"MISSING PERSONS" Author: Hugo "Animal" Chikamori E-mail: hchikamori@yahoo.com Rating: PG-13 Classification: Webb/Other R; Harm/Mac R; Animal/Meg R Spoilers: None, except whatever comes out of Animal's demented mind... Summary: A routine journalist tour causes a naval investigation when two sailors are found missing. Disclaimers: The characters Harm Rabb, Jr., AJ Chegwidden, et al. belong in concept if not name) to CBS/Bellisarius. No profit is being made from this story, nor is any infringement intended. Jacob Lee Grafton is a figment of the imagination of Stephen Coonts and is copyrighted to him. My character and other persons who remain nameless are properties of the people involved. Any resemblance to members of the shipper list are purely coincidental...No...Really... ------------------------------------------------------------ Part 2/??? The door of the bridge opened as the 5 member investigation team entered the bridge. Captain Thomas Boone looked over at them with a prac- ticed glare. He did not like lawyers, nor did he like staff officers. Evidently they were NOT regular NAVY to him. But he did spot his old friend in the group. "Captain Boone, sir?" the female Navy commander asked."The Naval Legal Office in Naples received word that two sailors had gone missing shortly after the journalists had left? Who would have been the officer in charge of that journalists' tour of the ship?" "That officer's name would be newly promoted Captain Hugo Chikamori, one of my finest officers. What do you think happened? Commander?" Capt. Boone asked the commander. "We presume that somewhere along the line, someone in the group may have been in contact with the two sailors." Commander Clime said. "That's improbable. There were no communications to or from this ship. We were operating under strict radio silence." Harm chimed in,"Not even GPS course corrections?" "That's routine transmissions to find our heading." the Captain stated. "Is it possible that the GPS satellite uplink could be commandeered to transmit messages in code? Where were the two missing sailors stationed in, sir?" Harm asked. "Hobbes was a snipe, Mendoza was a crypto??" the Captain's face turned and looked at Harm. "Sir, the crypto chief would provide an answer to that." "We'd like to interview the CAG too, sir." said Mac. Boone looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Is this an interview or just a friendly reunion...Major?" "An interview, sir." Mac replied "Because, this isn't a pleasure cruise, Major...If you want a family reunion, save it for shore..." Boone replied gruffly. CAG'S OFFICE 1930 ZULU UTC Animal was looking over some reports when the door opened slowly. Mac's smiling head peeped in. "Hey, sir...you busy?" Animal looked over at her, his new eagles shining on his collars, "Ha, Busy isn't the word for it." Animal snorted derisively looking at the big pile of papers on his desk. "I'm SWAMPED." Harm's cheerful face looked at him,"So, how are ya? What's it like being a Captain now?" "Another stripe, increase in pay, and more responsibilities, no perks. Maybe when I command this thing, I'll get a big room like Boone, but other- wise, I'm stuck in this cramped little cubbyhole" Animal looked over at the ring on Mac's hand. "So, how ya enjoying your marriage, you two..." CDR Clime looked at Harm and Mac with an open mouth... "I'll pretend I didn't hear that, Lieutenant Commander..." She said to Harm. There were rules in the Navy against a couple working together. "It's best if you forget you heard that, Commander." Animal said to the Commander. Commander Clime was just about ready to say something when she realized that she was wearing silver oak-leaves and the young asian man was wearing Navy Captain's eagles. Damn, out-ranked. "We don't let things like that loose around here." Mac replied."Ma'am, only the admiral, the Captain of the ship and the CAG here, know of it." "And my wife..." Animal grinned. "So, how is Meg?" Mac asked the CAG. "NIS suits her." Animal grinned back at Mac. "She's always getting in- to things...and looking after things. Her 'friend' pops by once in a while. I tell ya, that guy is a 100% spook or something." Harm grinned, he knew that Animal was talking about 'Ollie'. He had seen Ollie two times, once to retrieve a satellite copy of a radio transmission, the other time, when Meg had been in the hospital after receiving a head wound from an assassin code- named 'Hemlock'. NIS NAPLES NAPLES, ITALY 1945 ZULU UTC The sailor was looking up at the blonde woman who was standing there with a firm expression crossing her lips. She was one hot looking beauty. He grinned at her until he realized that she had a wedding band on her left hand. His grin stopped right there. "Lieutenant Meg Austin, NIS..." she said,"I need to know the where- abouts of the USS Theodore Roosevelt." "It's moored in the harbour right now." "Good, where's a boat that I can use to ferry over to the ship?" the two-striper lieutenant said. "Well, ma'am, the last one is going in about 20 minutes, you'd be best to get down there." The sailor said grinning his best grin at her. "Thank you, Yeoman..." the Lieutenant said as she rushed out the door. 'Damn these incompetents they recruit nowadays...' she thought as she just barely managed to catch the last ferry to the ship. Waiting there was a Marine 1st Lieutenant. Observing protocol by letting the senior officer on board last. "Just wanted to make sure that we held the boat for you, ma'am." "Well, glad you could make it, Lieutenant." the 1st Lieutenant said cheerfully as she let Meg on board after. "Name is 1st Lieutenant Ami Ballard with the Marine Air Wing on board. I fly the F-18s." she grinned. "Oh..." said Meg, who didn't look as impressed."My husband flys as well." "Oh...which squadron." 1st Lt. Ballard said... "He's commander of the VF-41 Black Aces." Meg replied. Now, 1st Lt. Ballard was impressed,"Tomcats...a beautiful bird, but not as good as my Hornet." "That is if you know how to fly it..." "I should take you up some time..." was 1st Lieutenant Ballard's reply. "My husband took me up...needless to say, it was very interesting." Meg indicated...they chatted as the boat neared the carrier. "Boat AHOY!!!" came the challenge. "NIS" went out the reply. When the boat was secured to the ship, they were helped aboard and started climbing the ladder. "Lieutenant, right this way." a female Marine Major indicated with her hand as she said,"Lieutenant. Major Summerall, Ship Security Team. CAG's office is right this way." "Where is my husband? Ma'am?" Meg asked. "Well, Lieutenant, you'll find out when you get there." Major Summer- all grinned. They stopped at a door which said CAG. Knocking on it, they heard several voices in there. "Who is it..." Came a sharp reply. Meg smiled, it sounded like her husband's voice. "Well, sir...someone here to see you, sir." Major Summerall's good -humor was evident in her voice. "Send him in..." "Her, sir..." "Well...what are you waiting for, Major, Send HER in..." came the voice. The door opened and she could see Mac, Harm, Sandy and two other officers standing in the room. And her husband who was now wearing silver eagles instead of the oak leaf on his khaki uniform collars. She grinned giddily,"Honey?" "Meg...?" Her husband grinned his usual flyboy grin, got up and came over to her,"Meg, what are you doing here?" "Well, NIS sent me over to augment the investigation team." Animal looked over at her and then at Harm and Mac,"Is there something you aren't telling me? This isn't just a 'drop in and say hello, how ya doin' call? Is it?" he said sharply,"Now, as senior ranking officer in here, I want to know what is going on here and I want to know what...right now..." "Sir, that is...we received a report that two sailors were reported AWOL and have not been seen onboard or anywhere for this matter." CDR Clime replied. "Go on..." Animal said gruffly. "Sir, JAG, NIS and the LEGAL department in Naples have been going hand in hand, trying to glean any details on anything that may have happened." Mac said. "What a clusterfuck." Animal growled,"Why does my life have to be this interesting? Huh? Whenever I'm with you guys, Meg's and my life get turned upside down. First you guys get rogue NSA agents tracking you down, or 'we'" Animal pointed a finger at Harm who winced,"end up getting bounced by a bunch of MiGs...or Palmer comes after me..." Animal growled,"What's next? Maybe little green men from Mars and an alien abduction and a possible visit from ET?" "No, sir...that's X-Files, sir." the young Marine Major replied. The other Marine Major, Liza Austen. Animal groaned. "I don't watch TV, Major..." He growled ominously. Meg teased,"I beg to differ, sir." "Hey, that's ruining my 'chew-out.' Lieutenant..." Animal said giving Meg a mock-sulk."Well, Commander Clime, do you have any suggestions on how this investigation is going to proceed?" "That information is classified, sir." Commander Clime replied,"The investigation procedures are not open for perusal until after the investi- gation is concluded." Animal looked displeased,"Commander, I want an expedient investigation. One that is clearly going to drag out will not be in the best interests of this ship." He got up nose-to-nose with her,"Commander, Understand me, this is a vessel of war. My men and my ship are here to enforce foreign policy. That means that we are on a very short time-limit here. As of 0800 hours two days from now, this boat will pull up anchor, and steam out of here, regardless of whether your investigation is finished or not and whether those two AWOL sailors reappear out of thin air or not. So I would suggest that unless you wish to depart here on a COD you will...get your investi- gation team working around the clock to get whatever it is that you need to conclude your investigation...as EXPEDIENTLY as possible? Am I making my- self clear, Commander?" "Yes, sir..." the commander replied. "Dismissed..." Animal said abruptly. As the investigation team left the CAG's office, Commander Clime turned to Harm and asked," Is he usually like this?" "Not usually, but he's had two NIS and JAG investigations in the past 6 months. He doesn't like it. Investigations aren't usually good for one's career." Harm replied,"Ma'am...he's fair, but you don't want to tick him off." "No kidding." Mac said,"But it's kind of nice to see him chew out some- one. I didn't think he had it in him. He's been kind of soft on people" Mac grinned as Trouble rolled her eyes. "You call that soft? Major?" Trouble asked Mac."I'd hate to see what he's like when he's really pissed off..." "BURROWS!!!! GET YOUR ASS IN HERE!!!!" came a yell from the CAG's office. "WHERE THE HELL ARE THOSE FITREPS!!!!" "Does that answer your question, Ma'am." Liza asked. *********TO BE CONTINUED********