Working Title: The Human Element
Virtual Season 2002: Episode 5
By: Sharon Fiennes-Clinton
Email: sfc26@sympatico.ca
Warning: The following story deals heavily with the events of 9-11 and the aftermath, to some extent. There is also some violence involved. If you don't think you can handle it, please stop now.

1252 ZULU (0752 EDT)
Friday, July 12th, 2002
Toronto Island Airport Ferry Dock
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

A young man dressed in khaki shorts and a golf shirt moved down the plank to the waiting ferry. Every few steps he would glance behind him and shift the backpack he carried from one shoulder to the next. At the entrance to the ferry stood another young man speaking on a cell phone and watching the actions of the nervous guy very carefully. A slow motion dance of chaos erupted less than a minute later. Somewhere in the interior of the ferry a woman screamed, "Byron, run, it's a trap." Then silence. Outside the young man with the backpack turned and started back toward the street. The man on the cell phone yelled, "Now!" into the phone then followed suit. Suddenly the nearly deserted dock was a wash of bodies, men in summer weight dark suits carrying service revolvers, others in full military uniforms carrying rifles, and a woman with a young boy.

"Mommy, guns." The exclamation of surprise and awe in the young voice brought the men in uniform up short. Six quickly surrounded the woman and child to escort them to safety. Several others created a perimeter intended to ensure no civilians would come to harm during the takedown. The young man with the backpack was now running, trying to find a break in the defenses of the circle of suits and remaining soldiers. Realizing there was no chance of escape he dropped the backpack to his feet and raised his arms in surrender.

Behind all the commotion the limp form of another woman was being carried off the ferry by a man in a dark suit, reddish brown hair, a look of satisfaction on his face for a job well done.

"My name is Commander Byron Connor of the United States Navy. You've just made a vital mistake," said the young man with the backpack.

A small opening was made in the circle to allow in the man carrying the woman. "Oh, no, son, you’re the one who has made the mistake. Allow me to introduce myself, Special Agent Clayton Webb. That would make you a deserter and a man wanted for treason."

Commander Connor didn't even flinch. "No matter what you think Mr. Webb, I'll never stand trial for treason. It took you over a year to find me and my friends would never let me remain in custody."

Gunfire erupted like an omen to the Commander's words. The woman in Webb's arms took a round to the temple. She jerked in his arms, then went rigid before going limp once more. Webb dropped to his knees with her in his arms and put her down on the hot concrete. As had become the norm over the last few years Toronto was locked in an endless summer heat wave that was causing even inanimate objects to hold heat like it was high noon in the early morning hours. Sweat beaded on his brow as he went for his gun. Looking around he saw four men down, but surprisingly none were his operatives or the soldiers accompanying them. Commander Connor lay face down with blood pooling rapidly underneath him.

"Oh, hell, no, you are not going to die before you are back on US soil," Webb hollered. "Someone get an ambulance." Sirens were already sounding in the distance.

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2200 ZULU (1700 EDT) – Same day
Jag Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia

"Commander, Colonel, the Admiral would like to see you in his office ASAP." Mac looked over at Harm sitting on the other side of her desk covered in files. "After you, Commander."

"Just like a marine, using the navy as cover."

"You will pay for that remark, squid. Come on let's go before the Admiral gets upset. It's got to be important for him to be summoning us this late in the day."

Harm held the door for Mac to pass through, then they both snapped to attention and waited to be instructed further.

"At ease, Commander, Colonel, and have a seat." AJ waited until they sat down to continue. "I received a call from Webb a few minutes ago. He is requesting you two for a special assignment."

Both Harm and Mac stiffened at the mention of Webb's name. Nothing against the man, but anything he got them involved in rarely went well for all the participants. "What exactly does he have in mind for us, sir?"

"Let me preface telling you about the assignment by adding it would include a bit of down time for you both. I know you're just returning from a bit of a road trip but given the circumstances, I thought this might be a nice break."

The mention of down time, especially down time with Mac, perked Harm's interest. "Where would we be off to, sir?"

"Toronto."

"California, sir. What's Webb up to there?"

AJ smirked. "Not quite, but the temperatures have been about on par, worse with the humidity. Toronto, Canada."

"You're kidding!"

"Really?" both of them exclaimed at once.

"I always wanted to go to the top of the CN Tower and the Eaton Centre is world famous for shopping." Mac could hardly hide her sudden excitement, thoughts of the assignment fading to the background.

"They do have some fascinating Naval ships docked there and this time of year all their street festivals will be in full swing. When I was in the academy one of the guys in my class used to spend as much of the summer as he could in Toronto because his girlfriend was from there. I had quite a few stupid misconceptions cleared up fast whenever I joined him."

"Oh, yeah, like what?" Mac questioned.

AJ watched the two of them wishing he didn't have to interrupt. Sooner or later he was going to have his hands full with that little complication as well. In the mean time…He cleared his throat and they quickly ended their debate on whether Virginia or Toronto was hotter this time of year. "For the record, I checked the weather network website and the temperature hit a high of eighty-five today with a humidex of ninety-seven. My suggestion if you decide you want this assignment is light summer clothing, a hat and plenty of sunscreen. Now back to business. CSIS (Canadian Security Intelligence Service)has in its custody one Commander Byron Connor. Webb would like you two to come to Toronto and escort Commander Connor back to Norfolk to await trial for treason and desertion."

"Why didn't Webb just have him transported back in the custody of MPs?"

"There are several logistical issues with getting Commander Connor back onto US soil--not the least of which is that he was shot this morning during the take down. There is also the issue of al- Qaeda. They know we have him and they either want him back or dead."

"Al-Qaeda? Sir, exactly why is he being charged with treason?" Harm asked.

The Admiral passed over a very thin file. Harm took it and Mac leaned toward him to see the contents. Silently they both read and AJ could pinpoint the exact moment they hit the most pertinent piece of information. "He faked his own death at the Pentagon attack on 9-11, sir, to cover up that he'd been feeding information to al-Qaeda. The desertion charges will be the least of the Commander's problems if he makes it to trial." Both Harm and AJ nodded in agreement to Mac's comments.

"I'm in, sir. I want to make sure he gets back here for trial."

"Same here, sir," Harm said. "When do we leave?"

"Slow down, you two. There's a bit more I think you should know. As I said Commander Connor was shot during the take down this morning. His would-be liberators or assassins, we may never know for certain which, were all killed, but that doesn't mean there won't be others to finish what they did not. The Commander is under armed guard on a secured floor of St. Andrews hospital in downtown Toronto. He's had surgery to remove the bullet from his shoulder, but due to hemorrhaging during the surgery it is being asked that we give him a couple of days to recover before being moved."

"Will we being flying back on a military transport then, sir or driving?"

"To reduce risk to civilians and to lower the knowledge base of the Commander's whereabouts en route to the US, you will fly in as tourists tonight and then rent a car to make the trip back."

"What time is our flight, sir?" Mac was mentally packing, trying to decide whether to even pack her uniform.

"By the way, you are to be without any uniforms for this assignment. You'll require ID to take custody of the Commander from CSIS, but other than that you are to appear like tourists as much as possible to avoid drawing attention. Webb has all your arrangements made, and Tiner will have the file for you as you leave."

Harm and Mac stood, preparing to leave. "You knew we'd go, didn't you, sir?"

AJ raised his eyebrows. "For all the messy situations Webb gets you two into, you love the adventure and we all know it. Watch each other's backs and see you about 1400 on Tuesday."

"It doesn't take more than twelve to fourteen hours to make this drive, sir, why the extra time?"

"Did I mention about the adventure? Dismissed."

"Aye, aye, sir."

"Yes, sir." They turned to go. Both were wondering what they had just agreed to, even as the thought of two days of down time playing tourist couple entered their thoughts too.

**Commercial Break**
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0445 ZULU (2345 EDT)
Holiday Inn on King
Toronto, Ontario

Harm followed Mac into their suite and flopped down on the chair closest to the door. "Is it just me or has airport security become worse than getting into the White House?"

"Not quite, but it was a lot worse than I expected with only carry-on. I think I'll ship home anything I buy while we're here."

"Might be a good idea, considering we have no idea what to expect for the drive back. Did you see the route Webb has suggested? We'll be lucky if we know where we are let alone anyone trying to find us."

Mac rewarded him with a smile. "Well, I have no intention of wasting my weekend worrying about it. We don't pick-up Commander Connor until 0700 Monday. Right now I am going to have a shower and go to bed. Hug?"

For his part Harm had been nodding in agreement to Mac's comments. Her request for a hug caught him a bit off guard, but he quickly opened his arms to fulfil her request. Since their heart to heart a few days after her mother's burial they were even more in sync. As much as he was looking forward to them going out on more dates, he wasn't going to push either.

Drawing out of his arms after several minutes, Mac pointed at two of the three doors just behind them. "You want to be left or right of the bathroom?"

"I'll take whichever one isn't going to get sunlight until noon."

Mac smiled. "You were reading my mind." She walked over and inspected both rooms finding a wall of windows in both. "Looks like we scored a nice bright suite, Harm we are going to be up with the roosters unless these blinds are really thick."

She turned to find that Harm had followed her, carrying her backpack. She took it from him, emptying the few contents onto the bureau. Harm wandered over to the door into the bathroom and disappeared. When she followed a moment later he was unpacking in the other room. "That works."

"Yeah. You hungry?"

"A bit, but I want a shower more. You're nominated to check out what the kitchen has to offer." Mac backed back into the bathroom, closing the door behind her, then locking it.

By the time she finished showering and donned shorts and a tank top to sleep in, she could smell a heavenly scent. Following her nose, she crossed the living room into the small kitchen and found Harm flipping a pancake onto a plate. "Pancakes, at this hour. Harm, we are going to be up all night."

"No way, marine, I've seen you eat far worse much later than this with no effect. Plus, there's fresh strawberries to put on top instead of syrup. The natural sugars are less likely to keep you awake and will help you break down the starch faster." Harm stopped speaking when he saw the face Mac was making. "What?"

"You want me to eat and enjoy it or take notes on digestion? Lighten up stick-boy, tourists don't worry about what they eat while on vacation. Serve 'em up!" She held out a plate for each of them licking her lips when she saw the mound of sliced fruit.

Mac cleaned up while Harm showered. She was just slipping into bed when Harm stuck his head into her room from the bathroom. "Do you want me to close this?"

"Nah, leave it ajar. Good night, Harm."

"Sure. Night, Mac." His head disappeared then reappeared just as suddenly. "Did you pack anything for a night out?"

"It's a bit casual, but I could pick up a choker or something to dress it up a bit. Why?"

"Just a thought. No need to buy anything. Night."

"Harm?"

"Good night, Mac."

"Oh, you." She flipped over onto her side facing away from the bathroom as Harm flipped off the lights in his room and she could hear him getting into bed. "What are you thinking, fly-boy?" she whispered and drifted off to sleep.

**Commercial Break**
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0014 ZULU (1914 EDT)
Base of the CN Tower
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Mac stood off to the side away from the other guests making their way down the flight of stairs which would take them up to the revolving glass restaurant near the top of the CN Tower. When Harm had suggested the idea of a date, Mac had readily agreed; after all, they were on liberty until 0600 tomorrow morning when they set out to pick up Commander Connor and head for Norfolk. Once he announced where they were going, however, a sense of self consciousness set in. Not that they had never gone to fancy places together before or on a date, for that matter, but never both, at once, together. This was special. She was thrown off kilter too by the fact Harm wanted to meet here instead of arriving together from their hotel.

"What a stunning sight you make," Harm said, coming around from behind her and startling her slightly. He held a single red rose out to her and dropped a light kiss on the corner of her mouth. Before she could stop herself, Mac sighed.

Holding his arm out to her, Harm escorted Mac down the final staircase and they boarded the elevator. It ascended so quickly both of them held their breaths. Harm was the first to take a loud, deep breath when the doors slid open and they stepped out into the restaurant.

A maitre'd lead them to a table by the window and a waiter brought them water and menus.

"Harm, does yours have prices?"

"Yup," he replied. "Why?"

"Mine doesn't. Mind if we switch?"

"Why, you're not paying."

Mac raised her eyebrows at this. For most of their dates they had alternated who paid unless they went dutch. By her calculations it was her turn to pay. "I'm supposed to be."

"Not tonight." Something about the way he said the words made Mac's stomach clinch and then do a little happy flip flop.

"Uhm, okay." She looked down at the menu again, trying to gauge what she thought the prices might be based on how hungry she felt after day two of shopping and taking in the sights with Harm. They had found the cutest toy replica of an HMS destroyer class fleet ship for little AJ, along with some of the most amazing beaded jewelry for Chloe. They had had to go down to the concierge desk twice already for more boxes to ship their purchases back home in. Thank God they were leaving tomorrow. As it was she knew she was going to need a few months to relieve her credit cards of her new debt.

"Mac, stop it and order whatever you feel like. You should know me better than to think you need to limit your intake with me." She looked up and Harm was watching her, closely, maybe too closely. One thing about working towards a more intimate relationship with your best friend over a stranger, they could read you so well when you didn't necessarily want them to.

"You win, fly-boy." Mac smiled at him and then toward their approaching waiter. Harm let out a good laugh at the young man's astounded expression when Mac finished ordering her meal.

"A-And for you, sir, anything?" Harm wondered if the poor guy thought he couldn't afford it or was assuming Mac had ordered for them both? Regardless he went off once he had Harm's order with a look of anticipation about his coming tip.

They waited until they were sharing a piece of New York cheesecake drizzled in whole cherries and caramel sauce before there was any mention of Commander Connor.

"Do you think we should have just rented a regular car instead of an SUV?"

"A Navigator is supposed to be more manageable on and off road then most cars or jeeps. I'm just thinking if we need to switch to a rougher route we want maneuverability, right?"

"Guess that means you want to drive the first shift?"

"Yeah, only because I know the way or at least I'm pretty sure I remember the back routes to the border from here. A shame we can't stop in Niagara this trip."

"Gives us a reason to come back."

Harm smiled and spooned a fork full of cake into Mac's mouth. A bit of caramel landed on her chin and before she could wipe it away Harm's lips were there and he had kissed away the stickiness. Their eyes barely had time to meet before both sets fluttered closed and they were sharing a tender kiss. When they parted Mac licked her lips and gave another sigh of contentment.

"Thanks, Harm."

"No, thank you, Mac."

They finished up, paid and got back into the elevator, both praying their stomachs would be able to hold their dinner against gravity and the speed of descent. As they walked toward Front Street, Mac noticed a horse and carriage waiting at the curb. Harm took her hand and led her to it, lifting her effortlessly into the seat before joining her. The driver nodded and drove off at a nice slow pace toward their hotel.

"So this is why you didn't come with me when we left the hotel."

"Sorry about that, but it was the only chance I had to finalize the arrangements and pick up your rose." Mac held said rose to her nose and breathed in its scent.

By the time they pulled up to the hotel twenty minutes later, Mac was almost asleep with Harm's arm around her. Harm quickly tipped the driver and lifted Mac down from the carriage. Once in their suite he gave her another brief kiss, more like a whisper of a touch against her lips, and gently pushed her into the bathroom to get ready for bed.

"I've called for a 0515 wake up, okay?" he called across to her as she got into bed.

"Sure," Mac mumbled and closed her eyes. Tonight had been magical and she just wanted to let her dreams carry on from there without thoughts of the work to be done come morning. She thought she heard Harm come in to check on her, but she really wasn't certain. In her dreams he was with her all night and that was really all that mattered right now.

**Commercial Break**
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1159 ZULU (0659 EDT)
St. Andrew's Hospital
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

The nurse on duty looked up as Harm and Mac approached the desk. "I'm sorry, you are more than an hour early for visiting hours."

"We're not here to visit, ma'am," Mac said. "I'm Lt. Colonel Sarah MacKenzie and this is my partner, Commander Harmon Rabb. We are here to escort Commander Connor back to the US."

"Oh, oh my, yes. I was told to expect you, but I thought you would be in uniform. May I see some ID?" The nurse, her name tag read Sally, glanced back and forth from their official identification to their outfits of shorts and tee-shirts. On the fourth perusal she finally seemed satisfied. "Come with me and I'll show you where he is being guarded."

They followed her down a long hallway which gave way to a three way intersection, where she turned left and walked to the end of that hall before stopping in front of a door with a soldier guarding it. The soldier saluted immediately, somehow recognizing them as fellow soldiers or trusting the nurse to have checked credentials thoroughly before bringing them there. Inside the room they could see Commander Connor sitting up dressed in civvies, as requested, his wounded arm in a sling, with the other handcuffed to the railing of the bed. His expression was one of disdain as he watched them.

"Good morning, Corporal Bensen," Harm said, easily reading the name on his uniform.

"Good morning, sir, ma'am,' he answered back.

"Any last minute instructions left for us concerning the commander?" Mac asked.

"No, ma'am, but I have his travel documents and the release papers for you to sign off on." He pulled a folded envelope from his uniform shirt pocket and held it out to her.

"You can sign those here and then leave via these stairs," Nurse Sally offered. Harm and Mac quickly read the papers, initialed and signed where required and gave copies to both the corporal and nurse. Then Corporal Bensen went into the room with them to uncuff Commander Connor from the bed.

"Which one of you is he to be linked to?"

"That would be me," Mac said moving to stand beside the prisoner.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Byron Connor suddenly spoke for the first time since their arrival. "What makes you think you'll be any match for me if I choose to make a run for it?"

Mac smiled over at him. "Why not give it a try right now before the corporal has a chance to cuff us together and you can find out." Her voice was calm, but the steel of her words was not missed by anyone other than the commander.

He snarled at Harm and said, "Leaving the hard work to a woman: and you wonder why al-Qaeda had such an easy time targeting the US and succeeding."

Harm took a step toward the commander, as did Corporal Bensen and Nurse Sally. The smirk on Byron's face faded slightly, but he was far from finished. "They'll never let you take me back. I am ready to die for the cause if it's deemed necessary to protect the work being done. The US has become a land of corruption and a disgrace."

Nurse Sally piped up immediately, "I completely forgot to mention that the doctor prescribed a tranquilizer for the commander to ease his discomfort during your trip. Would you like me to administer the first now and have an orderly take him down to your vehicle? I'd be more than happy to." The glint of triumph on her face was complete when she realized Harm and Mac were truly considering the option.

"Could you show me how to administer it instead and we'll give it to him if he's unable to bear the pain," Mac replied. Nurse Sally nodded and had Harm follow her to the medications room to get what was needed.

In their absence Corporal Bensen did the honours of cuffing Mac and Byron together. They were ready to go when Harm returned a moment later.

"If you'll follow me, sir, ma'am, I'll escort you to your vehicle before taking my leave."

"We appreciate that, Bensen."

The trip to the ground floor from the fourth was far more difficult than it should have been, but Commander Connor was anything but a co-operative prisoner. Mac's wrist was already rubbed raw. She blanked out the pain and concentrated instead on not tumbling down the last flight of stairs as Byron staggered and went down hard on his knees. Corporal Bensen was at his side immediately, securing his weapon by giving it to Harm then lifting Connor up and supporting one side of him and Mac the other to finish the trip.

Once Mac and the commander were settled into the car Harm traded Corporal Bensen his rifle for the keys to the cuffs. "Have a safe journey, sir."

"Thank you, corporal." They saluted and Harm got into the SUV. "All settled?"

"As well as we can be, Commander," Mac said. At first Harm was quite a bit off guard by the formal response and then he registered the wisdom of it. Let the prisoner believe they were no more than colleagues and hopefully he wouldn't get it in his head to try and hurt her to get to him or vice versa. "Excellent, Colonel."

"Colonel? Like I said, not a wonder the al-Queda had to give us a wake up call. They know how to keep their women in-"

"Connor, if you need the tranquilizer you don't need to complain so vehemently, just ask," Harm remarked. He locked gazes with Byron in the review mirror and he quieted. "That's what I figured." With quiet restored they pulled off the property of St. Andrew's hospital and headed for the highway.

**Commercial Break**
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1549 ZULU (1049 EDT)
Peace Bridge
Canada/USA border

The lineup to get through immigration was backed up for nearly two kilometers (AN: a mile) and even with the a/c on full blast the interior of the SUV was warm. Connor had fallen asleep as they passed through the outskirts of Hamilton and was blessedly still asleep. Harm longed to speak with Mac, but by unspoken agreement they kept all comments restricted to the business at hand.

Just over an hour later found an immigration officer approaching the vehicle. "License, registration, and travel documentation please." Harm handed everything through the window to the man and wondered how long it was going to take him to notice the handcuffs linking Mac and Connor together.

"We been expecting you three. Pull over there." He pointed toward the office "Your CO wants you to call him." Their documents were handed back through the window and Harm pulled the car over and parked in front of the building.

"Ma-. Colonel, do you want to come or stay put?"

"For the sake of peace I'll stay where I am, but you mind grabbing me a drink if there's anything available?"

"Sure thing." Harm risked giving her a quick smile and wink, and she smiled back briefly, glancing uneasily at the commander.

"You can use the phone in the office," the immigration officer said, nodding in the direction he needed to go.

"JAG."

"Tiner, it's Commander Rabb. Put-"

"Right away, sir," Tiner replied before he could finish his sentence.

"Chegwidden."

"Sir, it's Rabb."

"Why haven't either of you checked in? Didn't you take your cell phones?"

Harm groaned. "We have them, sir, but we forgot to turn them on this morning." He immediately dug into his pocket and pressed the 'power' button to turn his on. "Is there a problem, sir?"

"Yes." AJ didn't say anything else for a minute and all the tension which had left Harm's body over the two days liberty was back with reinforcements. He tried to wait patiently, but finally asked, "What, sir?"

Silence for another moment then the admiral made a comment that caused Harm to bobble the receiver of the phone. "They found a nurse, Sally Novak, dead at St. Andrews Hospital ninety minutes ago. She had been strangled."

"Connor's associates." It was a statement, not a question.

"It is believed they had obtained his location through a leak somewhere in the system and were attempting to finish off what they didn't manage to accomplish the other day."

"Damn!" Harm realized he had said this aloud and started to apologize. "Sir, I'm-"

"Understood, Commander. Now listen, Webb and Commander Turner headed out about five minutes ago and they are going to meet you en route. Take the most direct route instead of the back alley alternative Webb had originally suggested. We don't know how bad the leak is, but we can call in reinforcements from both sides if you think you need an escort."

Harm considered for a moment then made the decision he thought best. "No, sir, lets keep this as contained as we can. Mac's already primed to physically take this guy on if needed and Nurse Sally supplied us with a tranquilizer if things become untenable."

"Very well then. Stop for a break whether you need it or not for half an hour every ninety minutes and call in if you haven't heard from me. Understand?"

"Clearly, sir."

"Good. God speed to you and the Colonel, son."

"Thank you, sir." Harm hung up, thanked the immigration officer for the use of the phone and the six pack of still slightly frozen water he handed him and headed back to the SUV.

Mac was watching for him and she could tell something was wrong as soon as he exited the building. He was moving fast, surveying the cars in the lot and those still in line a distance away, his expression grim.

"Commander, what did the admiral have to say?" She hated the formality, but it was for the best to remain distant and they both knew it.

"Nurse Sally is dead, they believe there is a leak in the system as to Connor's whereabouts and Webb and Commander Turner are on the way to shadow us in." Mac uttered a vehement curse. "My sentiments exactly. Chegwidden wants us to stop every ninety to allow for the others to make head- way and to check-in. You good for a bit longer?"

"Yeah, let's get going."

They made it through the first ninety-minute drive, the break and check-in without incident. It was decided Harm would take a break from driving when Mac needed to use the facilities and Connor's other handcuff was switched to his wrist. Harm caught sight of how raw Mac's wrist was, but a warning look from her set him back on track. He swallowed his desire to reach out and comfort her, as well as the lingering wish to have a few minutes alone with Commander Byron Connor to make him pay for his part in the 9-11 attacks on his fellow Americans, soldiers and now the life of Nurse Sally Novak. The human toll continued to rise. It made the bile in his stomach lurch and he took a few calming breaths to ease the discomfort.

Even with the threat of being sedated Commander Connor began his tirade once more as they got back on the road. "By now they know who has me and they'll be coming. You managed to get much further than I gave you credit for. I didn't think I'd ever have to be back in this god-forsaken land again."

Harm couldn't stay quiet anymore. "How in the world did you ever manage to become an officer?"

"Just goes to show what this country calls a defense. Hometown boy makes good and follows in the footsteps of his daddy to stand for his country. I was a shoe-in, Commander!" The way he said the word commander it came out more like a curse.

"You're a disgrace, Connor."

"Only in your eyes and that doesn't count to me. By the time 'the plan' is complete, people like you will be begging men like me for mercy. Shame I won't be alive to see it, but sacrifices are necessary for the greater good."

While Connor had been going off, Harm noticed Mac glancing back and forth between the rear and side view mirrors. Finally, when she still hadn't said anything, but was gripping the steering wheel like she was bracing for an impact he turned and took a look for himself. At first he didn't notice anything more unusual than the amount of traffic on the road for midday, then he saw the non- descript gray panel truck bearing down in the opposite lane. The driver was reckless yet efficient, scaring drivers into pulling to the shoulder to clear the way.

Mac waited until the truck was only six car lengths away before throwing the SUV into reverse, slamming quickly back into gear and shooting past traffic on the opposite shoulder. They were playing cat and mouse now through the lanes of other vehicles. The panel truck got within two car lengths of them but no closer. An exit was coming up and she waited until they were almost passed it before she shot across three lanes of traffic and left the panel truck in their dust. Outside of being very proud of Mac's driving, Harm was very thankful they had rented the Navigator and it was holding up to its reputation.

"Commander Rabb, are you both all right?"

"Perfectly, Colonel, thanks to your outstanding driving."

"Speak for yourself. My shoulder is killing me."

Mac met Harm's gaze in the mirror for a quick moment then said what they were both thinking. "Good. It means our 'plan' is working for the greater good, too!"

Connor glared at her, but remained silent through their next stop. Their check-in with the admiral revealed that Webb and Commander Turner were making outstanding time and would likely meet them before their scheduled stop in four hours.

Besides a rather pathetic attempt by Connor to pick a fist fight with Harm as they made stop number three, everything had remained calm and the panel truck had as yet to make a reappearance. They knew better than to relax, however, since there was no way of knowing if the people in the truck were the only ones out watching and waiting for them. It was unnerving, but nothing Harm, Mac, and for the most part even Commander Connor hadn't been trained for. Another two hours at most and they would have back-up and hopefully smooth sailing the rest of the trip. It was too much to hope for, of course.

**Commercial Break**
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2003 ZULU (1503 EDT)
US 219 South

Even though Mac was on the alert for attack, she barely had time to register a visual of the black sports car before it was alongside them.

"Colonel, there's the barrel of a gun emerging from the window of the vehicle coming up on our left."

"I see it, Commander, but I can't do much without killing innocent civilians."

Mac was weaving the Navigator as best she could within their lane to make them a harder target, but without a break for her to maneuver through it wasn't going to be long before they were killed themselves. Three cars on her right all suddenly swung onto the shoulder and she thanked God for the break. It wasn't much space with a vehicle this big but she went for it anyway. Darting into the other lane, back into the one she had just left and back and forth until the Camero was nearly out of range.

"Take the next exit."

"Already ahead of you on that. Call in our route change to the admiral."

"On it," Harm responded. She could hear the rustling of him dialing but it was interrupted by an explosion and then the SUV was fishtailing and she was fighting to remain in control. They came to a stop diagonally across the exit ramp they were on. The only other car which had taken the exit somehow managed to make it around them without a collision. Gingerly she coaxed the SUV back in the right direction, but it was moving at less than half the speed as before, and if it had been a lucky bullet that had blown the tire it wouldn't be long before their assailants were on them.

The off ramp ended on a rather deserted looking thoroughfare leading to nowhere. They headed west, hoping to hit a town before they had to abandon the vehicle.

"Admiral, sir, it's Rabb. We're off US 219."

"What? I told you to forget Webb's plan to take back roads. He and Commander Turner are already on US 220. They should be with you in under an hour. Don't make it harder for them to find you."

"We didn't have much choice, sir. More of Commander Connor's associates caught up to us

and we lost a tire. Either way we had to get off the highway."

"I see," was AJ's reply. "What exit did you take?" Harm could hear the paper crinkling as the admiral spoke so he gave him the exit number and waited. "Did you head west?"

"Yes, sir."

"Excellent. There's a town about thirty-five miles or so from that ramp. Closer than the one headed east. Hole-up there when you reach it and I'll have Webb and Commander Turner meet you there."

"Thank you, sir."

"Don't thank me now. You can get back here in one piece and that will be all the thanks I need. Tell the Colonel my prayers are with you both."

"Aye, sir."

"Little military puppets is what you all are. Aye, sir; Yes, sir; Right away, sir; And all that saluting. Don't you yearn to be the one in power?"

"Are you listening to yourself, Connor? What's so different about what you want to what we have except murdering innocent civilians in the name of 'the plan'? Someone has to be the superior in any hierarchy."

"Al-Qaeda will resolve all that with 'the plan'."

"Shame you won't live to see it then, isn't it, Connor. You are going to be executed for treason against your country."

"You will only achieve for me what I didn't manage on my own, to become a martyr for 'the plan'."

"Can't we tranquilize him yet," Mac asked as she continued to coax the SUV down the lonely stretch of road. They had only covered twenty miles in the forty-five minutes since leaving the highway. Thankfully, no more vehicles full of al-Qaeda had shown up either. "Commander, I believe I can see houses up ahead. I'm going to drop you both off at the closest thing I find to a public establishment, then go see about a new tire."

Twenty minutes later Mac left Harm and Connor in a room at what appeared to be a motel with a rather busy looking restaurant attached. "My cell is on if you need me back here sooner."

"We should be fine here, Colonel. See you soon."

"Yeah, Colonel, see you soon, in hell that is." Harm gave in to his frustration and cuffed Connor in the side of the head. He dropped to his knees, but Harm managed to keep enough distance from him that he couldn't lash back out at him. Figuring they'd be fine she drove away.

When questioned about it later she wouldn't be able to say what made her ditch the SUV only a mile up the road and head back to the motel on foot, but that's exactly what she did. As soon as she rounded the bend in the road leading to the motel, she knew something was very wrong. Two armed men now stood outside of the restaurant and the door to the motel room she had left Harm and Connor in was ajar.

Neither her nor Harm were armed with more than the tranquilizer, and that wasn't going to do Harm much good against more than just Connor. As she inched her way toward the room, she prayed neither of the gunmen would turn and see her and that Webb and Commander Turner would arrive before it was too late for her and Harm.

Mac got as far as the window under the room before she was spotted. One of the gunmen opened fire, but she dived into the room and avoided being hit. The sight before her in the room was not a comforting one. Connor and Harm were no longer handcuffed together. In fact, Harm was now cuffed to a chair, and by the looks of the way his head was drooping Connor or one of the other three men now pointing guns at her had administered the tranquilizer to him.

"So nice of you to join us," one of the gunmen said and indicated for her to move further into the room. Connor grabbed her wrist, already raw from the handcuff and yanked her forward. Before anything else could be done to her more gun fire was heard outside and the distant sound of a helo. Mac went into action and applied a couple of quick, but accurate jabs to Connor's upper body and face. He went down with barely more than an abbreviated howl of pain. The gunman who had spoken to her aimed and fired in her direction, but got one of his own men who had lunged at her. She rolled with the body now missing a good portion of his skull and tried not to slip in the mess.

She came up punching, but with two on one and both armed she was grabbed and held while the other took aim. Unable to see any of what was going on outside, Mac was surprised when her would be executioner slumped and fell at her feet. She looked up to see Sturgis filling the doorway, gun poised for the next shot, but he hesitated when he realized his chances were slim of not hitting Mac as well.

"Make the shot, Commander," Mac yelled. Still he hesitated. The man holding Mac against him shifted and took a shot of his own which fractured the wooden door frame right by Sturgis's head. He reacted on instinct and took the shot. Mac didn't make a sound but he saw the blood at the same time as the gunman holding her lost the right side of his face to his shot. He moved quickly to her side and found her breathing shallow and there was heavy bleeding coming from the side of her head. "Mac, no!"

Webb entered the room a moment later to find Sturgis with Mac's head in his lap, praying and rocking back and forth.

**Commercial Break**
"Next on Jag…Mac takes Chloe to the beach for a well-deserved vacation, but they soon find a mystery to solve. Meanwhile, Harm has problems with a case and Mac may have the information he needs."

0036 ZULU (1936 EDT)
Harrisburg Memorial Hospital
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Mac moaned softly and worked at opening her eyes. She knew as soon as she got her eyes to focus that their ordeal was over. "Is he dead?"

"Who are you referring to, Mac?" Webb asked. He was seated in the chair beside her bed.

"Connor?"

"No. He survived and will stand before a military tribunal if he makes it that far. Before you ask, Harm is fine. The doctor figures he'll sleep through the night and be good to go in the morning."

Mac nodded and pain pierced her skull as a reward. She lifted a hand to touch the bandage at her temple. "Sturgis? Where is he?"

"Don't worry, Mac, he's fine. Once he realized you were going to be fine, he agreed to accompany Commander Connor the rest of the way to Norfolk by military transport."

"Thanks for the update, Clay, but what aren't you telling me?"

Webb leaned closer to the bed and took Mac's hand in his. "I can't put my finger on it, but something didn't seem right with Commander Turner."

"Meaning? Was he injured? The guy holding me fired at him."

"No. No, nothing like that. When I came into the room after everything was over…it's probably just my imagination. Forget I said anything. So, you up for prosecuting in the tribunal?"

"I think I'll sit this one out, thanks," Mac said, but her thoughts were on the look on Sturgis's face as she yelled at him to shoot. He had frozen, but was it out of fear of the situation or something more? She'd seek him out when she returned to work. For now she just wanted to sleep and think about one magical weekend spent in Toronto with her fly-boy.

The End