie said as she checked her
watch. "If you come back 
  in an hour, I'll get you down there."
  
  "We'll be there" AJ nodded. "With backup on the
way."
  
  *************
  He drifted to sleep again but at the sound of
footsteps, Harm was instantly 
  awake. His arm tightened protectively around Mac,
knowing there was no way 
  he would give up Mac without a fight. Nothing meant
more to him than her.
  
  He tensed as the key went into the door and moments
later he was nearly 
  blinded by a flashlight beam as the door opened.
  
  "Harm you in here?"
  
  "Admiral?" Harm gasped. "Is that you?"
  
  "Coming to save your six yes" AJ said quietly. "Are
you and Mac okay?"
  
  "A lot better now that you're here" Harm said with a
long sigh. "How did you 
  find us?"
  
  "A friend" Sturgis said as he looked back at Junie
who continued to stand 
  guard. 
 
 "Just get them out of there" Junie hissed, backing up
with the pass key.
 
 "Mac honey we're getting out of here," Harm told her,
pulling her to her feet and keeping her in 
his arms.  "Stay with me now.  We're leaving."
 
 "No one his going anywhere Commander, least of all
you.  None of you are getting out of here 
in fact."
 
 "What the hell," AJ exploded.  "Roush that's you
isn't it."  He swung the flashlight back down 
the dark corridor and in fact revealed Major Roush
standing in the center of the hallway.
 
 "Roush the game is up," AJ shouted.  "With testimony
from my people, from Matthew O'Hara 
and anyone else I can line up, you'll be a permanent
resident right here.  Maybe you and the 
Commandant can be cellmates."
 
 "No way I'm giving up what I've got going here," he
yelled back.  "No you people are simply 
going to be caught in a building collapse.  Old
building, rotting floors.  Your people were down 
here investigating, god knows why and you came after
them.  Too much poking around and 
the building shifted and fell.  It's been condemned
for years anyway.  O'Hara I'll simply deal 
with.  Voila--my little game as you put it goes on."
 
 "Admiral he's talking about killing us all," Junie
gasped and Harm tightened his grasp of Mac 
as he realized what was being planned.
 
 "How are you going to accomplish this feat without
killing yourself?" AJ demanded, hoping to 
buy some time, and hoping what he was suspecting Roush
had planned was totally wrong.
 
 "C4 on a sixty-second delay," Roush hollered, unable
to resist gloating.  "So long people.  
Start counting. . .now."  With that he turned and ran
to escape the hell he knew would shortly 
rain down.
 
 "My god we're all going to die down here," Junie
wailed.
 
 "No we're not," AJ growled.  "Rabb, you guys out of
there?"
 
 "Yeah but. . ."
 
 "But my six.  Move it.  Sturgis get Junie and go. 
We're right behind you."
 
 Sturgis needed no urging, grabbing her arm and
running down the corridor.
 
 "Mac, Harm let's go," AJ ordered, trying to see where
they were.
 
 "I don't think I can run," she whispered, "my legs
are all cramped up. Go. Go on."
 
 "When hell freezes over," Harm screeched.  "Admiral
go.  We're behind you."
 
 "See that you are and that's an order mister," AJ
thundered before taking off down the hall.
 
 "Harm please," she whispered again, tears running
down her face.  "You have to go."
 
 "Shut up.  Shut up now," he snapped and lifted her
into his arms, taking off after AJ.
 
 "Harm there's only thirty-three seconds left," she
gasped when they had covered barely half 
the distance, with the sound of AJ's feet several
yards ahead.
 
 "Didn't Indiana Jones say never tell me things like
that," he panted, "and don't even suggest I 
put you down."
 
 "You're signing both our death warrants."
 
 "Then we die together," he gasped, trying to increase
his speed.
 
 A few seconds later from up ahead he could hear Junie
screaming his name.  "This way.  Go 
to your left.  It's a short cut.  We'll never make the
long corridor, but this takes us back under 
the main building.  Hurry."
 
 "Ten seconds," Mac breathed when they had covered
several more yards.  She began a soft 
countdown, and when she got to five, Harm uttered a
small prayer that Roush had been 
bluffing.  When she said zero, true to her ability,
the world behind them exploded in a white hot 
flash of choking dust and falling building.
  
  The force of the blast knocked them to the ground
and Harm did his best to 
  cover Mac as the debris fell around them. When it
was over they lay on the 
  ground, nearly covered by debris.
  
  "Harm" Mac's muffled voice from below him made him
move and with a groan he 
  attempted to push a piece of the ceiling that had
fallen on them away. He 
  finally managed to move it enough so that he could
roll off of her and at 
  once she rolled over to look at him.
  
  "Are you okay?" she demanded.
  
  "Yeah I think so" he grimaced as he attempted to sit
up, his back hurting 
  from where the debris had landed on him.
  
  "You don't look okay" she whispered. "God you could
have been killed trying 
  to save me. You should have left me."
  
  "NO" he shouted. "There is no way I would have left
you behind."
  
  "I'm sorry" she sniffled.
  
  "Honey it's okay" he whispered as he gently pulled
her against her. "I'm 
  okay. I just hurt my back a little. It's probably
just bruised. Now we just 
  have to figure out how to get out of here." As he
spoke he looked ahead to 
  where the door had been that the others had gone
through just before the 
  blast. But the door was no longer visible; a pile of
what had been the 
  ceiling now blocking the way.
  
  "I don't think we're going anywhere," she said as
she followed his gaze. 
  "But at least they got out. They'll get help and get
us out."
  
  "If Roush or the Commandant isn't waiting for them,"
Harm said grimly.
  
  "This is all my fault" she sniffled, tears once
again sliding down her face. 
  "I brought you out here and now them. If anything
happens to any of them, 
  it's my fault."
  
  "You don't honestly think the Admiral would have
come here without telling 
  anyone else do you? I'm sure he's got every man from
the Bureau of Prisons 
  on their way here."
  
  "And if not?"
  
  "Don't even think it" he chided her. "We're going to
get out of here. We got 
  out of that hole and we'll get out of here."  
  ************
  "Sir we have to get them out of there" Sturgis said
as he looked back at 
  where Harm and Mac had been lost behind them. They'd
made it through to the 
  main building before the blast but had quickly
realized Harm and Mac hadn't 
  and were now cutoff from them.
  
  "I know" AJ sighed. "But first we need to make sure
help is here. We're not 
  going to be able to get them out without help."
  
  Sturgis nodded and with Junie leading, they made
their way back to the main 
  cell block area. It was there that they realized
that help had in fact 
  arrived, the men from the Bureau of Prisons now
swarming all over the 
  prison.
  
  "Admiral Chegwidden" AJ identified himself to the
men who quickly approached 
  them. "I'm the one who called you."
  
  "Jon Richards" the man replied. "We just took
Commandant Brinkley into 
  custody. We haven't found Major Roush yet."
  
  "He was in the old section" AJ replied. "He set of
an explosion. Two of my 
  people are trapped back there.  I need some help
getting them out."
  
  "We can do that" Richards nodded. "Is there another
way out that Roush might 
  have gone?"
  
  "I can help you find him" Junie spoke up.
  
  "Charlie go with this woman and see if you can find
Roush. Commandant 
  Brinkley has been singing like a canary since we
grabbed him and it sounds 
  like this was all Roush's mastermind and I want that
son of a bitch nailed."
  
  "Yes sir" the other man nodded before hurrying off
with Junie.
  
  "How badly are your people trapped?" Jon asked as he
turned back to AJ.
  
  "We're going to need more than just you to help" AJ
sighed. "They were still 
  in the old section when the blast occurred."
  
  "All right I'll get some help up here" Jon nodded.
"In the meantime, my guys 
  are securing the rest of the prison and relieving
all the guards of duty 
  until we find out who the hell is involved in this
mess."
  
  ***************
  "You okay?" Harm asked as he kissed Mac's forehead.
  
  "I'll be a lot better when we get out of here" she
sighed. "This is just one 
  long nightmare."
  
  "I know" he whispered. "But it's almost over now."
  
  "How are you?" she asked as she looked up at him.
"How's your back?"
  
  "Hurting" he admitted. "I'm sure I've got a whopper
of a bruise there but 
  it's nothing that won't heal."
  
  "I'm sorry about all this."
  
  "Stop saying you're sorry. This is not your fault.
You had no way of knowing 
  things were this bad out here. And I was a very
willing participant 
  remember."
  
  "Only because you didn't want to leave me alone out
here" she whispered.
  
  "Well I'd rather be here with you then somewhere
else worrying about you," 
  he said softly. "At least here I can hold you and
know you're okay."
  
  "I don't deserve you" she sniffled.
  
  "Yes you do. And once we get out of this place once
and for all I'm going to 
  show you just how glad I am to have you in my life."
  
 "Harm I want that, and I'm so sorry about this. This
is all so my fault," she wailed, trying to see 
around to his back.  "I should have gone through
channels.  Should have shown the evidence 
Uncle Matt sent.  Should have called for an official
investigation."
 
 "I want you to stop that right now," he scolded. 
"Look at how many half-assed things I've done 
in my days and this doesn't even make that list in
terms of being out there.  You saw a 
situation and did what any Marine would want to
do--you wanted to handle it.  Your mistake 
was trying to handle it alone.  Partner, best friend,
man who loves you here remember--don't 
forget that ever."
 
 She gave a long sniffle and swallowed the rest of her
tears.  "I just want to get out of here, be 
sure you're OK, and then have light and air and you. 
Not necessarily in that order."
 
 "Rabb--Mackenzie you guys still breathing?"
 
 Sturgis's voice interrupted him before she could
reply and she leaned against him weakly.  
"Hang on Angel--it's almost over I promise," he
whispered before looking upward.  "Turner stop 
asking fool questions and get us out of here.  What's
happening with that anyway?"
 
 "Hang tight.  They're figuring out now what to send
down.  How much help do you need?  Are 
either of you hurt?"
 
 "Harm's back is bad," Mac yelled.  "He doesn't need
to be doing any thing that's going to 
aggravate it."
 
 "Sturgis it's just bruised.  I'm fine.  In fact the
only thing wrong with me is that I want Mac out of 
here."
 
 "Well they're concerned if they move too fast they're
going to drop the rest of this death trap 
on you.  Like I said hang tight."
 
 It grew quiet then and Harm leaned back against the
wall such as it was, gathering her tightly 
against him.  Ten minutes passed and she was very
nearly asleep, her head on his shoulder 
when he wrinkled his nose and gave her a gentle shake.
 "Mac you smell that?"
 
 "What?"  She opened one eye and gave a half hearted
sniff.  "All I smell is a sailor and a 
marine who badly need showers."
 
 "No it's gas.  Mac I swear I smell gas."
=============== 
 At the same time a floor above the engineer guiding
the rescue team raised his hand.  "Hold 
up guys.  Dammit I didn't think about it.  But there's
a gas line running under there.  It was 
capped off when the old part of the building was shut
down and the electric system installed 
but obviously it's ruptured.  The fumes are real
strong coming up from there."
 
 "Well then what exactly are you doing about it?" AJ
roared.  "In fact what are you doing to get 
my people out of there?"
 
 "Shutting off all electricity for starters," Mike
Bannister ordered.  "Anything that could make a 
spark.  That means we're going to have to do it by
hand completely.  No cutting tools of any 
kind, and pray they're not buried too deep for that. 
Admiral you and your staff may want to 
clear out."
 
 In reply AJ stripped his uniform coat, dropping it to
the floor.  "Mr. Bannister get me a pair of 
those gloves.  Let's get busy."
=============== 
 "I can hear them working honey, just hang on," Harm
urged.  
 
 "The air is bad down here isn't it?"
 
 "It's not great but I think we'll be OK."
 
 "No it's a matter of whether the oxygen gives out or
the place blows sky high," she whispered, 
fighting off any tendency to tears.
 
 "No way Marine," he declared forcefully.  "We did not
get this close to have it all get away from 
us now.  I love you and I'm going to marry you.  I'm
going to see you walk down the aisle and 
become my wife and that's a promise."
 
  "Don't make promises you can't keep" she sniffled.
  
  "I haven't yet" he smiled softly. "And we're going
to get out of this. I 
  promise you that Sarah. Just try and stay calm."
  
  "I'll be calm when I know you're safe and okay" she
whispered as she dropped 
  her head against his chest. "That's all that
matters."
  
  The minutes ticked away as the men above worked to
remove the debris that 
  kept them trapped. Fervently they worked, pulling
pieces away as quickly as 
  they could.
  
  "Mac you still with me?" Harm asked as he gently
shook her a short time 
  later.
  
  "Here" she said vaguely.
  
  "Hang on honey" he urged. "It won't be much longer."
He knew the fumes were 
  getting to both of them and he prayed that their
rescuers would get to them 
  soon.
  
  His prayer was soon answered as the light from a
flashlight soon shown on 
  them. Moments later they were both freed from the
rubble and quickly taken 
  to the infirmary.
  
  ***************
  "How are they?" AJ demanded as the doctor who'd
treated them made his way 
  towards them.
  
  "Doing well" Doctor Roger Martin replied. "The worst
I can see is the large 
  contusion the Commander has on his back."
  
  "Thank god" Sturgis sighed. "So they're going to be
fine."
  
  "Yes they'll be fine. In fact the Commander is
demanding to see the Colonel 
  so I'm in the process of making that happen." He
paused and smiled slightly. 
  "You may want to give them a few minutes before you
go see them."
  
  "We will" Sturgis smiled. "Sir maybe we should go
check on the status of 
  Roush and give them a few minutes alone."
  
  Inside the small treatment room Harm was already
working on his escape, 
  determined to find Mac and make sure she was okay.
  
  "Commander where do you think you're going?" Doctor
Martin demanded as he 
  walked into Harm's room just as he slid off the bed.
  
  "To find my partner" Harm answered. "Where is she
and how is she?"
  
  "She's fine" Martin replied. "And I was about to
arrange for you two to be 
  reunited."
  
  "She's fine?"
  
  "Fine. I want both of you to take it easy but you're
both going to be fine. 
  You're going to be a bit sore with that contusion on
your back but otherwise 
  you both are very lucky."
  
  "She's fine?" Harm repeated again.
  
  "Yes she is" Doctor Martin smiled. "You can see for
yourself in a few 
  minutes."
  
  As promised they were reunited a few minutes later,
Harm eagerly taking Mac 
  into his arms as soon as he reached her.
  
  "Hey Marine" he whispered as he gathered her close
to him. "How are you?"
  
  "I'm fine" she whispered as she hugged him tightly.
"Are you okay?"
  
  "Bruised but fine" he assured her as he finally let
go so he could look at 
  her. "I can't believe you're really okay. That the
whole nightmare is over 
  and you're not hurt."
  
  "Does your back hurt much?" she asked. "I know how
badly that was bruised."
  
  "I'm fine. Especially now that I know you're okay. I
was just worried about 
  getting you out of there before it was too late. I
wasn't ready to lose you 
  yet Sarah."
  
  "I know I was out of it from the fumes, but you
promised me something didn't 
  you?" she whispered.
  
  "If you mean that I would marry you, yes" he smiled.
"And I meant it."
 ===============    
 TWO MONTHS LATER
 
 "Daddy where did you marry Mommy their child asked. 
Well son I married her in prison," 
Harm said to his own image in the mirror while he was
struggling with collar to his dress 
whites.
 
 "Rabb you'll want to watch talking to yourself," AJ
cautioned.  "That could earn you enough 
points for that psych eval.  I've been keeping score."
 
 "Yes sir, I'm sure you have," he muttered.  "We could
have eloped.  It would have been so 
easy to just drive up into Maryland or Pennsylvania
and eloped.  But we had this whole 
romantic notion of getting married in the Leavenworth
Prison Chapel so Uncle Matt could be 
there.  Not that we don't owe him for bringing us
together I guess."
 
 "Well if it's any comfort, your bride looks radiant,"
Sturgis reported as he breezed in, having 
visited the opposite end of the hotel to check on her
and Harriet.
 
 "Yeah that's another thing.  I've forgotten what she
looks like."
 
 "Oh for crying out loud it's only been what, about
fourteen hours since you saw her," AJ 
scoffed.  "It didn't kill you."
 
 "Wanna bet," he whined.  "We haven't been apart since
we were here.  Except when we were 
on separate assignments we've been together."
 
 "You're breaking my heart," Bud spoke up.  "A night
apart now and then doesn't hurt any 
couple.  And in about thirty minutes she's going to be
yours forever."
 ================
 "OK I think I'm ready," Mac breathed, letting Harriet
put the final touches on her hair.  "I can't 
believe the chaplain hasn't ever done a wedding
before.  I guess in Prison Ministries there's 
not much call unless it's two. . .uh never mind. 
Anyway, do you know how long I've waited and 
prayed for this day?"
 
 "Yes ma'am, long as I've known you two anyway," she
giggled.  "You look beautiful.  You 
ready to become Mrs. Rabb?"
 
 "Yeah.  For so long I can't even remember when it
wasn't in the back of my mind," she smiled 
and blushed, giving her the skirt of the simple white
dress a final smoothing.  "Let's do it."
 ===================
 LEAVENWORTH Chapel
 
 Matthew O'Hara stood at attention as the bride
walked, or more like floated, down the aisle to 
the waiting arms of her Sailor.  His only relative
could not have looked more radiant.  A few 
minutes later he heard them repeat their vows, simple
words of love and devotion.  Words that 
would span the remainder of their lifetime, binding
them together.  
 
 "What God has seen fit to join together, let no man
attempt to drive apart," Reverend 
Hardcastle intoned and it was over.  Harmon David Rabb
and Sarah Catherine Mackenzie 
were as one.

~~~Stone walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a
cage~~~
 
 THE END