Author: Nancy
Disclaimer: JAG and characters do not belong to me and I don't make money etc from doing this. I just like to create stories.
Classification: PG 13
Category: Drama-Harm/Mac
Summary: When Admiral Chegwidden makes a career change, everyone at JAG is affected.

PART 2

The Marine squadron entered a valley and one of the Marines spotted another mine field. "Looks like we are going to have to circle back." Lt. Smith conferred with Cockroach and Harm.

Suddenly they were drawn to the sound of animals bleating. On the opposite side of the valley a group of goats herded by two young Bedouins boys approached. The two boys that couldn't have been more than eight years of age were guiding their small herd of goats towards them and into the mine field.

The Afghan interpreter began to shout at them to turn back, but the boys apparently did not speak Afghan and continued to walk towards the deadly clearing. Barnes aimed his camera carefully and began to snap off pictures.

All the Marines and Harm began to yell for them to head back. The goats picked up the pace startled by the noise and ran directly into the minefield. The boys ran after the frightened animals.

Harm threw down his backpack and ran towards the boys.

"COMMANDER, STOP YOU'll BE KILLED!" Lt. Smith screamed as they watched helplessly.

"Damn fool." Cockroach muttered and pointed his weapon and began firing at the ground where Harm and the young Bedouins were. A loud explosion blowing dirt and rocks near one of the goats sent the animals scurrying back to their shepherds.

"What are you doing?" Barnes yelled at Cockroach as he continued to fire all into the ground where Harm ran.

One of the boys retreated while the other stood frozen in fear as Harm approached. Just as Harm reached the boy a terrified goat scooted by and set off another explosion. Harm dove towards the boy knocking him on the ground and covered him with his body as blast impacted the pair.

Cockroach and the other Marines continued to fire into the ground creating a clear path as two addition mines exploded. Cockroach dropped his weapon and  cautiously advanced to the fallen Naval officer and boy.

****

Mac stood on the bridge of the Sea Hawk pacing restlessly. "Colonel, you're going to wear a path on the deck if you keep that up." The skipper observed.

"Sorry Sir." Mac responded with a quick worried smile.

"What's got you so anxious Colonel?"

"Just a little worried about my partner." She confessed.

"You were cool as a cucumber when he flew in with one engine the last time you were here." He noted.

"I don't know. This just doesn't feel right. Have you received any word?" Mac implored as she felt a sudden sharp pain to her head. She reached up and rubbed her temple in an attempt to ease the pain.

"Colonel, you look a little pale. Go down to sick bay and get something for that headache. I'll let you know any news as soon as we hear something." The skipper suggested more as an order.

"Yes sir."

**********

Cockroach eased Harm over careful of his bleeding shoulder. "Bring me the medic's bag!" As soon as he rolled Harm off the youngster, the boy jumped up, ran towards his companion, and disappeared into the hillside.

"That was a damn stupid thing to do Sir." Cockroach muttered as he applied pressure to a bleeding gash on the unconscious JAG. After verifying that Harm had no obvious broken bones, he lifted him over his shoulder in a fireman's carry and moved out of the danger zone.

Placing him gently near a couple of straggly trees that provided shade, one of the Marines who served as a medic began to assess and clean the wounds on his shoulder and head. The stimulation brought Harm back to the world of the conscious, and he tried to sit up only to be pushed back down by a hovering Sergeant Major.

"Take it easy Perry Mason. It's not your time to cross examine the witness." Cockroach's gravelly sounding voice ordered and for the briefest of moments, a look of compassion crossed his stone cold features.

"Looks like you have a piece of shrapnel in your shoulder, Commander. The head wound looks superficial."  The medic reported as he continued to apply pressure to the shoulder wound to stop the bleeding.

"Where's the kid? Is he alright?" Harm's vision began to clear and again he struggled against the strong hands of the medic and the Sergeant Major.

"He's okay. He and the other one took off into the hills. I'm afraid one of his goats didn't fair so well. We might have goat tonight instead of MREs." The older man chuckled gruffly.

Lt. Smith returned the radio he had been talking through down and walked over to Harm and the others. "How are you doing Commander?"

"Besides the loud ringing in my ears and one hell of a headache, I'll be fine." Harm was assisted to a sitting position, which brought to his attention the real focus of his injuries. "Aauggh! Dammit!" He tried to reach for his shoulder only to have a strong hand pull it away.

"Let the medic do his job Perry Mason. You can sue the bastards who planted the mines later Sir." Cockroach instructed dryly.

The Lieutenant squatted down to take a closer look at their casualty. "Commander, I just talked with Captain Payne. They can't send a helo in. No landing space and the wind through these valleys is too strong. We will meet them at the LZ about twenty miles due east. Do you think you can make it?" The young black officer asked as he looked for conformation from the medic.

"Yea, I've survived a few t-shirt moments like this before." Harm tried to laugh only to grimace when a sharp pain struck.

Barnes knelt down. "Commander that was the bravest thing I've ever seen."

"Damn stupid thing to do." Cockroach huffed and walked away with the Lieutenant receiving a disapproving glare from the reporter.

"Why in the hell do the Marines keep an old wise ass like him around." Barnes muttered where Harm could hear.

"Because old wise asses like that know what war is all about. Because he was right. I risked everyone's life not just my own. We don't know if there are any Talliban forces near, but now that they've heard all the commotion they will be finding us soon." Harm defended between grunts of pain as he slowly stood with the help of the medic.

********

For the next few hours, the group climbed their way slowly through the mountainside towards the rendezvous point with Charlie Company. Cockroach, Lt. Smith and one of the marines carefully scanned their surroundings, as it became dark. Barnes and the medic stayed close to Harm who for the most part required little assistance. They broke for camp and radioed in their location for the night. "Sorry no fires tonight." Lt. Smith informed the group. "I just received word from naval intel that there has been some movement near here."

The medic checked Harm's shoulder wound and worriedly noted redness around its jagged edges. He gently palpated the heat that accompanied the redness indicating infection was setting into the wound.

"Owww, take it easy corpsman." Harm snapped irritably.

"Sorry sir, looks like your wound is a little infected. I have a broad spectrum antibiotic I want you to take, and I'm going to give you something by injection for the pain."

"No strong pain med. If we have to move out quickly, I will need to be alert." Harm responded as he swallowed the pills and chased them with some water from his canteen.

"Here is some Tylenol." The corpsman handed Harm a couple more tablets and a MRE.

"No, I don't think I can eat." Harm looked a little green as he smelled the prepackaged meal.

"Sir, you need to eat while taking that antibiotic." The medic coaxed.

"What's the matter Commander? Marine chow not good enough for you? You flyboys are used to gourmet meals from what I've heard." The old marine taunted.

Harm leaned gingerly back against a large rock and managed to take a few bites of the MRE of unidentifiable contents ignoring the man's remark.

"Why don't you leave him the hell alone?" Barnes cornered the callused old Marine.

"You don't know a damn thing about being a soldier Barnes. Why don't you go find a pencil and write a poem or something." Cockroach growled and walked away into the darkness to a point where he could stand first watch.

Several hours later unable to sleep, Harm sat up and scanned the camp when he heard a noise. Quietly he reached for his pistol and clicked the safety off.

"If I'd been the enemy, you'd have been dead long ago." Sergeant Major Cockroach Cochran eased by Harm and handed him a cup of water and some more pills. "Ben Casey asked me to give you these."

Harm gratefully swallowed the mild pain reliever and additional antibiotics. Cockroach handed him a Butterfinger candy bar. "Thought you might like this better than another one of those MREs."

"Thanks Sergeant Major." Harm broke it in half and handed the other piece to the Marine who slid down next to him.

"It'll be daylight in another hour. They will probably come before then." The Marine stated. "They've been stirring all night."

Harm reached for his sidearm and checked it. Cochran then quietly began to awaken each member or the group. As he reached Barnes a sudden loud, spitting noise of an automatic weapon firing began. Each member took cover and began to fire in the direction of the flashes.

Harm was on the edge of the camp next to a group of large boulders. Cockroach ran across the camp as bullets fired just missing him as he dove next to Harm behind a large boulder. Lt. Smith could be heard on the radio-requesting backup.

Cochran picked up his radio, "Leiutenant, you and the others need to take the high ground for better cover on your left. I'll stay with the commander."

Lt. Smith directed the rest of the group up the side of the hill and behind a ridge. Harm and Cochran where pretty much pinned down.

"Cockroach, Charlie company can't send any air protection because of our location. They are sending backup. It's just going to take a while. How are you doing on ammo?" The Lt. reported on the radio.

"We have enough to last about an hour unless they get to aggressive." Cockroach responded.

**********

Mac stood on the bridge as the skirmish between the patrol and the Talliban soldiers could be monitored over their radio transmission. "They're trapped." She looked helplessly towards the skipper who listened intently to the radio exchange.

Movement was seen all around the hemmed in patrol. The Talliban force continued to fire at the two groups of men as they slowly edged their way closer.

"Captain Stryker was my CO in one of my last tours in Vietnam." Cochran whispered roughly. "We were trapped in a godforsaken jungle, and the VC were all over us like white on rice. We had a bunch of Marines still wet behind the ears."

Harm listened between the snapping sounds of gunfire. "What happened?"

"I'll tell you when we get out of here." A harsh chuckle floated from the older man as the gunfire hit so close to Harm that pieces of stone hit his face.

"Damn."

"You okay?"

"That damn ringing sound in my ears from the mind blast was just about gone." Harm rubbed his head.

"Quit your bitching, least you have an ear to hear with, Sir."

"You remind me of another Marine, I know."

"Fine officer I'll bet."

"She's one hell of an officer."

"She!"

"Why am I not surprised by this response?" Harm groaned.

"Women don't belong in the Marines!"

"I'll let you take that up with her. You'll lose."

"Humph!"

A loud explosion threw them both to the ground as a missile hit directly above them.

"Cochran? Cochran?" Harm whispered not receiving an answer he shook the man who lay motionless next to him. Harm withdrew his hand when he felt the warm liquid of a wound on his fingers. Cochran began to stir.

"Cochran, lay still!" Harm ordered.

"You need to try to get out of here. Get the lieutenant to draw fire and get out of here." The voice was barely loud enough for Harm to hear.

"Not unless you come with me."

"Can't. My leg." Came an anguished reply.

Harm pulled the Marine up next to him with his good arm. "I've got two good legs."

"You can't return fire and drag me Commander with your injured shoulder." Cochran protested.

"I thought you were a Marine. Marines don't leave their men behind." Harm fired back angrily.

"You're not a Marine." The answer was matter of fact and Harm found it oddly funny considering their circumstances.

"No, but I've played a Marine Gunny Sergeant before on assignment." Harm continued to chuckle. "Yours wouldn't be the first Marine's ass I've gotten out of trouble."

"Next time I get a parking ticket. I'll call you up, Commander Perry Mason. Now get the hell out of here Sir!" Cockroach demanded using his best threatening tone.

"No." Harm responded and looked around for signs of movement towards them.

"Stupid squids." The wounded man mumbled.

"Watch it Sergeant Major. I do outrank you." Harm smiled and then caught movement to his right. Several Talliban fighters were making their way towards them.

"So arrest me." His voice sounded weaker. "It is considered an honor for a warrior to die in battle." Cockroach moaned in pain.

"Well you'll have to receive that honor in another battle." Harm pulled the man to his feet and picked up his radio transmitter. "Draw fire lieutenant. We're going to make a run for it."

*****

The Marines on the hill began to fire continuously as Harm half dragged the injured Marine towards a group of boulders closer to the others. Gunfire popped all around as they fell behind a large stone. Gasping for breath Harm scanned his surroundings as daylight began to peak over the hills. He needed to more quickly before they would be seen. He picked up the now unconscious Marine and took a deep breath and dragged the man the last twenty or so feet towards his companions. He felt a sharp pain in his injured arm as he pushed through towards the other Marines, determined to make it to safety.

They made it just as the enemy forces began to descend on their old location. The medic quickly picked up the Sergeant Major and carried him to a safer location as Harm stumbled behind holding his bleeding shoulder and newly wounded arm.

Daylight spread quickly over the valley, and the enemy began to retreat. The sounds of additional gunfire nearby grew louder. Lt. Smith, Barnes, Harm and the other Marines looked questionably at one another as the crackle of the radio alerted them that their reinforcements had arrived.

*******

The helicopter carrying the tattered team arrived on the deck of the Sea Hawk several hours later. Mac stood just inside the carrier near the flight deck anxiously waiting. Lt. Smith, Barnes and the two other Marines were the first to disembark while the medic helped carry Sergeant Major Cochran's stretcher towards the hatch where Mac stood. Mac saw Harm emerge looking rather beleaguered with a make shift sling on his right arm. He had refused to be carried and insisted on walking to the infirmary on his own power with a little help of a Marine who keep a secure hand on him. Unable to hold back any longer she broke regulations, ran half way across the flight deck without safety gear, and embraced the target of her anxiety.

Recognizing his Marine running towards him, he held open his one good arm to reach for her. Unable to repress all the physical and mental stress any longer as he pulled her warm familiar body next to his and held her almost afraid that if he let go she would disappear. The sounds of the busy flight deck faded as she reached up and brought his face down to hers, and they kissed with a force not so much out of passion, but relief.  Feeling him waver a little she pulled back and tearfully touched the dressing on his head and his injured arm. "Come on flyboy. You need to see a doctor."

Looking and feeling somewhat dazed, Harm grinned and pulled her next to him with his good arm. "Thanks for waiting for me."

"Where else would I be." Her dark warm eyes conveyed the emotion he needed to see.

****

Harm reported to JAG ops to be greeted with applause from the staff. Sturgis was a little surprised to see the flush of embarrassment in his long time friend's face. "I thought you would be used to all of this attention by now Commander." Bud, Harriet and Mac stepped up grinning at the awkwardness of their friend.

Harm rolled his eyes and shook his head at the comment. "I only did what anyone of you would have."

"How is the arm Commander?" Harriet focused on the sling that held his right arm secured.

"Little sore, but it should be good as new in a few weeks. I've missed you guys." Harm looked around at his old stomping ground.

"It's not the same." Bud replied in a guarded tone. Harm observed the change of expressions in his friends' faces. They all appeared tense.

"What's going on?" He quizzed only to be interrupted by Admiral Cutner's new yeoman.

"Sir, Admiral Cutner is waiting to see you."

Harm breathed in deeply. "I think I would rather face the Talliban again." He smiled.

"Harm didn't seem too thrilled about seeing Cutner." Sturgis remarked as the group watched Harm enter in what they all referred to as the lion's den.

"Cutner didn't want Harm to accompany those Marines into Pakistan. Harm went over his head to get permission." Mac explained.

"But Harm came out a hero. If Cutner does anything, it will make him look bad." Harriet responded.

Harm stood stiffly at attention as Cutner ignored him and continued with his task. Despite Harm's earlier remark about his arm, the truth was he was still experiencing a great deal of pain, but he would never let the arrogant Admiral see his discomfort. Finally he laid down his file and looked intently at the tall officer who stood before him. "At ease Commander." He finally responded, but did not suggest that the injured officer have a seat.

"I've just received a notice from the 9th Battalion commander that you will be recommended for another medal." The smile on the man's face was strained as he stood up and walked around his desk to face Harm. He then continued holding a tight smile on his lips, "I know your type." He hissed.

Harm frowned, "Sir, I'm not sure I understand what you mean."

"The pentagon's full of old war horses that sit around boring everyone with their tales of battle. They pat each other on the back and stroke each other's egos. You've been around DC long enough to read the writing on the wall." His paranoia began to surface. "You think that you can get rid of me using your influence. Well you are wrong Mister!"

Harm drew up to attention and avoided responding to his ranting.

Cutner pulled out a manila folder and shoved it into Harm's hand. Harm had to lay the folder on the desk to open it. It contained photos of the mission. The last picture was of he and Mac kissing on the flight deck. 'Oh crap.'

Harm looked to his commanding officer with confusion. "Sir, this is not what you think."

"It looks like two officers in the same chain of command expressing feelings in an inappropriate way!"

"Sir, Colonel Mackenzie and I are close friends."

"I can see that." The man smiled sardonically.

"Sir, we are of the same rank."

"This behavior has interfered with the good order of this command."

"Sir, I have not been here for the past six months." Harm replied incredulously.

"Let me put it so you will understand. I've read through Colonel Mackenzie's service records. She has faced an Admiral's mast for her behavior related to perjury on a case where she murdered her ex-husband in defense of her former lover."

"Colonel Mackenzie was cleared of all charges." Harm couldn't believe where the man was taking this.

"And received a letter of reprimand for her conduct. All it would take to effectively end her career is to have more allegations related to her conduct with a fellow officer. Do you get my drift!" The man was seething as he stood inches away from Harm.

Harm was flushed with anger. "She is one of the finest officers in your command. Why would you want to end her career?"

"I agree. She has much potential. I could choose to have the reporter not print this picture and Colonel Mackenzie's career would be safe." He grinned coldly.

Harm suddenly realized the point of this confrontation. "In exchange for?"

"Your letter of resignation from your commission by the end of the day."

Harm stared emotionlessly at the photo in front of him. "I'll do better than that, you'll have it on your desk within the hour." He turned and exited the room disregarding protocol and slammed the door.

The group of JAG officers who had greeted him that morning noted the anger as Harm approached the Admiral's yeoman. "Petty officer, I need you to type a letter for me."

Harm stood over the young enlisted man and dictated his letter. As soon as it was printed, Harm barely scanned it and then painfully stretched his injured right arm so that he could sign the letter. "Give this to Cutner." He instructed and brushed past his colleagues without saying anything.

Mac ran after him only to have him close the elevator doors in her face before she could catch up with him. She turned and looked questioningly towards the other officers. Cutner's yeoman approached the group. "Admiral Cutner requests each of you to see him in his office immediately.