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Chapter Forty-Three
Military Police
Memphis NAS
0835 Local
Perez stared at Harm, "The UA? I don't understand, looking for him is what started this mess."
"Exactly," Harm said. "Actually, what I need is the personnel records of everyone who either arrived at this base or transferred to a different department in the week following Jarvis' disappearance. Just the men," he added.
Walters whistled in appreciation, "You think he assumed a new identity and has been hiding in plain view?"
Harm nodded, "He's a computer expert. I think he created a new service record and then hacked into the system and cut his own transfer orders."
"But why stay here?" Perez asked, "He could have sent himself anywhere. Someone was bound to recognize him at some point, this base isn't that big."
"It wouldn't be that hard to change his appearance," Gunny pointed out. "Dye the hair, grow a mustache, maybe start wearing glasses; even gaining or losing some weight would help. Besides, most people see what they expect to see. Even if he didn't change his appearance at all, they would look at his service record and just say 'Wow, this guy's a dead ringer for that missing petty officer.' No one expects to find a UA back on the same base under an assumed name."
"But Koslov must have known, Jarvis was working for him," Perez protested. "And if that's the case, then Jarvis would be part of Koslov's group, not the Acme Assassination Gang."
"Unless there was a falling out," Harm said. "Koslov took Jacobs' Archangel network and turned it for his own profit. If Jarvis had been recruited by Jacobs, the perversion of Archangel's goals might not have sat well. These people think of themselves ultimately as patriots."
"That's assuming it was Jacobs who did the recruiting. What if it was Koslov? Jarvis could be just as mercenary and that would place him squarely in Koslov's group. Besides, if Jarvis was a Jacobs disciple, why not just pick up the phone and drop a dime on Koslov? An anonymous tip to us would get the ball rolling." Perez continued to play Devil's Advocate.
"It was Jarvis who came up with the computer program," Harm pointed out. "No matter who recruited him, I'm willing to bet Koslov had managed to set it up so Jarvis would be the only one taking the fall if things went south. At some point, Jarvis must have realized it and decided to cut his losses."
"All the more reason to transfer to another base. Why stay where both sides are looking for you?" Walters joined in the conversation.
Harm held up a forefinger, "But both sides weren't. Only Koslov might have been and he might have assumed that Jarvis had fled the area. I think our petty officer was hoping to put his program to use for his own profit before he did disappear for real. Jarvis probably wasn't that worried about Brighton looking into the UA case. It would be a mysterious disappearance with possible foul play but no proof... and Brighton didn't know about Archangel."
"But Colonel MacKenzie did." Perez's eyebrows went up.
Harm smiled grimly, "Yes, she did. Jarvis couldn't have anticipated that Brighton would wind up in the brig and then convince Mac to take a look at the case. Mrs. Jarvis probably called him as soon as Mac and Tyler left. The interviews at his former duty station and with his wife must have thrown him for a loop. It was a safe bet that Mac would ultimately return to the VOQ. He just had to hang out until she showed up."
"But why didn't he go ahead and run then? Things were getting warm, but the Colonel couldn't have been that far along in the investigation. Why not vanish? Attempted murder just focused the spotlight on this case and him." Walters threw in, perplexed.
"And on Archangel, which on this base, meant Koslov." Harm replied. "This was an opportunity to pay back Koslov - providing he could get the attention off himself.
"Do you think he was seriously trying to kill the Colonel?" Perez asked, "The parking lot wasn't the best choice."
"Oh yeah, I think he was," Harm was silent for a moment, remembering the fear he'd felt. "He hadn't taken into account Tyler's reflexes. I think he was hoping to get her files in the confusion, but she didn't die and I grabbed her briefcase."
"And his attempt to get the files from your quarters later failed because you had switched them," Perez concluded. "You think he was our sniper?"
"Yes, remember that every attempt on Mac brought more focus on Archangel, especially considering Crowley's admitted friendship with Jacobs and his attitude towards her. It must have been driving Koslov crazy." Harm rubbed his chin, "Mac was lucky that Jarvis was more computer geek than marksman. It's not that easy pulling the trigger on someone. Anyway, after Tyler and Bell went to the motor pool, I guess Koslov finally had enough and sent his people in."
"Which brings us back to the question, why would Jarvis still be here?" Perez asked.
Harm spread his hands, "Why not? He just has to sit tight and there's real possibility, with everything else that's happened, that his case will be considered at a dead end. It wouldn't surprise me if he eventually planned to date the 'widow Jarvis'."
"What about the Colonel?" Walters asked, he was beginning to feel uneasy. "With Koslov gone and the militia disbanded, will he still think that he needs to get rid of her?"
Harm looked grim, "I really don't know. He must know that the rest of us are aware of what's going on. If he tries anything now, it would be because of revenge more than anything else. That's one of the reasons I don't want her left alone and why I want this guy as soon as possible." He leaned forward and gestured to the computer, "So who fits the profile, Captain?"
Mac's Room
Base Hospital
Memphis NAS
0835 Local
Mac watched warily as AJ strode to the side of the bed. She didn't like feeling this way around her CO and she also didn't like disappointing him. He was so much more than a commanding officer for both her and Harm. She would be truly sorry to not be serving under him any more. He stood by the bed and there was an awkward silence. Finally, Mac took a deep breath, but as she opened her mouth, the Admiral beat her to it, "Colonel... ," he paused and then started again, "Sarah... "
The door opening interrupted them. A petite nurse stood nervously in the doorway holding a tray. Her eyes widened in surprise at the sight of a two-star and she snapped to attention, causing the contents of the tray to wobble alarmingly. "As you were," AJ said quickly, stepping back and gesturing her forward. There was enough breakfast on the floor.
"Yes sir," she squeaked and hurried over to the bed. Setting up the tray, she offered Mac a tentative smile, "Sorry about the wait, Colonel." She glanced at the mess on the floor and gave an exasperated sigh, "I'll give housekeeping another call, too. Someone should have been here already."
"Thank you," Mac said quietly, eyeing her breakfast with mild distaste. If that list was any indication, lunch and dinner wouldn't look much different. She poked at the various items while the nurse checked the IV and consulted her chart. Finally the young lieutenant finished and with a nod to them both, bustled out of the room. AJ stepped forward again, trying to suppress a smile. Mac looked like a kid working up the nerve to eat brussel sprouts. She glanced over and saw the amusement on his face. In a slightly indignant tone, she said, "It's not that funny, sir."
AJ chuckled as he sat down in the chair, "Of course it is, it's not MY breakfast. Go ahead and eat, Colonel, you need to keep up your strength."
"I don't think this is going to do it," Mac muttered, looking at a spoonful of lumpy oatmeal. She doggedly worked her way through the uninspiring breakfast and finished with a sigh. "Forty-one meals to go."
Chegwidden arched an eyebrow, pulled out a small pocketknife and said blandly, "Want to put an X on the wall?"
"I'd rather put one on the doctor who came up with this idea," Mac grumbled. "This puts a whole new spin on 'cruel and unusual'." She gave the tray a final desultory push and looked over at AJ, "I guess it's time to get back to our talk, sir."
"I suppose we should, Colonel," AJ said. He cleared his throat, rubbing a hand across his chin. Leaning forward so his elbows rested on his knees, he looked at her intently, "I'd like to start, if I may." Mac nodded wordlessly. Chegwidden looked down for a moment, "First and foremost, I'd like to apologize." He looked back up to meet her gaze head-on. "It was a mistake to send Rabb out here so quickly. A mistake I compounded by not getting in touch with you. It was certainly not my intention to question your competence in any way." He stood up and began to pace, hands clasped behind his back. "I'm afraid I reacted on a personal instead of a professional level. I was concerned about Sarah, not Colonel MacKenzie." He stopped pacing and regarded her ruefully, "You're not the only one who's had nightmares about Archangel."
Mac stared at him in surprise. He gave her a slight smile, "They were unsettling enough for me and all I had been doing was trying to catch up with you. I couldn't... can't... imagine what your nightmares must be like." AJ resumed his pacing, "Anyway, this internet case was open and shut and I assumed you'd let Singer run with it while reining in her more aggressive tendencies. I knew enough about Crowley to know that, professionally, he could be a misogynistic jackass. But, I had hoped that this close to his retirement and with his political aspirations, he'd keep a lid on his prejudices. When Singer called about your confrontation with Crowley, I knew he had instigated it."
Chegwidden stopped and looked down at the floor, "That you had to put up with that crap after the price you'd paid taking down Jacobs and his network was infuriating. I wanted to come out here myself and wring that SOB's neck. I knew he wouldn't stop. I couldn't come so I did what I thought was the next best thing and sent Rabb. You and Harm... anchor each other. You'd have his support and he'd deflect Crowley. Then you'd be out of there by the following day." He looked back up at her, "I was wrong and again, I apologize." AJ gazed at her and waited for a response.
Mac stared at him for a long moment and then looked at her hands while she considered her reply. Looking back up, she said gravely, "I accept your apology sir, and I appreciate hearing the reasoning behind your decisions. What I need to know is if this type of response is going to continue. Will you be leaping to my rescue at every rough spot?" Mac shook her head, "Because I can't work like that. It undermines my position and tells me, and everyone around me for that matter, that you lack confidence in my abilities." She gave him a wry smile, "I've been dealing with 'Crowleys' for most of my military career and so have a majority of female officers. Our best defense is to do our jobs to the best of our ability and not let them rattle us. They'll always be out there and I'd prefer not to hand them any more ammunition."
AJ regarded her thoughtfully. He knew that women in the military had a tougher row to hoe, but it'd been more of an abstract until now. He cleared his throat, "Mac, it was never my intention to call your abilities into question. You're a fine officer, a damn good lawyer and, I hope, still my Chief of Staff." AJ shook his head and grinned, "You know you're the only one who has a ghost of a chance keeping Rabb in line."
Mac chuckled, "It's not that hard sir. Every now and then, I agree with him. It always throws him for a loop." Her expression sobered, "And I'd be honored to continue as your Chief of Staff." She gave him a sideways glance, "You will stop trying to 'rescue' me, won't you, sir?"
Chegwidden held up three fingers, "Scout's honor, Colonel. You may solve your own dilemmas." He started to walk back to the chair when the door opened revealing an orderly and yet another nurse. They stopped in surprise at seeing him. AJ sighed inwardly and motioned them in, hadn't anyone in this place seen an admiral before? Turning back to the chair, he took one more step before Mac's sudden intake of breath stopped him. She was staring past him, eyes wide. Then he heard the orderly's voice say quietly, "Nobody move." Cautiously glancing over his shoulder, he saw the orderly and the nurse standing there with guns drawn. He looked back at Mac. She glanced at him and said softly, "Sir, about the rescuing? I've changed my mind."
Chapter Forty-Four
Military Police
Memphis NAS
0850 Local
Perez leaned back from the computer screen and looked over at Harm and Gunny, "We have eleven arrivals and/or transfers during the first week of Jarvis's disappearance. Three are women, so that leaves us with eight possibles."
Harm looked at him, "Do you have any other information on them?"
The Captain shook his head, "Not in these particular files. All I have are names and where their new duty posts are. We'll have to get into the personnel files after this. I've printed out the list of names. The printer's in the other room." He nodded his head to the left and turned back to the computer to begin tapping out commands.
Walters got up, "I'll get it, sir."
Harm watched him get up and frowned slightly, "Gunny?"
Walters paused with his hand on the doorknob, "Yes sir?"
"Are you okay?" Harm wasn't even sure why he asked the question.
The Gunny was silent for a moment, looking down, "I'm not sure, sir. I feel... twitchy. Like I'm standing in somebody's crosshairs." He turned a little to look at Harm, "We need to catch this guy and soon." He opened the door and left.
Harm tried to swallow the uneasy feeling he gotten at Gunny's words. Mac would be okay, the Admiral was with her and there was a guard outside the door. Koslov was dead, his network had to be floundering. The bad guys were on the run. He looked over to see Perez watching.
"I'm sure she's safe, sir." He turned back to the computer, "I'm in Personnel. Let's see... Miller... no, too young. Just graduated from the Academy, this is his first posting." Harm got up and came around the desk to peer over Perez's shoulder.
A few minutes later, Walters walked back in with the list. Harm looked over at him, "Cross off Miller, Svenson and Espisito."
Five minutes later, they'd narrowed it down to three. The Captain printed out the information on them all. Harm looked at the list and sighed, "Jarvis could be any one of these. We'll have to go see each man." The uneasiness Gunny had awakened was making Harm begrudge every moment Jarvis was unaccounted for.
Perez picked up the phone, "Let me call and make sure these guys are available." Harm went back to re-reading the file, looking for anything that might be a flag. He looked up when Perez hung up the phone and then stood. The Captain looked grim, "Saunders and Otis are at their posts, Nichols never showed up."
"Damn!" Harm shot to his feet and headed for the door, Gunny right behind him. He looked over his shoulder, "Call your people at the hospital, Bobby. I'll bet my stripes that son of a bitch is there."
Mac's Room
Base Hospital
Memphis NAS
0915 Local
Slowly, AJ turned to face the two with his hands extended to each side. "Who are you and what do you want?" he asked calmly. He watched the scowl deepen on the man's face as he glanced over at Mac. The muzzle of his gun began to track towards her as well. Unobtrusively, AJ began to sidle over to the bedside, trying to break into the man's line of sight. He froze when the gun swung back to him. He tried again, "You realize if you start shooting, you won't get out of here alive?"
"Shut up," the man said. He looked at the two officers, "Either of you try to attract the guard's attention and I will start shooting."
AJ tried again, "What do you want?"
The man smiled, "Lots of things, Admiral." He looked over at Mac and his eyes grew colder, "I'll settle for taking the Colonel on a little trip. I'm sure she could use the fresh air."
"The hell you will," Chegwidden took a step forward. He heard Mac's quiet 'Sir! No!' behind him.
The man's gaze snapped back to AJ and he took aim at the Admiral, "Sit down." AJ remained motionless. The man gave a mirthless smile and swung the pistol towards Mac, "I said sit." Chegwidden turned back and dropped onto the seat. "Tie him to the chair," the man said, gesturing towards the woman. "Give me your gun first," he added as an afterthought. Keeping a weapon trained on each officer, he waited for the woman to finish tying AJ. Then he sauntered over to Mac's bedside. She watched him warily. He glanced back at Chegwidden before lashing out at the shoulder on her injured side. With a gasp, she folded over, curling around the pain. He shoved the muzzle against the side of her head and looked over at AJ, "Not a word, Admiral or you'll make me pull the trigger." He watched for a few moments and then as he turned away, he looked into the livid eyes of the Admiral, "You give me trouble and she pays, remember that."
AJ, his jaws clenched tight, nodded slowly and looked over at Mac. She finally rolled back, collapsing against the pillows, still trying to get her breathing under control. She saw him watching her and gave a ghost of a smile. His eyes narrowed in confusion. He saw her glance at the man, who was whispering heatedly to the woman, and then glance down at the bed. He followed her gaze and realized that the wire to the callbutton now ran under the covers. AJ gave her an approving look and then turned his attention back to their two captors.
The man and the woman continued their quiet argument until she finally shrugged. The two headed towards the door and the man flattened himself against the wall as she went out. After the door shut, he walked back into the room, "Your ride should be here shortly, Colonel." He chuckled, "We wouldn't want to go against hospital policy."
"You're Alan Jarvis." Mac said quietly, "I thought I recognized your wife."
The man grinned and gave her a mock salute, "Very good, Colonel. Want to guess what's going to happen to you?"
Mac eyed him for a moment and said, "If the past is any indication, you'll try to kill me and fail miserably. You're a helluva screw-up." AJ looked at her in disbelief, was she out of her mind?
That wiped the smile off his face. Jarvis took an angry step forward, pointing the pistol at her head, "What if I just blow your brains out right now?"
"Then you'll be committing suicide, that guard will come in shooting," AJ jumped in.
Jarvis continued to glare at Mac and then lowered the pistol, "You'd like that, wouldn't you? Well, you can forget it, the only one dying will be you."
"You're out of your league, Jarvis. Coming here was a huge mistake." Mac pushed, trying to keep him angry and off-balance. AJ was staring at her, he obviously didn't like the direction this was going. She knew she was playing russian roulette but it was the fastest way to distract him.
"I know what I'm doing." Jarvis looked at her belligerently.
"Do you?" Damn, how long did it take for someone to answer a callbutton?
Whatever reply he had to that was interrupted when the door opened and Mrs. Jarvis hurried in, pushing a wheelchair. Letting go of it, she strode up to the bed and backhanded Mac with a full-arm swing.
AJ got out one short growl of protest before a gun muzzle was shoved against the side of his head. Jarvis stared at his wife, "What the hell is the matter with you, Liz?"
She turned towards him, brandishing the callbutton, "You idiot! Why didn't you pay attention? We have to get out of here!"
Jarvis let out a string of impressive oaths as he realized how Mac had played him. Closing the distance to the bed, he reached out and grabbed the still-groggy Colonel around the throat. Terrified that Jarvis had lost control and was going to kill her right there, AJ bellowed 'No! as he strained against the ropes. Liz Jarvis stared at her husband before glancing nervously back at the door. She was the one who saw an open-mouthed Ellie Perez standing incredulously in the doorway with the guard right behind her.
The guard reacted first, yanking Ellie out of the way as Liz screamed at her husband and pointed at the door. Startled out of his rage, Jarvis pulled Mac in front of him and fired a round at the guard. The young man threw himself to one side and Liz darted forward and slammed the door. Jarvis shoved Mac away and stood staring at the door, breathing heavily. He looked over at his wife, "They won't come in, we've got hostages."
Base Hospital
Memphis NAS
0920 Local
Harm, Perez and Walters hurried into the hospital and boarded the elevator to take them to Mac's floor. They had just reached the nurses' station when a single gunshot was heard. "Oh god!" was all Harm could say as they pelted down the corridor. Both Perez and Gunny got a hand on Rabb in time to stop him from turning the corner to Mac's hallway without looking.
"Stand down, Commander, you're on my turf now." Perez said passing Harm and easing up to the corner. Carefully, he peered down the hallway. Walters and Harm exchanged glances when they heard his sharp intake of breath. Several seconds later, Ellie Perez rounded the corner covered by the guard who arrived a few moments later. "Ell... ?" Perez said worriedly, reaching towards her.
She took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders, and gave her husband a brief smile. "I'm fine, thanks to Pvt. Timmerman." Perez backed off, recognizing her 'professional' mode - they'd deal with the rest of it at home. He looked at the two of them, "What's going on?"
"It's a hostage situation, sir," Timmerman said over his shoulder. He was keeping watch on the hallway. "Two of them, a man and a woman. The man had a 9mm pistol, I don't know if the woman was armed. They were dressed as an orderly and a nurse." He sounded chagrined, "It's my fault, sir. I let them in the room."
"Nonsense," Ellie interrupted, "There was supposed to be an orderly coming from housekeeping and nurses are in and out all the time." She gave Harm a quick sideways glance and then looked at her husband. "It's pretty volatile in there, Bobby," she said quietly.
"Damn," Perez said, pulling out his cellphone. He moved over to Timmerman while quietly issuing orders over the phone.
Harm pinned Ellie with a glare, "How volatile?"
She stared at him for a long moment, weighing her response. Finally, she said, "Come with me, Commander. I need to sit down." She turned around and headed back to the nurses' station. Frustrated, Harm watched her walk away. Goddammit, he needed to stay here and she was clearly taking away that option.
He heard Gunny clear his throat, "Go ahead, sir. I'll hold the fort here." With an aggravated growl, Harm hurried after Dr. Perez. The way everyone had banded together to get him away from the scene was scaring the hell out of him. He followed her into an empty room and folding his arms regarded the doctor impatiently. "Is Mac still alive?" he asked bluntly. That had to be Jarvis in the room, there was no telling how far he'd go.
Ellie sat down slowly and then looked at him, "Yes, I believe so."
His heart dropped at the qualifier. Taking a deep breath, Harm asked, "What did you see?"
Tilting her head a little, Ellie said, "First, let me say that the reason I went to her room in the first place was because I was at the nurses' station when the callbutton went off. Actually, it kept ringing like someone forgot to take their finger off. I'd just turned the corner when I saw a nurse enter the room pushing a wheelchair." She paused for a moment, "Did you know there's a light above the door that flashes when the callbutton is used?" Harm shook his head and she continued, "I walked in right after they'd realized Mac had been calling for help."
"And... ," he didn't know if he wanted to hear the rest.
"And the woman was standing near the foot of the bed, the Admiral was tied to a chair and yelling and the man was choking Mac. He stopped when he saw us and pulled Mac around in front of him as a shield. She looked semi-conscious. Then Timmerman yanked me out of there." Ellie watched Harm's face redden with anger and said quickly, "I don't think he'll do anything else, he needs her now to try and get out of here."
"He's already done enough," was the clipped response. "And it's going to end here." Harm pivoted and strode out of the room.
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