Chapter 1B

Thursday, 12 June 03
1030 EDT
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, VA

"That's all, dismissed." The conference room began to empty after the morning staff meeting. "Colonel, if you could remain for a moment please."

Mac reseated herself next to the Admiral and waited until the last person left the room and closed the door. "Admiral?"

"Commander Rabb wrote up an incident report yesterday regarding Private Coyne and his stunt in the bullpen and added it to the charges against the Private. I'd like to get a statement from Colonel Merriweather, if it's at all possible." AJ shuffled his papers into the appropriate file folders.

"I'm sure the Colonel wouldn't mind, Sir." Mac assured her CO. She had the feeling he wasn't sure of his next statement.

"Good. I searched for her service record last night, I couldn't find anything, and there is no CO listed, not even a duty station. How did you get in touch with her, Mac?"

"The Colonel and I were stationed together in Bosnia, Sir."

AJ interrupted, saying, "So you two kept in touch?"

Smiling, Mac replied, "No, Sir. We never actually met while we were stationed together. She'd been in Bosnia quite a while when I got there and stayed after I was reassigned. I never knew what she did other than teach a few marksman classes now and then, but I knew that she was an expert when it came to weapons, ballistics, and crime scene forensics."

"What made you think that, Mac?" AJ asked, intrigued.

"Like I said, she taught marksman classes, but also, there were off hand comments from the enlisted men who took her class. They would talk about trajectory and wind velocity, things like physics and chemistry that were all related to getting a shot to hit your target. I knew that the only person to give my client half a chance was Colonel Merriweather. I found out later that she's an expert in Forensic Firearm Identification." Mac concluded.

"Yes, but how did you get in touch with her?" AJ asked again.

Mac grinned, "That's the trick, Sir. I tried to track her down through the database, just like you, and came up empty. Finally I just contacted the CMC, General Jones."

"He told you how to get a hold of the Colonel?" AJ wondered, once again, what it was that the enigmatic red head did for the Marine Corp.

"No, Sir. I explained to General Jones why I needed to talk with the Colonel and he told me that his office would get in touch with her. The next day I was told that the Colonel was out on a mission and she would come to me directly after the mission was over. She would call me if she were able, and let me know an approximate ETA." Mac recounted carefully all the details.

Hopefully, the Admiral would contact the General himself for a statement from the Colonel and not have Harm do it; he didn't have the patience to wait.

"Thank you Colonel, I'll get in touch with General Jones myself, dismissed."

"Aye, Sir." Mac stood and gathered her papers before leaving the conference room with the Admiral not far behind.

In his office AJ picked up the telephone and buzzed Tiner. "Yes, Sir?"

"Tiner, get me General James L. Jones."

Monday, 16 June 03
1000 EDT
The Pentagon
Washington, D.C.

After concluding his weekly meeting with the SecNav, AJ stopped at General Jones office intending to secure a meeting for Commander Rabb with Colonel JC Merriweather. Perhaps he could glean some information for himself while he was here. General Jones had been in meetings all week last week and he hadn't been able to get in touch with him at all.

When he walked into the General's outer office the Corporal sitting at the desk was fielding a telephone call. AJ settled into a comfortable chair and waited.

"Can I help you Admiral?"

"Yes, Corporal. I need to speak with the General. Just for a few moments if he has the time." AJ stood before the Corporal's desk, making it clear that he would speak with the General ASAP.

"The General is with someone right now, Sir, but he has a clear block of fifteen minutes after this meeting. He should be finished in about five minutes, Admiral, if you'd like to wait." At the Admiral's nod the Corporal asked, "Sir, can I get you anything?"

"No, Corporal, but thank you." AJ paced over to the window and looked out on the parking lot. He was organizing his thoughts, preparing the questions he'd like to ask.

"AJ. What can I do for you?" General Jones asked as a Lt. Colonel left his office.

"I need to speak with you, General. Just for a moment." AJ clasped the proffered hand and shook.

"Well then come into my office."

AJ followed the General into his office and sat himself in the guest chair. Jones's office looked similar to his own, AJ thought. Strip away the Marine and put up Navy and the office would be almost identical.

"So, AJ. What brings you here?" Jones asked as he sat behind his paper strewn desk.

AJ sat forward and began, "General, you have an officer under your command that I need to get in touch with."

"And that officer would be who?" As though he didn't already know, Jones thought to himself.

"Colonel Merriweather." AJ stated emphatically.

"Why do you need to talk to the Colonel?" Jones asked, without giving anything away.

"She was in my office on Wednesday helping my Chief of Staff with a case. After the meeting was over, we had a bit of a scuffle in the bullpen. A Private tried to walk out of the building using one of my enlisted women as a shield. The Colonel disarmed and incapacitated him. The woman who was held hostage is pressing charges against the Private and adding them to the already impressive list his CO filed."

"So you need the Colonel for what? A statement?" Jones surmised.

"Yes, Sir. Something that would detail what she saw."

James asked, concerned, "When do you need this by, AJ?"

"As soon as possible, General. The investigative portion of the Article 32 is almost completed. It will go to court martial if the Private can't be persuaded to make a deal." AJ thought that the Private would be an idiot if he didn't deal; his chances at court martial were terrible.

Pursing his lips, James thought swiftly. "She's occupied elsewhere right now, but I'll have her in your office as soon as I can, AJ."

"That would be appreciated, General. Please have her ask for Commander Rabb when she arrives, he's the prosecuting attorney." AJ stood and offered his hand.

Accepting the handshake, James continued, "When she's available I'll have the Colonel call the Commander and let him know she's on her way so he can make time." James showed the Admiral out of his office and asked, "That case, AJ..."

"Yes, General?"

"Was she able to help your Chief of Staff?" James wondered.

"Yes, Sir. She was able to clear the man accused of murder. The investigation is now looking elsewhere for a guilty party."

"Good to see you again, AJ. James said before slapping AJ on the back and returning to his office.

Monday, 16 June 03
1100 EDT
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, VA.

Tiner spied the Admiral returning and thought that he didn't look too grouchy after meeting with the SecNav. "Attention on deck!"

"As you were!" AJ called out before heading to Rabb's office. It was empty; everyone stood clustered around Bud's desk.

"Was there a meeting I wasn't told about?" AJ asked, spotting Harriet and Bud behind the desk, standing next to each other. Sturgis was perched on the edge of the desk and Harm leaned against the filing cabinets. Coates was sitting demurely in one of the guest chairs and Mac was relaxing in the other.

Everyone began to tense to snap to attention and AJ just said, "At ease, at ease. So what is this impromptu meeting all about?" AJ set his briefcase on the floor, his cover sitting on top, just inside the door and leaned against the frame.

"Comparing notes on Father's Day, Sir." Bud answered, proudly displaying a framed crayon drawing from Little AJ.

"Ah, yes." AJ smiled a tiny smile. "Little AJ is a budding artist. It's a horse isn't it?"

"I'm not sure, Sir." Bud answered with a goofy grin.

"What did you get for your father, Sturgis?" AJ asked politely.

"Our family Bible has been falling apart for years, the binding was nearly gone and the lettering on the leather cover was barely readable. It's a fairly old Bible; several generations of history are recorded in it." Sturgis smiled fondly as he remembered his father telling him as a child about the family using that Bible. His mother made hot chocolate and they sat one evening before the fire as his father told stories until he was hoarse.

"I took the Bible to a specialty shop in Leesburg to have it rebound, restored and preserved as best as possible. I found an oak carved box that it would fit in side by side with a new family Bible."

"Something to start the new generation of Turner's with?" Mac asked with a gleam of tears in the corner of her eye. It was such a lovely present.

"Exactly. What about you Bud, what did you get for your father?" Sturgis asked carefully, knowing there was some kind of unpleasant history there.

"Dad likes to watch baseball so I got him season tickets for his favorite local team." Bud tried to be as friendly as he could stand with his father. "We sent Harriet's father a subscription to Motor Trend and Jaguar Magazine." Bud replied as Sturgis' name was called from the bullpen.

"Excuse me." Sturgis left to take the call in his office.

"What about you, Sir. Did your daughter send you something?" Mac asked.

"Father's Day was created by Hallmark, Mac." AJ returned. He wasn't the least bit upset about being left out.

"Francesca doesn't celebrate our Father's Day, Sir?" Harm asked, feeling sorry for the Admiral. "You're American and you're her father."

"Very good, Harm." AJ joked. "No, Francesca doesn't celebrate our Father's Day, she celebrates The Feast of St. Joseph; it's like Father's Day but its one day in March and another day in May."

"Sir! You get two Father's Day presents? That's not fair!" Harriet laughed.

AJ just grinned as he picked up his briefcase and cover. "Commander Rabb, walk with me."

Harm followed the Admiral into his office and listened as AJ told him about his conversation with General Jones.

Thursday, 19 June 03
2350 EDT
Andrews Air Force Base
Maryland

Corporal Douglas Hauer stood at ease off the flight line watching as a huge transport plane taxied to a stop. He was waiting to transport Colonel Merriweather and her team to their debriefing. Their mutual CO, General James L. Jones, would entrust no one else to collect the team after missions.

When the doors opened eight people piled out and headed his way. You could pick out the Colonel a mile away. Seven men, all over six feet tall, surrounded her. No wonder they called her Tiny. Hauer hid his grin before they got to his location.

"How ya' doin', Hauer?" JC asked tiredly after exchanging salutes. The guy's piled their gear in the back of the van and sprawled over the seats. She climbed in the front and stowed her gear as best she could on the floor in front of her.

"Just fine, Ma'am. As usual, if you all are hungry or thirsty, there's a cooler there in the aisle." Hauer started the van. Before they even left the base, everyone was asleep.

Friday, 20 June 03
0025 EDT
The Pentagon
Washington, D.C.

"Door to door service, as always, Ma'am." Hauer grinned as he parked in the underground lot.

The guys groaned as they woke from their naps.

"Come on Sleeping Beauties." JC ragged as they hoisted their gear and grabbed something to eat from the cooler.

"Speak for yourself." Cowboy grumbled.

"Yeah, you look better with the mud, Boss." Crash ducked the smack that JC lobbed his way. Crash was JC's protégé; he worked with the Colonel on most of her assignments.

Cowboy and the rest of the five men comprised a team of their own. They received assignments independent of those JC needed them for, but they worked with her and Crash whenever requested.

Working together, these eight people made one hell of a team, JC thought.

They made their way to the elevator and pressed the down button. On the panel the parking levels lit up one by one as they passed them, then, as they kept moving, the B, for basement lit up. They were still descending, though no lights on the panel were flashing. The team was heading to the sublevels of the Pentagon.

The doors opened into a blindingly white hallway relieved only by the guards stationed throughout the corridor. Clones of each other guarding the entry into secured meeting rooms or archives.

JC and her team followed Hauer into what she liked to call the Cone of Silence. Once inside, the heavy door closed behind them, leaving them in a lead lined room filled with some major brass.

Everyone took there seats and JC noticed that all of her commanding officers were present, she didn't have just one, she had five.

Sitting at the head of the table was General Richard B. Meyers, USAF, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (See disclaimer.). Her immediate CO, General James L. Jones, Commandant of the Marine Corp, sat to the General's right. Opposite him sat Admiral Vern Clark, Chief of Naval Operations. Next to General Jones sat Admiral Tobias Holt, Naval Special Warfare Development Group. Beside Admiral Clark was General Howard Stanton, Joint Special Operations Command.