Part One
by Paula B and CJ
28 June
Home of AJ and Cordelia Chegwidden
McLean
0400 hours
Cordelia hit the alarm buzzer. It didn't stop. She hit it again.
AJ laughed. "It's not the alarm. It's the one of the twins," he whispered. Cordelia struggled to sit up as AJ climbed out of bed and headed to the nursery. Rimbaud met him at the door. He was the self-appointed guard of the Chegwidden children.
«Oh, god, what time is it?» Cordelia stared at the clock trying to focus on the numbers. «How in the hell does he wake up laughing at 0400? Oh, god, I'm indoctrinated. Listen to me, 0400!»
"It's a miracle. Conlan is still asleep. How he slept through that noise, I'll never figure out. But Rebecca is hungry." AJ lifted his daughter into the air above him and wiggled her. She cooed.
«Six weeks and she's already a daddy's girl. Oh, well, she has to let me feed her.» Cordelia held out her arms for the baby. Even before she could shift her nursing gown, the baby turned her head and began to suck. Cordelia sighed.
"They're beginning to settle into a much better schedule," AJ said, trying to encourage Cordelia. AJ worried about Cordelia. He wasn't sure she'd dealt with all of her nightmares about Allenby. She seemed to brush it off and move on, but he knew from experience that wasn't always the best way to cope. «Having a baby is hard enough, and she's taking care of two newborns, right on the heels of being kidnapped.»
"You going to run now?" Cordelia mumbled. She was barely coherent.
AJ shook his head. "I thought I'd wait for Conlan to wake up. He slept through the noise, but he won't be far behind. I can burp her if you want."
"She's a little pig! Listen," Cordelia laughed as she switched breasts. AJ could hear the baby smacking as she sucked.
"She's a connoisseur," AJ laughed. "Takes after her father."
Cordelia stared at AJ. "You lewd man."
"You knew it when you married me," AJ feigned an innocent expression.
"I think she's ready for a burp," Cordelia yawned and shook her head. AJ stepped beside the bed, hung a cloth diaper over his shoulder, lay Rebecca upon it and began to rub the baby's back. AJ talked to her while he coaxed the air out. He never talked baby talk to the children, he just talked to them like they understood him perfectly. Rebecca let out a long, deep belch. Cordelia shook her head and AJ raised his eyebrows. Rebecca, however, was sound asleep.
"I'll put her back in the bed," AJ whispered. Even in her sleep, Rebecca smiled at the sound of her father's voice.
Cordelia sank back under the covers. AJ returned from the nursery and climbed into the bed beside her. He curled around her body and she could feel him hard against her.
"You know, I find it erotic to watch you feed the babies," AJ whispered as he wrapped his arms around her. He kissed the back of her neck. She drew a sharp breath.
«How can my body respond like this when I'm so tired?» Cordelia thought, already arching against him.
AJ nibbled her ear and whispered, "You sure?"
"Don't you dare start something you're not going to finish," Cordelia chastised AJ. His hands roved to her sex, already beginning to glisten with wetness. He stroked her labia, then gently rubbed her clit. She moaned softly, reaching for him. Her leg slung backward, over his hips, and she inched him toward her entrance, rubbing against his hard cock. He thrust in behind her and she shuddered at his touch. His breath on her shoulders, on her neck, made her shiver. She felt him pulsing inside her and revelled in the sensations as her nerves caught fire, lighting up her body with delicious points of ecstasy.
AJ felt her muscles tighten around him, squeezing him tighter with each thrust. Cordelia ground her bottom into him, and he shifted his hand to caress her silky skin. She tilted her head back against his shoulder and moaned. His kisses brushed her cheek, her lips. She cried out and he lost himself inside her, filling her as he filled the room with his climactic roar. He wanted to hold her, resting there in the early morning twilight, but their cries of pleasure weren't the only cries in the Chegwidden house. Conlan howled in the nursery.
"He slept through Rebecca screaming at the top of her considerably powerful lungs right next to him, but we woke him up from the other room," AJ shook his head in disbelief. "I'll get him." He returned a few minutes later, turning the freshly diapered baby boy over to Cordelia.
"Go ahead, run," Cordelia encouraged him. "Or is it already too hot?"
"I think I may swim later. The water has to be cooler than this humidity." AJ sighed. He didn't like altering his exercise routine. "I hope it cools down a little before the cookout. If not, I think we could roast that pig in the street."
"Maybe we should have a sprinkler. The adults might need it," Cordelia laughed.
"How about breakfast? Eggs? Bacon? Waffles?" AJ waited for her response.
"I think I could eat all of that. I may never get my weight back down," Cordelia said tiredly.
AJ frowned, "Cori, you look great. And you need to eat well while you're nursing. I'll make breakfast and when Conlan's done, we can eat."
Cordelia nodded and smiled weakly as AJ disappeared down the hallway. Conlan ate quietly. "You have better manners than your sister," Cordelia whispered. His eyes fluttered open at the sound of her voice.
When AJ returned half-an-hour later, Conlan was well-fed and sound sleep, lying on the bed beside his mother. AJ placed the tray of food on her lap, then picked the baby up to put him back to bed. He reappeared a few minutes later with a second tray of food for himself.
Eating ravenously, Cordelia finished her eggs and bacon quickly, slowing down only when she reached the waffles. AJ, relishing his food, was clearly amused. "Now I know where Rebecca picked up her eating habits," he teased. Cordelia glared at him. AJ grinned sheepishly. Cordelia sighed and shook her head. She glanced at the clock.
«It's already 0600 hours. By the time AJ gets showered and dressed, I'll barely have time to shower before it's Rebecca's feeding time again. Thank goodness Porter is coming here to watch them -- that will give me a little longer before I have to come back. I won't be using up part of my time dropping them off.» Cordelia was ticking the hours in her head.
AJ saw her look at the clock. "You still have time for a nap. You can sleep until their next feeding. Do you want me to bring home something for lunch?"
"No, I'm meeting Mac for lunch today. Then I need to go by the university to talk to Dora Henderson about her class." Cordelia began.
"Cori, I just don't think now is the time to add something to your plate." AJ interrupted. "I know her father just had a stroke and she needs to go help him, but there must be someone else who can take this class. You have two newborns to take care of, you've been through a horribly traumatic experience, and we don't even have a nanny yet. Who's going to watch the babies?"
"And whose fault is it that we don't have a nanny?" Cordelia lowered her voice. "Porter Webb is watching them today. That's Webb with two Bs if you want to run a security check."
Partly in anger, partly in embarrassment, AJ turned beet red. "You know I didn't mean to do that. I just want you and the babies to be safe."
"You could have started with checking her references instead of going overboard," Cordelia sighed. "The nanny agency does a perfectly good security clearance."
AJ nodded, "I'm sure they do, but there are ways around security in the private sector. I wanted to be sure. I feel responsible for what happened with Allenby -- "
"AJ, you can't lock us up to protect us because of Allenby," Cordelia interrupted him. "Dear god, AJ. Allenby's dead. He won't be back."
"There are others, Cori. I don't have many enemies left alive, but there are still a few out there. Some of them would make Allenby look positively cuddly," AJ's voice was quiet but forceful. "I don't want anyone to hurt you or the babies."
"You don't want me to go back to work," Cordelia's voice rose. Rimbaud heard and trotted back into the room. He gave AJ a baleful look.
"I don't want you to go back to work until the fall. There's a difference. I want you to rest and recuperate. I want to make sure that you're healthy." AJ paused, "Right now you're so tired that when you're awake, you're sleepwalking. I'm trying to help, but there's only so much I can do."
"What about this morning? Was I sleepwalking earlier this morning?" Cordelia began to cry. "It sure didn't sound like sleepwalking to me!" Rimbaud whimpered beside Cordelia. He growled when AJ approached.
"Cori, you know that's not what I meant. But you're clearly tired. Why can't you rest over the summer and start teaching again in the fall? That would give us the rest of the summer to find a nanny and make sure that it's a good fit," AJ pleaded. «Just stop crying. Please, damn it, stop crying.» "I even have an idea for a good nanny."
Cordelia's voice quivered, "You do?"
"He's an old buddy, a retired SEAL. I would know that the kids were safe with him," AJ said softly.
"A retired SEAL? He wouldn't be a nanny; he'd be a bodyguard. What are you thinking? I suppose he'd need to carry a gun?" Cordelia laughed bitterly. She was angry again.
"He could carry a gun if he needed to, if there was a specific danger that required it," AJ tried to allay her fears.
"I'm all for helping your buddy out, AJ. But as a nanny?" Cordelia shook her head and pursed her lips. "Kids can be hazardous duty, but do you really think it requires SEAL training? Does he even know anything about kids?"
"Cori, just because he's a SEAL doesn't mean that's all he is or has ever done. He has four kids of his own. And ten grandchildren. And -- " AJ stopped abruptly as Cordelia interrupted.
"Why doesn't he take care of them?" Cordelia asked. "I just don't see why we need a SEAL when we can bring in someone who has experience with children."
"Just because he's a former SEAL doesn't mean he's not good with kids." AJ growled. "I'm a former SEAL. I'm pretty damn good with them, aren't I? And what about Sharkey? He's a great father."
"I did not mean to imply that you aren't a good father, AJ," Cordelia said numbly.
"Not any more than I meant to imply you were sleepwalking through sex," AJ grinned, waiting for her response. Cordelia didn't say a word. "Why don't we table this discussion for now? Porter is watching the babies while you meet Mac. I'm perfectly comfortable with that. You know I'm not going to check her out. But why don't you hold off on going in to meet with Dora about the class. If you go back to work now, how are you going to have time to do the Fourth of July party you wanted to have?"
Cordelia's eyes flashed. "Get out! Get out!" she screamed, pointing her finger at the door. "Just get out!" Rimbaud's voice joined hers, barking as if AJ were an intruder and following him out the door of the bedroom. Miraculously, the babies slept through everything.
28 June
JAG Ops
1126 hours
Sarah MacKenzie’s feelings were hurt. No, that wasn’t quite true. Her feelings had been hurt on Monday when Clayton Webb came to JAG ops and asked to see AJ. Thirty minutes later, Tiner ran to Harmon Rabb’s office and breathlessly told him that the Admiral wanted to see him ASAP. The next thing Mac knew Clay was at her door.
"Hi."
"Hey. What’s up?"
"Gotta go out of town till Friday."
"Oh yeah. Where are you going?"
He had looked at her with that look that said. ‘You know I can’t tell you.’ And, the next thing she knew, he pulled her into a hungry kiss and before she could even really respond, he was gone. It took her a few minutes to realize that Rabb was gone too.
She sulked for the entire week.
Ever since they started dating Webb never once asked for her help on a mission. Granted, he hadn’t been on that many missions since he made chief of covert operations, but still, he and Rabb, and once, Webb and Roberts had left the country to do ‘something’. He would never talk about it and neither would Rabb or Bud. She had accepted that part of his life and normally it didn’t bother her much.«But damn it!»
Maybe the heat was getting to her.
Washington and most of the surrounding states were in the middle of one of the worst heat waves since 1995. For over a week the temperature seldom dropped below 100 degrees and when it did it was around 99 degrees at 0300 hours. It was so hot that street crime had actually dropped. Even the gang members just wanted to hang out in the cool bars and pool halls. Domestic violence was up, though, and she was currently prosecuting a case where a Chief Petty Officer and caught her husband with another woman. The other woman was in the hospital and the husband was in the morgue. Singer was defending, and Mac almost felt sorry for Singer, but not really.
The air conditioning at headquarters hadn’t gone out, but it wasn’t particularly cool inside either.
She was just coming out of the ladies’ room where she had gone to press a cold cloth against her face when she heard their laughter. Looking up she saw Webb, Rabb and Turner laughing together by the elevators. Clay saw her looking at them and smiled even bigger. He said something to Rabb and Turner and started to make his way toward her.
Hurt feelings combined with temperature and turned to a blinding rage. She didn’t wait for him but stomped into her office. Then for good measure slammed the door in his face.
"Mac?" He knocked and opened the door.
"I didn’t say you could come in, Mr. Webb," she snarled and went to stand by the window.
"Hey. What’s wrong?"
"Wrong? Why should anything be wrong? You boys have a good time?"
"Huh?"
She spun around. "Don’t you dare ‘Huh’ me, Clayton Webb. You trust Rabb to cover your back more than you trust me?"
"Sarah!" Webb stood there, his hands on his hips glaring at her. «What the hell was wrong with her?» "Come on. You know I can’t…"
She viciously cut him off by finishing the sentence in a sing-song voice. "…Tell you where I go or what I do." She grabbed her cover and pushed past him. "Well you can tell Rabb. I hope you and he have a lovely welcome home dinner."
"Sarah! Damn it. Where are you going?"
"You know I can’t tell you where I go…" She slammed the door behind her.
She stalked through the bullpen. Several people, including Harriet Sims and Bud Roberts just stood there, stunned.
Rabb made the mistake of greeting her. "Hey, Jarhead…"
"Stuff it, Harm," she snarled as she stepped into the open elevator.
Clay came storming out the office. He had been happy to get back in time for the weekend. He had really pushed it so they could be together for the whole Fourth of July weekend, which was to culminate with AJ and Cordelia’s picnic on the fourth. "What the hell is her problem?"
"Got me." Rabb turned in time to find Admiral Chegwidden glaring at the two of them. «Now what?» "Sir!" He came to attention.
Webb turned and when he saw the angry look the last tiny vestige of his euphoric mood disappeared.
"My office. Now."
Rabb and Webb exchanged startled looks and followed Chegwidden into his office.
28 June
Morry’s Deli Across from the Library of Congress
1200 hours
Mac spotted the table where Cordelia was sitting right away. She had cooled down considerably since driving in to meet her boss’s wife for a quick lunch before walking over to the capitol to speak with Bobbi Latham on a military spending question. Mac thought Cordelia looked tired.«But then the twins were just six weeks old.» She also looked distracted. «Why is she looking so intently at that table?» Mac wondered. She didn't recognize any of the women there. She craned her neck a little, trying to make out the woman sitting with her back to the room. A smile crossed Mac's face. «At least I know why Cordelia looks could kill. It's Dr. Walden.» Mac glanced back toward Cordelia.
As soon as Cordelia spotted Mac her face broke into a bright, relieved smile. "Mac! Over here," she called needlessly.
"Hi! You look great." Mac took Cordelia’s hand and squeezed it.
"Liar." She laughed. "I’m still not back to my fighting weight. I’m not getting any sleep. The twins are still waking up twice a night. And…" She quickly brushed away the tears that suddenly threatened.
"Oh my God. Cori, what’s the matter." Mac sat down next to her friend.
"Oh hell. AJ and I had a huge fight."
Mac gulped. Her relationship with Cordelia was fraught with pitfalls that she didn’t face with her other friends – not that she had that many, which is why she fought to maintain her friendship with Cordelia Morgan Chegwidden. However, she wasn’t sure she should be hearing about a fight between her friend and her CO. "W-what happened."
Cordelia sighed and explained the entire situation finishing with, "And then he had the balls to tell me that I wouldn’t have time to finish up the plans for the party."
"What plans don’t we have covered?" Mac’s forehead wrinkled in consternation. Between Cori, Harriet Sims, Porter Webb and Mac, everything was taken care of. Gunnery Sergeant Galindez had been given the task of renting the huge smoker/barbeque pit. Sturgis Turner and Lieutenant Sharkston were coming over Wednesday evening to start the smoker for the half a pig they were roasting. Most of the men were going to take turns watching it, making sure the fire was just right. Harm was in charge of the ‘beverage’ situation. The women figured that most of the guys would be feeling no pain by the time everyone actually arrived on Thursday. Finally all of the women were bringing dishes. All Cordelia and AJ had to do was set up the buffet table. Mac planned on being there early to help. The babies were still so small they wouldn’t be any problem. "What up with that?"
Cordelia sniffed. "Oh, it doesn’t have anything to do with the party. AJ’s just being a man."
Mac sighed. "Tell me about it."
"Why? What’s happened between you and Clayton?"
Mac blew a long puff of air and drank from her ice tea. The waiter must have been angling for a really good tip because he had been keeping it full, with plenty of ice, throughout their conversation. "Thank you." She gave him a bright smile. "I’ll have the chicken salad."
"Pineapple or avocado?"
"Excuse me." Mac finally paid attention to the task at hand.
"You want it in a pineapple boat or avocado?"
Mac really didn’t want it at all. She didn’t like the feeling she experienced when she was mad at Clay, and she suspected why. They had been dating a year. Even though she was fighting that last step, she knew she was falling in love with him. Try as she might, she couldn’t keep it the light-hearted affair they had started. She knew he loved her too. She caught him staring at her at the oddest times, like two weeks ago when they had been at his place watching one of his favorite movies. He had looked like he wanted to ask her something. But the way he was treating her lately. Protecting her. Shielding her from the harsh realities of what he did. She just wasn’t sure she could build a marriage on that.
"Mac?"
"Huh?"
Cordelia smiled at the waiter. "If I remember correctly, the Colonel likes the avocado. Make it easy. Bring two."
"Yes ma’am." The waiter hastily fled from the intense woman in Marine green.
"Tell me what he did?" Cordelia took Mac’s hand in hers.
"Oh hell, Cori. He’s not telling me anything. I’ve got clearance. I’m trustworthy. He could tell me and he knows I would never tell. I’m not asking that he give me the classified details but he could tell me some of it. He came in last Monday and asked the Admiral for a JAG officer to help him with ‘something.’ He asked for Rabb! Why couldn’t he ask for me?"
"Come on, Mac. You know he never will. If it’s dangerous he couldn’t do his job if he was worried about you. It natural that he wants to protect you, but I’m sure he trusts you."
Mac sighed ruefully. Cordelia was right. An evil grin replaced her glum frown. "You mean sorta' like the Admiral wants you to relax for the summer and not drag your ass all the way down here in this heat knowing that you are going to worry about Rebecca and Conlan."
"That’s different," Cordelia sniffed.
"Yeah. Uh-huh."
Cordelia had the grace to laugh. "Well maybe a little. But if I could find a good nanny."
"You would still worry. How is that coming by the way?"
"Well I can’t let him near any of the applicants anymore. Jesus. I’ve got the best damn agency in the area sending me candidates with references like you wouldn’t believe. There was this one lady. Sweetest person you could imagine. She wasn't even afraid of Rimbaud. Rebecca and Conlan were to have been her last assignment before she retired."
"What were you planning, five years?"
"Or six or seven. She was fine though. She wanted to retire at fifty-five." Cordelia leaned forward. "Which as you well know is two years younger -- right now -- than a certain JAG who shall remain nameless."
"What was wrong with her? The admiral think she was too old?"
"No. He had YOUR Mr. Webb check her out."
"You’re shittin’ me."
Cordelia giggled. "No. He did."
"Why?"
"Because she was Irish."
"So?"
"So." Cordelia quirked an eyebrow.
"Oh he didn’t think…"
"Yeah."
"And?"
"No she wasn’t a plant from the IRA. But it got back to her last boss that the CIA was checking on her and he told Mrs. Reilly."
"Who was her last boss?"
"The British Ambassador." Cordelia sighed.
Mac put her hand to her mouth but she couldn’t help it. The laughter bubbled up. "Oh my God. What happened?"
"Oh Mac. I thought I was going to die of embarrassment. Mrs. Reilly stopped by and demanded to see him. She ripped him a new one. Right there in our living room. Told him he was a narrow-minded bigot. Mac, I swear to God, if I hadn’t known better I would have thought it was Adele, the way she stood up to him. She couldn’t have been more than 5’2" but she had him cowered. She didn’t give him a chance to say a word, either. Just said her piece and left." Cordelia sighed but waited while the waiter put their salads in front of them and refilled their iced teas. "She would have been great, but the kids would have been speaking with a brogue as thick as fog."
That did it. That visual was all the two of them needed to burst into laughter. They finally calmed down and began to nibble at their chicken salad. Mac jabbed the air with her fork. "So why are you down here and who’s watching Rebecca and Conlan?"
Cordelia wiped her lips. She saw him standing across the room, a look of relief and fear on his face. She knew she should tell Mac, but instead decided to answer her question. " Porter's with the babies. I'm afraid I told AJ that it was Webb with two Bs just in case he wanted to check her out. I'm stopping by the office to meet with another professor. Her father is ill and she's asked me to take over her class. And I thought if I had time I'd try looking up some more genealogy. I've gotten the bug after researching that Chegwidden Ghost Ship legend. There was an Alberthol Chegwidden with a son Dylan. They settled in Florida, but later moved to Maryland. I've been trying to see what their descendants did in the Revolutionary War."
"I've been finding some really interesting things." Cordelia gave Mac an intense look. "Did you know that women served in the military as far back as the Revolutionary War? Some of them disguised themselves as men in order to fight, others fought alongside their husbands and even took their husbands' place in battle. Perhaps the best known is Deborah Samson. She served in the Continental Army for three years and was wounded twice. No one suspected she was a woman until she had a brain fever, and the doctor figured it out. She received a pension and a land grant for her service. Rachel and Grace Martin were sisters who dressed as men to obtain dispatches from a British courier and his guards. They took the dispatches to General Greene. The British had no idea they had been attacked by women. And Margaret Corbin simply took her husband's place in the artillery when he was shot and killed. The 1779 Congress awarded her a pension and a suit of clothes for her service."
"They served as a medical corps, risking their lives to obtain supplies and to help the wounded. Anna Warner was known as the 'Heroine of Groton' after she provided medical care for the wounded after the massacre at Fort Griswald. Other women went begging from door to door for scraps to use as bandages."
Cordelia grinned, "They were spies, too. Lydia Barrington Darrow spied on the British in Philadelphia. Ann Trotter and Emily Geiger carried messages through enemy territory. Sarah Bradlee Fulton, the 'Mother of the Boston Tea Party' delivered dispatches through enemy lines. My favorite woman spy in the revolution was '355.' We don't know her name because the British captured her and killed her, but she was a member of the Culper Ring, a band of spies based in Occupied New York. They supplied George Washington with information about the British forces there."
"There have been women serving in every war America has had since 1776, but most people don't know it," Cordelia watched Mac's response, avoiding looking up at Clay.
Clay had stopped about two feet behind Mac and listened to the end of Cordelia’s oration. He had a bemused look on his face.
Mac snorted rudely. "Yeah. Well I guess I’ve got it better than they did. We’ve come a long way baby and all that. But damn, Cori. It’s been a really long time since anyone has asked for my help. He didn’t mind sending me to that embassy dressed to the nines. He doesn’t seem to remember that I saved his butt down in Columbia."
"Yes I do, Sarah."
Mac stiffened and glared at Cordelia. Webb came around so Mac could see him without stretching. Mac worked her lips, but when Cordelia started to stand up to leave them alone, Mac reached out and grabbed her hand. Cordelia looked from one to the other and sighed.
"May I sit down?" Clay asked.
Mac shrugged.
"Sure, Clay." Cordelia answered for her.
"Sarah?"
"Yes?"
"What the hell did I do?"
"Nothing."
"Bullshit. Just tell me, damn it. If I can I will make it better. But if you don’t tell me…"
"Why did you ask for Harm to help you. Why didn’t you ask me?"
"When?" Clay looked thoroughly confused.
"Damn it, Clay." She was so loud that the old woman behind her hissed in disapproval. Her voice dropped but her renewed anger didn’t. "Was it so dangerous, you didn’t trust me?"
"This week? You’re pissed off that I didn’t take you this week?" Clay tried hard to keep the grin from his face.
"Clay." Cordelia warned.
"Sarah. In the past year, how many times have I bugged AJ for JAG help on assignments?"
Sarah thought. "I don’t know. A couple."
"Three times including this week. The first time Rabb helped me with a case involving a downed Tomcat. The second, you and Rabb were tied up with the Cardelli case, remember?" He waited for her nod. "Roberts wasn’t bad, but on that particular case, yeah, I could have used you. Would have, if AJ could have freed you up, but Cardelli would have made a fuss about losing his defense attorney."
"And this week?" Her purr was low and dangerous.
Clay couldn’t help it. He laughed but bit his upper lip in an effort to regain control. "Well babe, I don’t think it would have worked too well with you."
"Why not? You two go to some high class whore house to find a terrorist?"
Clay looked around to see if anyone had overheard her all the while blushing furiously. "Sarah." He took a deep breath. "Actually no. We went to a monastery in the Alps. I can’t tell you everything, of course." He covered her hand with his to keep her from further snide remarks. "You know I can’t, Mac. But I will tell you this, we got a very bad man out of there and the French police arrested him. And, if it’s any consolation, Rabb had a revelation and has decided to give up the Navy and take his vows." He said it so softly and seriously that for a moment Mac just sat there and stared at him wide-eyed. It took Cordelia’s disdainful snort to wake her up.
"You son-of-a…" The rest was cut off by his lips on hers. She started to pull back but his hand caressed her neck, holding her to him until she finally gave in and returned his kiss. When he released her and leaned back in his chair he waited for her outburst. "A monastery?"
"My word of honor, Sarah."
Mac knew he didn’t take that lightly. "Oh fine."
"We okay? He eyed her carefully. It had been cool in the Alps, so he had gotten some respite from the heat, but AJ had been cranky over something that had nothing to do with his and Rabb’s report on the taking of the serial killer son of the congressman from Idaho. «That shit would hit the fan soon enough.» Fortunately, AJ was distracted as well as mad, so they had gotten out of his office quickly. He had carefully approached Harriet Sims to find out what was going on with Mac, but the normally helpful Lieutenant had shrugged.
"I have no idea, Mr. Webb. She’s been acting funny all week. I just hope this lunch with Ms. Chegwidden lifts her spirits."
"Where did they go?" Thank God she knew the answer to that question and he had broken several municipalities’ speeding laws to get here. He was sure he would have to get a whopping ticket fixed. «Now if they didn’t tow my car away from the no-parking zone .»
He had come in on the tail end of Cordelia’s rapturous comments on Sarah Bradlee Fulton and '355'. From her tone of voice he figured that AJ was in the doghouse too. It offered him little consolation. He didn’t like it when he and Sarah fought. He was working up the nerve to present her with the ring he had picked out two months ago. All he was doing was waiting for the right moment. He didn’t think now was the time.
"Yeah, I guess. But the very next time you need help..."
"Mac." He sighed. "If I think we can handle it together then I will. But I can’t take you with me on a mission where I’m going to have to worry about your safety. I wouldn’t be able to do my job." The waiter put down the check and glared at him. Webb looked from him to the beautiful woman sitting across from him and thought. «Sorry buddy, go find your own girlfriend.» Picking up the check he pulled his wallet out. "Least I can do is buy two of the prettiest women in DC lunch."
"What about you?" Cordelia looked guilty.
"Me? I ate on the plane." Webb lied. "Come on. What’s on the agenda?" He led them out of the restaurant into the blast furnace of the early afternoon. It was almost difficult to breathe. He walked them toward the curb.
"I have some research to do at the library." Cordelia supplied.
Mac took his hand. "Come on, Mr. Webb. You can walk me to the Capitol. I have a meeting with Congresswoman Latham." They stood at the corner of Capitol Street and Third waiting for the light to change. Sweat was already dripping down their foreheads and the cool of the deli was a vague memory.
"Can’t you call her and tell her something’s come up? We can get in my nice air-conditioned car and drive to my nice air-conditioned townhouse." He whispered seductively.
"Now what could possibly have come up that would prevent me from keeping an appointment with Bobbi Latham?" She purred, knowing full well what exactly was ‘up.’
He started to say something else when they heard the squeal of tires. The three of them turned to see what was going on when a large black sedan turned the corner. A police car was in close pursuit. The sedan pulled even with them when the window slid open and a large gun appeared.
"Get down!" Clay grabbed both women and pulled them down just as the loud retort exploded around them. Clay felt several bits of concrete hit the back of his neck and hands as he tried to cover them both.
He heard the crash followed by shouts and screams. "God damn it." He cursed as he struggled to his feet. "You guys okay?"
"Yeah, I’m fine." Cordelia groaned in flat voice as she pushed herself up.
"Mac? Sarah?" He stared in horror as the line of blood slowly spread down her face. It took him a moment to realize that the shrill scream wasn’t a siren, but Cordelia.
June 28
Bethesda Naval Hospital
1402 Hours
AJ Chegwidden pushed his way through the emergency room doors. No one who saw him made any effort to stop him until he reached the double doors of the treatment rooms.
"Admiral Chegwidden?" He whirled at the sound of his name to find a thin, bookish looking man standing behind him.
"Who are you and where is my wife and my chief-of-staff?" No officer under his command would ever argue with his tone.
"Todd Ebersol, Admiral." The man didn’t bother to offer his hand. "If you would come with me." He started to turn, but AJ’s hand on his shoulder stopped him.
"Where. Are. We. Going? And. Who. The. Hell. Are. You?"
Todd Ebersol sighed. Most people underestimated him and he was pretty sure he could take of the older man, SEAL trident above his breast or not. But Webb had told him to just escort him to the rooms and to not get into any trouble. "Sir. Mr. Webb asked me to bring you to your wife." As unobtrusively as possible, he pulled a small folder from his breast pocket and showed it to the irate and worried admiral.
"Fine. Let’s go then." AJ waited and Ebersol turned again to lead him down a corridor until they spotted Webb pacing back and forth between two curtained cubicles. He looked like hell. "Webb. What the hell happened?"
Clayton took a deep breath and spared a thought to the rotten Karma being inflicted upon him today. «Was this the price of a successful mission?» "Hello AJ. Thanks Todd. Go join Henry. Make sure those bastards stay under guard."
Ebersol coughed into his hand. "Umh…sir…DCPD are on top of it and they aren’t going to welcome…" AJ’s eyes grew wide as the normally unflappable spy got in the other man’s face.
"I don’t give a rat’s ass what the DCPD welcome or not. If the damn DCPD had done their job right then Mrs. Chegwidden wouldn’t be under sedation and I wouldn’t be wondering if Mac was going to live or die, now would I."
AJ felt his knees go weak and it took every ounce of willpower he possessed to keep from sinking to the plastic chair leaning against the wall. "Would someone kindly tell me what the hell…"
"Are you supposed to be back here?" A man, perhaps in his early twenties, dressed in green scrubs hurried up to them. "Are you a relative?"
"I’m Admiral AJ Chegwidden and you…."
"Oh good. Perhaps you can help us. You need to come and see your wife, right away. We have her on Valium, but I’m not sure that will be enough. She came in hysterical over her friend’s wound and we are having a very hard time calming her down. I tried to give her a stronger medication but she started screaming she couldn’t because it would hurt the babies." The doctor looked at the man before him and found it hard to believe that someone that young was married to this man who appeared to be so much older than she.
"She’s nursing. But give her what you think she needs, we’ll deal with it. I was afraid something would set her off."
"Does she have a history of mental disorder?"
"No, son. She is probably suffering from PTSD."
"Why?"
AJ shook his head. "Come on, I’ll explain." He stopped short and looked to where Webb was standing, staring at the curtain in front of him. "First though, what about Colonel MacKenzie?"
"She being worked on right now. A bullet ricocheted off the pavement and grazed her temple. We’re checking to make sure that she didn’t sustain any brain damage in the fall."
Six Hours Later
"Thank you, Porter. I really appreciate you staying with Rebecca and Conlan." AJ hung up the phone and approached Webb. "Clay?"
Even AJ using his first name didn’t register. He didn’t turn around. He stared through the window at Sarah. "She should be awake. The doctor doesn’t know why she won’t wake up." He sounded like he was on his last nerve.
"Clay. It will be okay. She’s a tough lady and you know it." It sounded lame to his tired ears. "Come and sit down for just a moment." He pulled his friend by the arm until they were in the ICU waiting room. "You want coffee?"
"Nah." Clay buried his head in his hands. "I can’t believe this. We were just talking about me not being able to take her on any missions because I would spend all my time worrying about her safety. Jesus Christ, AJ. She’s near death because of a gang bust gone bad." He rubbed his hands over his face. "What about Cori?"
"They want to keep her for the night. She was pretty bad there for awhile. I…we need to get her into some kind of counseling to deal with it all."
"Yeah, that would be a good idea. What about the twins?"
"Your mother is staying with them."
"Yeah, mom would offer that. You going home?"
"No. I’ll go back downstairs and sleep in the chair next to her bed. You?"
Clay took a deep breath and stood. "I’m not leaving her until she wakes up."