Naval
Air Station -
Joint Reserve Base Brig
New Orleans, Louisiana
2010 ZULU
After a rather hearty lunch, prepared by and insisted upon by Ceilee,
Harm and Mac were ready to start their investigation. Driving the short
distance to the base, they’d barely spoken to each other, not
quite sure how to handle the new feelings that had seemed to spring
up between them since receiving this assignment. Oh hell, spring up
nothing. It had been the proverbial elephant between them for years.
He was so aware of her now though. Every breath, every sigh, every movement of her body. Harm had so many questions floating around in his brain, questions he knew he needed answers to, but none seemed appropriate for the task they were about to begin. If he had any chance of getting through this investigation with his sanity in tact, he was going to have to pull it together, quick.
Following her, side by side down the long corridor that lead to the brig, he noticed Mac tense beside him, as if preparing herself for battle. Placing a hand at her back he leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Easy there, Marine.
Seemingly caught off guard by his nearness, she barely managed a curt nod and a scowl before mumbling, "I’m fine."
Actually, she wasn’t. She couldn’t explain it, but an overwhelming sense of fear had accosted her the closer she had gotten to the brig. It was vague, there were no obvious reasons for her distress, but she couldn’t help but feel the...evil around them. But there was no way in hell she could tell Harm that. He’d laugh her right off the damn base.
"Just making sure." His warm breath tickled the fine hairs on her neck.
This time he would have sworn she growled at him.
Needing to get away from him, she reached for the door handle in front of her, pulling it open and proceeding him into the room. Harm had to smother a smile at the dirty look she threw at him over her shoulder.
Coming to attention in front of them, a young Sergeant introduced himself before leading them to an interrogation room just off the main entryway. "Major Pierce is waiting for you inside, Ma’am, Sir."
"Thank you, Sergeant," Mac replied.
Upon entering, the unease was back, settled in the pit of her stomach as she took in her surroundings. The room was small, the only furniture present a table and three chairs. The bare walls felt like they could close in on you, the only thing breaking up the monotony being the wall wide, two way mirror. It was barren, desolate. She shivered, as if cold, but even Mac couldn’t explain the real reason for her reaction.
"Commander Rabb, Colonel Mackenzie, I’m Major Pierce. Glad you could make it down in such a timely fashion. We’re really anxious to get this one sorted out and put to bed."
While he had addressed him first, Harm couldn’t help but notice that the Major had been watching Mac the entire speech. Every alpha male instinct Harm had rose up and threatened to break free at any moment. Sizing the other man up, Harm took in the officer’s polished appearance, from his regulation buzz haircut, down to his polished shoes. He was toned and tan, and outward appearances alone would show anyone that this man took pride in himself and the Corp.
That wasn’t what bothered him. Harm was secure enough in himself to know he was decent enough looking so he wasn’t threatened by the other man’s looks. What really got to him was the way that he was looking at Mac. And the way that she was looking back. He couldn’t explain it but something unspoken was passing between them and, unlike Ceilee, Harm didn’t like it at all.
Clearing his throat Harm broke the silence. "That’s our intentions as well, Major. Why don’t you fill us in on what you’ve been able to piece together so we can get started."
As if noticing Harm for the first time, the Major looked in his direction. "Yes, Sir. Please, take a seat," he gestured to them. "Most of what we know is in the files you were given. Gunnery Sgt. Miles was found running away from Cmdr. Krennick’s quarters, nude, bloody, and holding the murder weapon. Early forensic tests have confirmed that is was Alison’s blood on not only the knife, but on Miles as well."
Harm raised an eyebrow at the Major, not out of curiosity of the information just given, but out of curiosity for the Major’s use of Krennick’s first name. It was unconscious, and spoke of a familiarity that made Harm a bit suspicious. Just what was Major Pierce’s relationship to the late Allison Krennick?
Before he could even ask, Pierce spoke up. "Initial inspection of her home turned up not only her...murdered body, but also video equipment and tapes of an...adult nature," he seemed to stumble over that last bit of information.
"So the tapes have been viewed?" Mac asked.
Looking a tad bit uncomfortable, the Major looked down at the closed file in front of him. "Only one, the one in the recorder, to determine the nature of them and to determine that Miles was at the scene. All of them are marked the same way as that one, so there was no need to look at the others."
It was Harm’s turn to ask, "How many ‘others’ are we talking about?"
Briskly Pierce replied, "There are twenty-seven others, Sir."
"Twenty-seven?!" They both replied in unison.
"Yes," was all the Major offered in return.
"Well I’ll be da..." Harm muttered.
"So, has anyone questioned Miles yet?" Mac changed the subject by interrupting him, before turning to glare at her partner.
"We tried when he was first detained, but he refused. He said he would only speak to his lawyer, to you, and wouldn’t answer any of our questions," this directed at Harm.
"Me specifically?" Harm couldn’t keep the disbelief from his voice.
"Yes, Sir." The Major kept the _expression on his face neutral, but his body language spoke otherwise.
"You don’t act happy about that, Major. He does have a right to council. Do you have a problem with the Gunny, or with this situation, that we need to be made aware of?"
The younger man seemed to contemplate his answer before delivering the expected, "No, Sir."
His tone lofty, Harm ordered, "Good. Now if we could, I’d like to speak with Miles and find out exactly what he has to say."
The muscle in the Major’s jaw twitched, but other than that, no outward response to Harm’s demand could be seen. Abruptly Pierce stood. "Yes, Sir. I’ll have him brought in right away."
"Thank you, Major," Harm replied in way of dismissal.
Turning on his heels, Pierce left the room, and it only took about 5 seconds after that for Mac to tie into him. "What in the hell was that all about, Commander?" she demanded.
"What?" he feigned innocence. When it didn’t work he struggled to find a reply. "Come on, Mac. The guy obviously has a problem with the way this investigation is being handled. I was just goading him a little to try and get him to give up a little information. That’s all."
Standing, she placed her hands on the table, leaning over him. "Know what I think? I think you’re the one with the problem, Harm."
Doing the same, he leaned in till they were nose to nose. "Oh really? And what, exactly, do you see as my ‘problem’?"
"I think you’re too close to this case, and to your memories of Allison Krennick, to ever be objective."
"ME? Why don’t you ask the Major exactly what his relationship was to ‘Allison’. Or were you too busy ogling him to even notice that he slipped and called a superior officer by her first name, with just a little too much familiarity?" he challenged.
"You...you can’t be serious. You’re acting like a total horses ass to our liaison because you think I’m interested in him? After meeting him for five minutes?" she asked, incredulous.
The absurdity of his reaction finally hit him, and Harm had the decency to back up, but he could quite back down. "You sure didn’t look like you had a problem with the way he was looking at you."
Rolling her eyes, Mac gave up and backed away. "I can’t believe this...after nine years you’re finally acting like a jealous fool, and we’re going to be so god damn busy with this case, I can’t even enjoy it." She threw her hands up, before turning her back to him to pace away.
"Enjoy it? You’re doing this on purpose? You’re trying to upset me?" His voiced raised on his anger.
"No! I wasn’t trying to do anything. All I did was look at him, for goodness sake." When Harm continued to look sullen and didn’t comment, she continued. "And it wasn’t to ‘check him out’ either. If you must know I...he just...I felt..."
Before she could finish the awkward sentence, the door opened, and in walked Major Pierce escorting Gunnery Sergeant Logan Miles.
To say both were shocked by the appearance of the young Gunny, would be an understatement. The blond haired, blue eyed man didn’t look like a man at all. He looked like an innocent boy, not old enough to even join the service let alone achieve the rank he now held.
But, while both had similar thoughts to his appearance, opinions of his character would prove to be very, very different.