"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 3/???? (OK, I really don't know how long this one is going to go... Geez, give me a break already...) 2 days later USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT CVN-71 CAG'S OFFICE 1630 ZULU "Sir, there's a package for a Major Liza Austen, sir, and an envelope addressed to you, sir indicating that the package should go to you prior to going to Major Austen, sir." Animal's new yeoman said. "OK. Kendall...thanks..." Animal said briefly as he looked at the envelope. "Captain Hugo Chikamori, please note that promotion orders have come in on the following personnel temporarily detached to your command. 1) Major Liza Austen, hereby promoted to Lieutenant Colonel 2) Lieutenant Commander Harmon Rabb Jr., hereby promoted to Commander Note that all promotions are effective immediately and the above personnel are allowed to exercise all privileges of the rank as above." Animal nodded his head sagely as he read the note. "Kendall..." The yeoman was back in a flash. "sir?" "I want you to broadcast on the 1-MC. Tell Harm and Major Austen to get in here, immediately." "Yes, sir..." was the response from the lanky Yeoman 3rd Class. "And tell Lieutenant Commander Burrows to quit watching Beast-Trans- formers, get his ass out of the ready-room, under CAG's orders and down to the ship's 7-11, and get a second pair of Commander's collar pins. I have a promotion to hand out." Animal looked at the yeoman's disbelieving face. "Sir?" he questioned. Animal growled,"I'm not promoting Metalman." he muttered under his breath,'Thank God...' "Yes, sir..." The yeoman grinned as he dashed off. Pretty soon, the 1-MC was heard,"Lieutenant Commander Harmon Rabb Jr. and Major Liza Austen, please report to the CAG's office immediately..." Metalman arrived at the door roughly about the same time as Major Austen and Harm. "Sir, Major Austen and Lieutenant Commander Rabb reporting as ordered, sir." Major Austen shot a glare at Metalman who said nothing as the CAG ordered them to come in. "You called, boss?" Metalman grinned. Harm cringed waiting for the blast that was sure to follow after Metalman's irreverantly flippant comment. Animal chose to ignore it but shot Metalman a glare that plainly showed that he wasn't too pleased about it. Metalman tossed over the set of commander pins in plain view of Harmon Rabb whose eyes opened wide at the set of pins flying past his eyeballs. Animal caught them with another sharp look at Metalman. "You're dismissed, Burrows." was Animal's sharp command. Metalman looked disappointed."Oh, well...c'ya boss..." Animal lost it. "DO ME THE FAVOR OF REFERRING TO YOUR SUPERIOR OFFICER AS SIR!!!! LIEUTENANT COMMANDER BURROWS, OR THE NEXT TIME I WILL BE LOOKING AT YOUR LIEUTENANT COMMANDER'S PINS LYING ON MY DESK ALONG WITH YOUR HIGH & MIGHTINESS" Animal pointed his right hand's index finger at Metalman,"SWAB- BING THE DECKS AT THE RANK OF SEAMAN RECRUIT!!!!" He bellowed. Metalman grinned, completely ignoring the chewing out. "Aye, aye, sir." was his flippant comment as he headed out the door. "That guy irritates the hell out of me..." Animal said shaking his head."It's a wonder that asshole gets promoted. 50 bucks says he'll lose his commission within the year." Major Austen was biting her lip trying to keep from laughing. "Some- thing funny, Major?" Animal growled. Major Austen bit her lip,"No, sir." "Well, Major, Lieutenant Commander," Animal said, solemnly looking at the both of them." It is not very often that I get the opportunity to reward someone, especially someone in another command other than the one that I command. But of course that opportunity comes around occasionally." "Major, it looks as though your exploits have been legendary around the Corps." Animal said looking at Major Liza Austen. "You were just back from Macedonia with a Purple Heart and now this...Congratulations, Lieutenant Colonel Austen." Major now LCol Liza Austen's jaws nearly dropped open. "It's real, Lieutenant Colonel." Animal grinned. "Thank you, sir." she said as Animal handed the package over to her. "And now..." Animal looked over at Harm,"Commander Rabb..." he paused looking over at Harm with a calculating grin,"I believe that you were aware that Rear Admiral Chegwidden had put your name in with the latest round of promotion orders. Despite the SecNav's objections, you have been acceptable to the Navy brass who ordered that you be promoted. So SecNav's complaints have been overruled. I hate that pompous son-of-a-bitch personally...my opinion, humble as it is, is that he's full of brown, smelly, organic matter. " Animal said."Get your new shoulderboards from the 7-11 while you're on board. Betcha Mac will love those new shoulderboards. They'll go good with your dress whites." A knock came on the door."Sir, a new addition to the JAG office on board the carrier." YN3 Trent Kendall said as he ushered in a well known face. "Commander Allison Krennick, reporting, sir." Animal raised an eyebrow. Commander Krennick was well known. "Well, hellooo...Harm." Krennick purred as she looked at Harm. Animal snapped out, "Commander..." the command was like a bullwhip in the quiet room. She snapped to attention. "Maybe you might like to report aboard at this time. Remember, Commander, you can save your reunions for later." Animal's sarcasm was cutting, his voice, brittly ice-cold. "Yes, sir." Commander Krennick was suitably chastised, but calculating woman that she was, she saw another conquest in the works. Despite the fact that she wanted Harm, she wanted power and this captain, the CAG, was a plausible conquest. "Commander Harmon Rabb and Lieutenant Colonel Liza Austen are on a JAG investigation along with their group of investigators. Despite the fact that you are a part of JAG also, I do not wish to have you interfering with their investigation in any way, whatsoever, do I make myself clear..." Animal snapped. "But, sir...Since the JAG office on board this carrier investigates such instances, shouldn't there be some lia-" Animal let her get that far with the sentence. "Do I make MYSELF...CLEAR..." Animal reiterated, implied menace in his voice as he walked up nose-to-nose with Commander Krennick. He brooked no nonsense and he could read right through Krennick's posturings. It didn't take a mind-reader to read through Krennick's plots. "Yes, sir..." "Dismissed, Krennick..." Animal said. Commander Krennick stiffened. She did not like being told off especially in front of junior officers whether or not they were the same rank as her. Harm and Liza were essen- tially the same rank, but were junior to her in seniority. She exited the office. "Sir, with all due respect..." Harm started."That's the first time I've seen Krennick speechless." "What a pity Meg wasn't here to see it." Animal chuckled."I could see Krennick sizing me up from a mile away." "Turns a person right off...doesn't it, sir." Liza replied. "Yes, it certainly does." Animal looked appreciatingly at her, but making sure that he didn't make it seem as if he was leering at her. Liza grinned."Turned me off like a switch shut off." he said. He then continued. "Well, folks, I've got work to do, and I've done all the pleasant stuff for today, so hike it...you two...Disappear, vamoose...scram..." the two officers looked at each other. "Dismissed?" Animal chuckled. "Yes, sir..." On the PriFly 1930 ZULU Meg walked up behind her husband who was standing out looking at the flight deck. "Something bothering you? honey?" she asked as she came to rest leaning on the railing beside him, looking out at the flight deck. "Well, looks like your old superior officer showed up to command the JAG office on board this carrier." Animal looked at her. Meg instantly knew what her husband meant. "Not Krennick..."she grumbled..."Anybody but...Krennick..." her face instantly showed a disgust borne of years of having to put up with Krennick's attitude. Animal let out a big sigh. The sun had long gone down and the wind carried a bit of a chill as the breeze ruffled their hair. Meg wore khakis as did Animal and the two of them looked at each other "How could two people go missing?" Animal voiced his thoughts out loud to Meg."How could journalists and cryptos and snipes be interconnected some- how? Can you figure it out, because it's all giving me one hell of a head- ache." Meg replied,"To tell you the truth, I couldn't tell you..." she sighed. "All we know is that they disappeared the same time that the journalists were on board." "What we have is a complete mystery as to what happened." Animal said. "And what repercussions are we going to have?" he asked rhetorically. What repercussions indeed. That was the same question that Harm and Mac were asking each other. But their's was more of a question of rank. "Are you going to be giving me commands now, squid?" Mac growled look- ing at her earnest looking partner. "because if you think that just because you have three stripes...that you carry more weight than me, you've got another thing coming." she said. "Mac, Mac...no, it's not that. I just got called into Animal's office and he told me that I had been promoted." "Just like that?" Mac said..."Just like that..." "Hey, Marine, don't tell me that you're jealous just because I got promoted." Harm said looking over at his partner. "Hah!!!" Mac sputtered,"You have some ego...that just because you got promoted before I did, that I'm jealous of you or something...you really have an ego, Harmon Rabb Jr." "Well, Mrs. Rabb...you seem to be showing a lot of jealousy right now." Harm teased. "Am not..." "Are too..." "Am not..." "Are too times ten..." Harm reiterated. "Am not times one hundred" Mac sputtered. "Don't tell me we're going to go into that all over again..." Harm raised his hands in supplication. Mac grinned at him,"I'm proud of you, squid, you know that?" she said as she took advantage of the private quarters to sneak a kiss on the lips. "Thanks, coming from you, that means a lot..." Harm said as he return- ed the kiss. "But you'd better be there when I get promoted..." she said snidely. "I'm looking forward to it..." Harm replied. ********TO BE CONTINUED******* I WANT FEEDBACK...That's an order... >:)