Author: Nancy
Disclaimer: JAG and characters do not belong to me. I don't make any
money from this.
Classification: PG- 13
Category: Harm/Mac Drama/Humor
Summary: Harm has the opportunity to trade places in more ways than
one.
PART 8
When Mac reported to Admiral Chegwidden about their lack of progress on the case, he informed her that they had one more day to try to find out who was behind the assaults because they were needed back at JAG. Bud had successfully completed his investigation on the carrier and returned to headquarters. He discovered a navigational device malfunction in the aircraft that nearly crashed. Because of his investigation, the navigational equipment on each aircraft was examined to prevent future crashes.
"Congratulations, Lt. Roberts! The Captain aboard the Carl Vinson was impressed with you investigation. He wrote a commendation for your file." The Admiral nodded approvingly to the junior officer.
"Well actually I had a good teacher. Commander Rabb always looked at the equipment first. Speaking of the Commander, how is the investigation going?"
The Admiral sighed impatiently, "If he and the Colonel would stop their squabbling, I think they could wrap this thing up. The Colonel believes they have a suspect. The Commander doesn't." The Admiral replied clearly exasperated.
"Who do you think is right?"
"That's a coin toss Lieutenant."
Meanwhile...
Corporal Pyle brought Harm his messages when he arrived at the office the next day.
Harm frowned as he noticed a message from Strahan asking to see him at lunchtime near the commissary. Harm picked up the phone to notify Mac. Maybe Strahan was apologizing or maybe he was setting him up, but the commissary was located on a busy side of the base. The message didn't seem threatening.
"Strahan left a message for me to meet him."
"Do you think he is trying to set you up?"
"I don't think so, but to be on the safe side, you want to tag along?"
"I'm flattered that you want me to cover your six, but you're right to call. We don't know what Strahan is up too. I'll get Gunny to meet us over there."
"See you at lunch. Maybe we can find out who wins the bet. You'll look real cute in that hot pink t."
"So now you're have fantasies about me Squid?"
"No more than you are about me besides I've seen you in your cowboy pajamas."
"Well I've seen you in your boxers."
"See you at lunch...in uniform please!" 'Or not' He thought mischievously.
After completing his office tasks, Harm started towards the door for his lunchtime meeting. "Sir, why don't you let me drive you. I've got some pick ups in town." Corporal Pyle volunteered holding up keys to the van.
Harm thought about the long walk across the base to the commissary on crutches and decided to take the Corporal up on his offer.
Corporal Pyle quickly ran ahead to open the door for the senior officer and then climbed into the driver's seat. "Do you think you've found out who hurt Lt. Peavy and Goodnight?" Pyle chattered as they drove past the administrative building around the base past the busy obstacle course.
"I don't know Corporal, but maybe we have a lead. Why are we going the long way?"
"Road construction on the east side of the base. This way is longer, but will take less time."
"I didn't know you knew Lt. Peavy and Goodnight." Harm frowned as he watched the obstacle course pass behind them as they headed towards the wooded area of the base.
The next thing he felt was an explosion of pain to his head and then
blackness.
"Sorry Commander, but you shouldn't have set me up like that." Pyle
dropped the metal crowbar and pulled Harm to the back of the van.
After pulling over to the side of the deserted road, he applied cuffs
to the unconscious officer's hands and covered him with a tarp. The
delivery van left the base at its usual hour to make pickups from off
base vendors.
As Mac and Gunny drove towards the commissary, Mac felt an increasing sense of anxiety. "Hurry Gunny, something's not right."
They arrived and neither Harm nor Captain Strahan was anywhere around the comissary. After waiting another thirty minutes, Mac attempted to call Harm's office to be told that he left for lunch nearly forty- five minutes earlier. She quickly called personal and found that Strahan was with a company of Marines on the obstacle course. Gunny turned the vehicle around and headed to the course and Strahan.
Mac stormed over to the Captain and began to interrogate him. "Captain Strahan, you were supposed to meet with Captain Nelson nearly forty five minutes ago."
"Wait a minute Colonel, but with all due respect, I don't know what you are talking about. I have been with my company of Marines since 0600."
"You left a message for him to meet you at the commissary at 1200."
"Sorry Ma'am, that's a negative too. I got your message, loud and clear the other night and stayed clear of Nelson. I said my piece to him, and that issue is closed as far as I'm concerned." The Marine spoke with a conviction that made Mac believe him.
"Why don't you ask that geeky Corporal of his where he might be." Strahan added.
"He's not at the office." Mac began to feel more fearful.
"I saw the delivery van head out the south end of the base about a half hour ago. He probably is making a pick up." Strahan added. "Now if you don't have anymore questions, I need to get back to my Marines."
Gunny Galindez walked up to Mac, "He's telling you the truth. I just talked with the Gunny of this unit, and he said the Captain's been with them all morning."
"Gunny call vehicle maintenance and get a tag number on the delivery van. Notify the local authorities with the number and get them to detain the Corporal. He may know something."
Meanwhile, Harm groaned as the van hit a pothole. "You've decided to wake up from your nap Commander?" Pyle laughed mirthlessly. "We're almost there."
Harm pulled at the metal cuffs that bound his hands tightly behind his back. He wiggled his head trying to remove the tarp covering his face only to bring on a wave of pain and nausea. 'Not a good idea.'
The van stopped abruptly and Harm heard the back door open. He squinted his eyes as the tarp was snatched away as the bright afternoon sunlight penetrated his pupils causing a sharp pain in his head. He felt arms reach under his and pull him from the van allowing him to drop to the ground. His ankle immediately joined in with his aching head to protest the rough movement.
'Mac, I hope you have more psychic ability than I gave you credit for', he thought remorsefully. Pyle turned to pull something out of the back of the van.
Deciding he had better do something quickly or he may not have another chance, Harm took his good leg and kicked the corporal with all his power in the back sending him slamming against the van door. Harm rolled over, pushed himself up, and began to try to run away from his captor. His ankle screamed in pain as Harm half ran mostly limped away into the woods.
Pyle recovered and stretched out his cramping back. 'This was going to be fun.' "Commander, I read all about you. You are very predictable you know! I was going to give you a head start before I came after you." He yelled into the woods, picked up the rifle and loaded it. "Commander, have you ever watched revenge of the nerds? I doubt it. You were probably too busy watching Top Gun with your aviator asshole buddies." Pyle began to follow the footprints towards into the woods. "All of you are the same, Aviators, Recon, Seals. You think you are better than the rest of us." His voice tone grated in anger. "But you know what really pissed me off? The weaklings like Peavy and Goodnight. Everyone thought I was just like them, no matter how hard I tried. I am the best, but then people like you grouped me with them. I got rid of some of them. They made me sick!"
Harm stopped and listened. The young man who seemed so sincere, so ready and willing to please was so ill and had a rifle.
"You thought...you thought you were so cute with your little prank. I was beginning to be accepted until you came along!" He screamed. "It's your fault. You thought you could appease me by offering me a job at your beloved JAG headquarters. Real soldiers don't do office work!"
Harm turned his head to scan his surroundings for a place to escape. His world danced around him as a wave of dizziness and nausea threatened again to overcome him. 'Oh great, cuffed, crippled, sick and chased by a psychotic Marine. Could my day get any better.'
"He didn't make any of his normal pick ups." Gunny relayed to Mac at their parked vehicle at the obstacle course. "One of the Marines at administration said they thought they saw Commander Rabb leave with Corporal Pyle."
Mac picked up her cell phone and quickly called personal on base, "This is Colonel Sarah Mackenzie with JAG. I need the file on Corporal Pyle. I don't know his first name or military id number, but I need it right away." She ended the call and looked to Gunny; "Let's go get that file."
When Pyle stopped ranting, Harm thought he could hear the sound of running water. He hobbled towards the sound and located a shallow stream. At least he could hide his footprints this way. He quickly doubled back and then returned to the stream wincing as the winter cold water seeped into his cast. 'Damn, I really hate cold water.'
The cold had a positive affect in that it eventually numbed the throbbing pain of his ankle. He continued to push himself downstream stopping to listen every few minutes.
Pyle found his tracks at the stream and smiled maniacally as he realized the Commander was trying to trick him. "Now where did you go Flyboy? Up stream or down stream?" The deranged Marine debated aloud in a sing-song fashion.
Mac examined Pyle's personal folder trying to find a hint as to why and where he might have taken Harm. He was from the mountain area of Tennessee. Hobbies included commuter, Tai Kwan Do, reading, hunting. He had exceptionally high scores on his ASFAP and ACT, but was rejected for a Marine scholarship and OCS due to previous problems with authority. He had problems with self-esteem and mild paranoid tendencies, but nothing that would keep him out of the Corp.
Mac began to realize that there was a lot more to the mild mannered
Corporal Pyle. She closed her eyes in concentration and could see
Harm struggling down a stream pursued by a Marine carrying a rifle.
She shuttered as she realized Harm was in grave danger and there was
no way she could find him in time.
Then an idea struck her. "Gunny take me to Colonel Rester's office."
Harm's breathing was rapid and labored from his hurried escape. He wanted desperately to sit and rest, but that would give Pyle more time to catch up with him. 'Come on Sailor, don't quit now. You didn't give up in the Atlantic, and you won't give up now! I'm just tired of having to give myself this pep talk.' He thought. 'This was supposed to be an interesting assignment. Play a blundering screw up. Well you certainly blundered into something, but at least Mac didn't win the bet.' He found himself laughing aloud as he pushed further downstream shivering as the wet and cold began to claim him despite his physical exertion.
Mac and Gunny met up with Delta Company as they were loading onto trucks. "Captain Strahan, I appreciate your assistance." Mac approached the Marine officer. "I guess Colonel Rester briefed you."
"Yes Ma'am, we're all ready. I looked at the map of the area surrounding the south end of the base. It is mostly wooded. I suggest we start here and fan out towards the west." Strahan indicated on the map.
"There's a stream along the east here." Mac pointed at another location on the map. "We need to start there."
"Ma'am I don't mean to argue, but the road winds west. I think Pyle would have driven as far as he could west."
Mac smiled and looked at the Marine captain, "Normally I would agree Captain, but you see these silver oak leafs. They mean that we will start at the stream and move east."
The Captain stood at attention, "Yes Ma'am. Let's move out!"
Harm finally surrendered to his exhaustion and eased himself down on a rock near the stream. He closed his eyes and worked to slow his breathing. 'Mac, you know where I am. God I need you now. I don't think I can keep up this pace. Hurry Marine.'
Mac looked to Gunny as he drove following the Captain's jeep. "Did you say something Gunny?"
"No Ma'am."
She knew she heard her name. She listened again 'I need you now. I don't think I can keep up this pace. Hurry Marine.' Mac felt her heart rate speed up as she fought the urge to panic. 'I'm coming Harm and bringing a whole company of Marines with me.' She thought as they drove down the wooded path.
Harm shivered and fought to stay alert as a mental picture of Mac's face appeared speaking to him, 'I'm coming Harm and bringing a whole company of Marines with me.' He shook his head to clear his thoughts. 'Great! Now I'm hallucinating.'
The Marines moved like the well-trained company that they were spreading out into the woods east along the stream.
Pyle grinned evilly as he slowly made his way downstream, 'It wouldn't be long. He would teach them that they couldn't make fun of him. He would start with the JAG officer and then go back to base to the rest of them.' He squeezed his rifle affectionately.
Harm pushed himself up and opted to move away from the stream. His legs were numb from the cold, and he was stumbling so that he was unable to continue. Maybe he could find a cave or somewhere to hide he thought as he forced himself further into the woods. His arms ached from being bound in the cuffs for so long, and the vertigo was becoming more persistent and unbearable. He suddenly found himself on the ground heaving. This was not a good sign. He tried to stand and fell again unable to keep his balance. He remained on the ground as his world continued to spin around. He felt himself slowly giving in to lethargy feeling only the cold leaves and dirt against his face with their musty smell. He didn't want to give up, but the odds against him were increasing. Then he heard the click of a weapon.
He rolled over enough to see Pyle's sick grin as he pointed the rifle at his chest. Harm closed his eyes and waited.
The sound of a gunshot echoed through the still cold woods.
Mac screamed out, "Nooooo."
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