Note: Prior to JAG: "Boomerang" (actually, before Mic left for Australia) and the 2000 season finale of The Pretender. Shades of Blue JAG/Pretender crossover The Centre Blue Cove, Delaware "Miss Parker, a package just arrived for you. I think it's from-" "Jarod," she finished, swiping the plain cardboard box away from Broots with a well-manicured hand. "I hate surprises." She picked up a lethal-looking letter opener, the blade glinting from the overhead fluorescent lights. Broots took a step back as Miss Parker ruthlessly ripped into the innocent brown package. Once the box was open, she glanced inside before dropping the contents to the desk in disgust. "I see Jarod sent you a gift, Miss Parker," Sydney commented, unintimidated by the young woman's icy demeanor. He walked to the desk to examine the package. "It's a book, Sydney." Agitated, she almost started to pace, taking a few steps before turning back, causing her long leopard-print coat to flare around her knees. She kept her right hand at the back of her waist, where both men knew she kept her gun. Unable to resist his curiosity, Broots looked into the box and pulled out a worn-looking gunmetal gray paperback. "Hey, Tom Clancy. I saw this movie . . . Alec Baldwin, Sean Connery." "The Hunt for Red October," Sydney read off the cover. Broots passed the book to him, and he flipped through the pages, hoping a note or some other clue would fall out. Nothing did, but on the inside cover, Jarod had left a message. "Read a good book lately?" he read aloud. "That's it?" Miss Parker seethed. "I'm tired of playing games with him." She pointed a finger accusingly at Broots. "You saw the movie. What's it about?" "Well, it's been awhile, but I think there's a Russian submarine captain who steals a sub, the Red October, which has this new silent drive. A CIA agent, Jack Ryan, is sent to find the Russian because he has this crazy idea that the captain is going to defect. He gets on an American sub that's tracking Red October, and they contact the guy, but there's some crazy KGB agent on board or something like that." "Perhaps Jarod has joined the Navy," Sydney suggested. "Or the CIA-he'd be the best damn agent they ever had," she cracked. "But unless you can find a CIA agent named Jack Ryan, or even Jarod Ryan, we have nothing to go on." "Why don't you follow Jarod's advice and read the book? Maybe he left some sort of clues inside." "Sydney, it's got to be five hundred pages. I don't have that kind of time to waste." "Um, I'll read it," Broots piped in. "Don't waste your brain cells," she drawled, picking up the book as she stalked out of the room. JAG Headquarters Falls Church, Virginia "Colonel, the Admiral wants to see you, ASAP," Petty Officer Tiner said from the doorway of the office. The sign above the door read Lt. Col. S. MacKenzie, but virtually no one called the striking brunette Sarah. Mac was a marine, and a lawyer to boot, so most people thought twice before messing with her. "I'll be there in a moment," she replied, scooping up some files from her desk. It was a bit cluttered-Harm would've called it a mess, but Mac preferred the phrase "creatively organized." On her way out, she nearly collided with Royal Australian Navy Lieutenant Commander Mic Brumby, who was just emerging from his own office next door. "My apologies, Colonel." When he wasn't in court, Brumby actually had a fairly pleasant, soft-spoken voice-it was his personality that was unpleasant at times. "Allow me." He bent down to pick up the folder Mac dropped. They walked into Admiral Chegwidden's office together, earning Brumby a malevolent glare from Lieutenant Commander Harmon Rabb, Jr., who was already there, along with Lieutenant Bud Roberts. "Colonel, Commander, so nice of you to join us." A.J. Chegwidden had an unmistakably droll and occasionally condescending tone that only a flag officer could get away with. He paused to enjoy the moment (not to mention the unease of his subordinants) before continuing. "An Ensign Jeremy Ryan aboard the Dallas has been charged with criminal negligence for an explosion that injured him and two crewmen. Ryan is currently reovering at Bethesda and awaiting an Article 32 hearing. "Rabb and Roberts, I suggest you go there to interview your client." Bud nodded enthusiastically while Rabb took the assignment in stride. "MacKenzie and Brumby, since you two are prosecuting, you may want to speak to Petty Officer Williams and Crewman Siler, who are also at Bethesda. There's also some NCIS agent nosing around named Mancuso. You're expected to cooperate, but don't let him distract you. Dismissed." Wordlessly, the four officers filed out to convene in the bullpen. Not surprisingly, Bud was the first to comment. "Doesn't this sound a bit like 'The Hunt for Red October'?" The comment was initially met with silence. "I don't remember seeing any JAG officers in the movie," Mac finally replied. Brumby shrugged. "Beats me, mate." "No, I mean the names," Bud continued. "Ryan and the USS Dallas." "Bud, unless this is part of some top secret government plot run by Tom Clancy, I think it's just a coincidence," Rabb remarked. "Harm, don't get him started." Mac had a slight urge to bang her head against a file cabinet. Or better yet, if she clunked Harm and Bud's skulls together, maybe they'd start making sense. "Yes, ma'am," Rabb replied with a grin. Naval Medical Center Bethesda, Maryland "Ensign Ryan, how are you doing today?" The young man lifted his dark head slightly off the pillow. Even the slight movement shot spikes of pain through his body. "Are you a doctor?" "Not today," he smiled. "I'm Jarod Mancuso, NCIS." Ryan paled slightly at the acronym. Naval Criminal Investigative Services were not at the top of his preferred visitor list for the day. "I don't think I should talk to you without my lawyer present, sir." "How about off the record, Jeremy. You weren't responsible for the explosion on the USS Dallas, were you." Jarod made it clear that it was a statement, not a question. "No, sir." "Do you have any idea who did?" "I would advise my client not to answer." Jarod looked up at the very tall man in Navy dress blues who entered the small hospital room followed by his shorter companion. "You must be Commander Rabb." Harm nodded slowly, taking in the other man's bland dark suit. "Let me guess, NCIS. If you'll please excuse us." Jarod took his cue and left to interview the witnesses. Petty Officer Paul Williams was only a few doors away. Jarod found the room easily but was mildly surprised to see a pretty, dark-haired woman in her early thirties sitting near the bed. If his research had been correct, the woman was a marine lieutenant colonel. She looked up at his approach, but her gaze wasn't exactly friendly. "Colonel, I'm Jarod Mancuso with NCIS. I was hoping to interview Petty Officer Williams for my investigation." Personally, Mac wondered what business NCIS had with the case, but she'd been ordered to cooperate. "Sarah MacKenzie, JAG Corps. May I ask exactly what you're investigating?" "Possible sabotage," he answered curtly. "By Ensign Ryan?" "Actually, no, but I am not at liberty to discuss that with you, Colonel. Do you mind if I ask Mr. Williams some questions?" Mac shrugged in defeat. What harm could it do? She took a seat by the door. "Petty Officer," Jarod turned towards the heavyset man confined to the bed. "You were assigned to the USS Dallas, SSN-700, a Los Angeles class attack submarine, is that correct?" "Yes, sir," Williams answered in a hushed tone. Mac wondered why Mancuso asked such an obvious question. There were reasons she was JAG rather than NCIS. Yet, he was so sincere, like a child testing newfound knowledge. "Would you please describe the events of October twenty-fifth?" "Yes, sir. Ensign Ryan, Siler, and I were on duty in the engine room. I noticed the reactor was overheating a bit, so I notified Ensign Ryan." "Is that whom you're supposed to notify?" Jarod asked. "Yes, sir. He is my direct superior. As I said, I told him, but he didn't do anything about it." "And what was he supposed to do?" "Notify the engineer, sir." "I see. So what did you do?" Jarod was scribbling in his notebook, leaving Mac to wonder what the petty officer had said that could possibly be of such interest. "I suggested that he notify the engineer. When he still wouldn't do so, I decided to go myself. But I was too late, sir. I only got a few feet when the explosion happened." Mac got to her feet, notebook in hand. "And do you believe the explosion could have been prevented if Ensign Ryan had done his duty?" "Yes, ma'am." "But why wouldn't he report something that could have serious consequences?" Jarod pondered aloud. "He's lazy, sir." Williams replied venemously. "Type of man that just shouldn't be on a sub." Jarod raised an eyebrow at that. If there was one thing he'd learned about human nature, it was that hatred and lies went hand in hand. And he just glimpsed a clear feeling of animosity between Williams and Ryan. On the other hand, if the colonel had any doubts about the petty officer's statement, she didn't let it show. Mac was good about not letting anything show, such as her curiousity about NCIS Agent Mancuso and his copious notes. She followed him closely out of the room, trying to get a peek at his notes. All she was able to get a glace at were some newspaper clippings. One had a picture of Ensign Ryan in a cadet uniform, while another mentioned Remation Technology in the headline. The latter seemed vaguely familiar, but she couldn't place it. At any rate, they were odd things for Mancuso to have in his notebook. Jarod's next stop was to visit Crewman Kevin Siler. Again, there was another officer already in the room with the witness, but Jarod didn't let it stop him. The man (another Navy lawyer, he assumed) puzzled him slightly. The uniform was different, and as he got closer he realized a patch on the sleeve read Royal Australian Navy. Now what did they have to do with the case? "Excuse me," Jarod made a quick assessment of the uniform, "uh, Lieutenant . . . Commander. I'm Jarod Mancuso, NCIS. I was hoping to interview Crewman Siler." The rugged-looking man gave him an easygoing smile. "So you're the bloke who's been poking his nose into everybody's business. Mic Brumby." Jarod shook the offered hand and visibly relaxed. Crewman Siler, unfortunately, was not in the condition to shake hands. Both of his were thickly bandaged, as was a good portion of his body. On top of it all, Siler appeared to be asleep. "I take it he hasn't been forthcoming with any information. If you don't mind my asking, who's side are you on?" Brumby laughed. "Your side, mate. I'm here in the states as part of an exchange program. But more specifically, I'm with the prosecution." "Colonel MacKenzie?" "I see you've met our spitfire. I hope Mac didn't try to scare you away." "Don't worry, I'm used to the type." The Centre Blue Cove, Delaware "Another book?" Miss Parker's pale topaz eyes narrowed into nearly imperceptible slits. "Did Jarod join the Navy book-of-the-month club?" "The Uniform Code of Military Justice," Broots read as he hefted the thick volume. "Is this all the regulations about military uniforms?" "No, you idiot. It's the military's law book for court martials and other fun witch trials. . . ." She trailed off, her brain churning to make the connection. "Get me the locations of all the Navy courts." "What exactly do you call those?" She turned her deadly subzero stare on him. "Do I look like Admiral Nimitz to you? How the hell should I know? Just find them, because that's where we'll find Jarod. And find out who's being court martialed, especially people from submarines." "But Miss Parker, the Navy classifies that stuff." "And when has that ever stopped you before?" Miss Parker's Home She had just reached page 248 of Red October when the phone rang. She set the book down, careful not to lose her place and grabbed the phone. "What." "Read a good book lately?" "So nice to hear from you, Jarod," she sneered. "This stupid book is giving me a nuclear-powered migrane." "You should read more. It's relaxing." "Cut the librarian act, Jarod. You and your books are wasting my time. What is with the Navy theme?" Miss Parker left the couch and started stalking through her living room. "Page three hundred and thirty five." "What?" But her demand was too late; Jarod had already hung up. She slammed the phone down and picked up the book, flipping to page 335. But it wasn't there. She looked at 334 and 337. 335 and 336 had been torn out. Frustrated, she threw the book across the room as hard as she could and had the phone in her hand before the paperback crashed into the wall with a satisfying thud. "Broots, I need to know what's on page 335 of that book." "Wh-what book, Miss Parker." She could almost taste the fear her wrath had inspired, and it made her feel better. "The Hunt for Red October. Jarod said to look at page 335, and it's been torn out." "I'll have to get another copy of the book, and we'll have to compare if it's not paginated the sa-" "Get it and get here, or else I'll get you," she ordered as she slammed the phone back down. Parker was on the rampage again. The Centre The next day "Miss Parker, this just arrived for y---ow!" Her violent grab for the small envelope caused her fingernails to gouge Broots' palm. She ignored his wimpering and pried the envelope open. Inside was the missing page 335, and a single line at the top of the page was highlighted: Norfolk Naval Medical Center. "I didn't know there was such a place," Broots commented, peering over her shoulder and still gingerly protecting his injured hand. "It doesn't matter," she replied with a tight-lipped smile as she turned the envelope over in her hands. One finger tapped the Maryland postmark on the front. Broots gave her a blank look. "I'm sure even you've heard of Bethesda Naval Hospital." "Sure, of course." He paused for a moment, forgetting what he was going to say. "Oh, I got that list of courtmartials." He sat down at the desk and pulled up the file on his laptop. "If we narrow it down to just that vicinity, there aren't many major cases at the moment." "And how is this contributing to our finding Jarod?" "Well, uh, oh here! This is right up his alley. Some ensign from a submarine is on trial for dereliction of duty. It's being handled by the Judge Advocate General's office in Falls Church, Virginia. Do you think Jarod's become a Navy lawyer?" "He can become anything he wants," Miss Parker replied icily. "Now how do we find him? Can you perhaps tell me something useful about this case, Broots?" "Just a minute. . . . Ensign Ryan is currently at Bethesda. That's our link." "What do you say we take a little trip." Broots followed, whistling, and it took a verse for her to realize it was "In the Navy." She shot him a glare and he promptly shut up. U.S.S. Dallas Norfolk, Virginia Submarines were not Mac's favorite place in the world. It wasn't that she was claustrophobic; she just always found it awkward being the only woman on an entire vessel. The gallant Australian beside her (or rather behind her, given the narrow passageways of the submarine) wasn't much help, although she had to admit the glowering looks he surreptitiously gave the submariners who dared glance her way were kind of cute. The Dallas crew was definitely the kind who looked out for their own, which simply meant that no one was talking. They were reluctant to incriminate Ryan and confirm Williams' allegations, but they weren't pointing any fingers, either. "Like talking to a bunch of bloody clams." "I'd be a lot more worried if the clam actually talked back. Who's left?" Mic grinned as he consulted the list. "Just Ryan's commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Pierson." Mac rounded the bulkhead and stopped short, causing Brumby (who'd been following a little too close) to bump into her. "Sarah-" He then looked up and saw what caused her to stop: Jarod Mancuso, NCIS. "What are you doing here?" Mac demanded. "Investigating, interfering. It all depends on whom you talk to." Jarod was doing his best to be pleasant and charming. It didn't have much effect on the colonel. He wondered how wise it was to be speaking with the prosecution, since he was certain that Ensign Ryan was in fact innocent, but he had a feeling that these two were looking for the truth, just like he was. "Have you spoken with Commander Pierson yet?" "We were just on our way to see him. Why?" "Just be sure you ask him about his stock options in Remation Technology." As quickly as he'd appeared, Jarod was gone again. Mac turned to Brumby, bewildered by the NCIS agent's behavior. "Remation. I remember seeing a newspaper clipping about them in Mancuso's notebook." She pulled out her cellphone, but there was no signal within the metal shell of the sub. "Get a hold of Gunny and have him look into Remation Technology and what it could possibly have to do with this case. I'm going to go have a talk with Commander Pierson." "Now hold on a minute. You're going in there alone while I chase some phantom cryptic clue?" "It's better than anything else we have right now, which is absolutely nothing. Do I have to make it an order?" Brumby shrugged in defeat and turned back the way they came. Naval Medical Center Bethesda, Maryland Harmon Rabb wasn't getting very far with his client. Ensign Ryan swore up and down that he'd done nothing wrong. The reactor had not overheated, according to him, and he had no idea what caused the explosion. The only thing that made Harm feel better was that he'd heard through the grapevine that Mac and BugMe weren't having much luck either. He looked up in time to catch a glimpse of a tall woman with a familiar profile and dark hair pass by the open doorway of the room. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out why she looked familiar or who she was. It wasn't Mac. He stood up and walked quickly into the hallway, scanning in the direction she went. He could hear high heels clicking loudly on the linoleum floor down the hall to his right. He walked silently, his long- legged stride covering a lot of ground with each step. If Mac were there, she would have demanded to know what the hell he thought he was doing. The problem was, he didn't know. He turned the corner and saw her. Tall, brunette, and well dressed, in a slinky sort of way. When she turned around, Harm froze. He didn't know what to think. "Kate?" It had been a few years since Harm had seen Lt. Kate Pike, and he had no idea what she was doing there or why she was out of uniform. Kate, however, barely acknowledged him, and as he took a few steps closer, he saw a hard gleam in her eyes that Kate never had. This woman was the mirror image of Kate, but the closer he got, the more he realized it wasn't her.