One Week Later
Bud & Harriet's Apartment
0145 Local

Lying in bed, Bud stared at the ceiling going over the last week's events in his head. He couldn't grasp the fact that Sarah Mackenzie was a confessed traitor. It just wasn't possible. She, and the Commander, had taught him everything about duty, honor, and integrity. The only woman he loved more than the Colonel was lying in bed beside him, sleeping quietly.

His wife was beautiful, he thought with a smile as he glanced over at her sleeping form. He wouldn't even have Harriet if it weren't for Colonel Mackenzie. And she was little AJ's Godmother. No, he decided, it just wasn't possible.

One more time he thought about the chain of events leading up to the Colonel's imprisonment. Her confession, her pleading of guilty, and quick imprisonment. Things just didn't add up. He remembered the shock of seeing her arrested and led through the bullpen.

Sighing, he rolled on his side. Going to her apartment after that to get Jingo had seemed like a good thing to do. Surprise was a small word for what he found. According to her landlord, she was going to be gone for a few months. The landlord had let him in to check for Jingo, but all he had found was an empty apartment, the refrigerator cleaned and propped open. A quick call to Chloe had confirmed that Jingo was with her and Mac had told her she was going to be gone for a few months too. It just didn't make sense. It was like she knew she was going to be caught. But if she knew, why was she only making arrangements for a few months?

He sat bolt upright in the bed, startling Harriet. "What is it, Bud?" she asked sleepily. "Nothing, sorry. Go back to sleep." She nodded and drifted off again.

Webb! Mr. Webb had been hanging around her. He had taken her to lunch at least once, and Bud had overheard her saying his name over the phone on more than one occasion. Figuring it was none of his business, he hadn't paid much attention at the time, but it was starting to make sense.

Rising from the bed, he hurried to the living room and phoned the Admiral. This was too important to wait until morning.

"Chegwidden here." The Admiral's sleepy voice answered.

"Admiral, I'm sorry to wake you Sir. But I've got to talk to you. It's about Colonel Mackenzie."

"Couldn't this have waited until morning, Lieutenant? I know it's very upsetting, but there is nothing we can do."

"No, Sir, it can't. I think this is all a setup." Quickly he recounted how he found the Colonel's apartment and what the landlord and Chloe had told him. He also mentioned Mr. Webb's appearance at JAG. "I think Mr. Webb has something to do with this, Sir. We both know the Colonel would never sell out her country. I just can't believe that she would, even if she has confessed."

There was a long silence as the Admiral pondered everything Bud had told him. He remembered his own suspicions of Webb before everything happened, when Webb told him he stopped Mac from taking a drink.

"Admiral?"

"Yes, Lieutenant, I'm here. Just thinking."

"Do you think I could be right, Sir?

"I don't know, Lieutenant. But I certainly intend to find out. Meet me at JAG at 0600. We'll have to get an early start on this and I'm going to need your help. We have to tread very carefully. If she is working for Webb, we'll have to be sure and not blow her cover until we know what's going on."

"Yes, Sir. I'll be there." As Bud hung up the phone a small tendril of hope filled his heart. He just couldn't be wrong about this.

The Admiral's thought as he hung up were along the same lines, with a little caveat for Webb. "Webb, if you got her into this I am going to do more than break your nose, I'm going to kick your six to hell and back."

USS Patrick Henry
Harm's Stateroom
0545 Local

Harm was finally getting some much needed rack time. Between missions he usually was able to grab a few hours sleep which was often interrupted by worries about Mac. He hadn't heard from her or the Admiral yet. He had tried to call her a few times, but only gotten her answering machine. The Admiral was apparently very busy, having been unable to take Harm's calls.

His roommate Tuna was shaking his shoulder, trying to wake him. "Harm, wake up. Come on, buddy, I've got to tell you
something."

Rubbing his eyes and yawning, Harm looked up at Tuna. "What is it?"

Tuna dropped into a chair now that Harm was awake. He wasn't sure how to start this, knowing how Harm felt about his partner.
"Well, there is a lot of scuttlebutt going around about your friend Colonel Mackenzie."

"Come on, Tuna, you know better than to listen to that crap. Besides, what could they say about Mac?"

Tuna found it difficult to meet Harm's eyes. "Harm she's...It seems she's been arrested for treason."

Shocked, Harm stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Right, good one, Tuna. Did you think that up all by yourself?"

"I'm serious, Harm." Sobered by Tuna's tone and demeanor, Harm started getting nervous.

"Tuna, if this is a joke, it's not funny."

"It's not a joke."

"It's just not possible, Tuna. I would have known about it. Mac…she would have told me, or at least the Admiral would have. Somebody would have told me." Harm was trying to convince himself as well as his friend.

"Look man, I just thought you ought to know what's going around. I don't know if it's true or not, but maybe now you can find out."

"Damn right I can." Harm leaped to his feet and hurriedly dressed. "I'll be back. I've got to make a phone call."

On his way to communications, he went over and over his last few days at JAG. Mac's depression and distance, her reference to a "mess she'd gotten herself into" when she almost told him what was wrong. Before Kate interrupted them. "No, it's not possible. Even if she's been arrested, I know she's innocent. She would never do this. Never.

Reaching the Communications Room he asked for a ship to shore line and quickly dialed the Admirals' home number, realizing it was still the middle of the night over there.

"Chegwidden here." The Admiral's voice sounded awake, thank god.

"Sir, it's Commander Rabb."

`Oh shit' thought AJ. "Yes, Commander? Why are you calling in the middle of the night?"

"Uh, Sir, there's been some scuttlebutt going around about Mac. I know you promised to keep me updated, Sir, but I have to find out for sure. Is it true?"

"Is what true?" AJ knew, but he didn't want to get into it if he didn't have to.

"Has she been arrested for treason, Sir? What's going on? Do you know anything?" Harm sounded desperate.

"Yes it's true, Commander. I'm sorry you had to find out this way, Son." AJ knew he couldn't put this off any longer. He was going to have to deal with a very pissed off Rabb.

"Sir, you promised to keep an eye on her! You promised to keep me updated! What the hell is this?" Harm was fast losing his temper and giving into his fear.

"Harm, calm down for a minute……"

"CALM DOWN? MAC'S BEEN ARRESTED FOR TREASON AND YOU WANT ME TO CALM DOWN?" Harm's raised voice brought attention to him in the small communications room. Lowering his voice and turning his back to the room, he continued, "What the hell kind of horseshit is this, Admiral?

"STAND DOWN COMMANDER! THAT IS AN ORDER!"

Calming down, Harm tried to rein his emotions in. "I apologize, Sir, that was uncalled for. But, Admiral, you know her better than that! There is no way on earth Mac would do something like that! Who is her attorney, Sir? I have to get back and represent her, Sir. Please, Admiral, get me back."

Sighing, AJ knew he couldn't hold off the whole story any longer. "Harm, she confessed. She's been sentenced to 25 years.
There will be no trial. There is nothing we can do."

A stunned silence met the Admiral's last statement.

"She…She confessed?" Harm could barely get it out.

"Yes, Son, she confessed. To me. I had no choice."

Harm's voice strengthened again. "I don't care if she confessed or not, Admiral. Something stinks to high heaven here and I'm going to find out what it is. There is no way she is guilty of this, no matter what she says. She's just not capable of it."

"Harm…" the Admiral began.

"Sir," Harm cut him off. "I need to be there, Sir. Please get me home. I have to be there. Mac's life is at stake."

"I've already requested your return, Harm. Mac's..," he paused, searching for a neutral word, "leaving has left us even more shorthanded. You should receive your orders today."

Harm breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Sir. I know we can get her out of this, Sir. I know it, because she's innocent."

The Admiral wanted to agree with him, wanted to tell him of his suspicions of Webb's involvement, but knew now wasn't the time. Soon Harm would be back and there would be nothing to stop him from getting to Mac. Nothing. They definitely needed more information before that happened.

In spite of everything, the Admiral couldn't help smiling. He knew Harm would never believe Mac was guilty. Even if Harm had seen her give away the information himself, he would come up with a reason why she couldn't be guilty. This pair was something else.

"Report to me as soon as you're in DC, Commander. I think we have some work to do."

"Aye, Sir."

As Harm hung up the phone, fear encased his heart again. ‘Why, Mac? Why didn't you tell me what's going on?’ Pondering it for a minute more, he realized it didn't matter. It didn't matter whether she told him or not, he was going to help her out of this no matter what. "Hang in there, Marine. I'm coming, and I won't let you down this time. I promise."

JAG Headquarters Admiral Chegwidden’s Office

0600 Local

"Reporting as ordered, Sir." Bud snapped off a salute and stood at attention before his superior officer.

"At ease, Lieutenant. Have a seat, Bud."

"Thank you, Sir." Taking his seat in front of the Admiral’s desk, Bud tried to make himself comfortable as best he could. They had a lot of ground to cover and Bud knew that the Admiral was probably ready to get busy. He was correct.

"Look, Bud, I’m not going to waste any time getting to the point. The Colonel confessed to selling out her country. She is already locked away in the brig. You’re right, all of this happened so quickly and no one really had time to question just what the hell was going on." A.J. pondered exactly what to say next. "Oh hell, I was too damn mad at the time not to see past it. Lieutenant, I want you to come up with everything you can to find out on exactly what’s been going on between Mac and Webb. I want phone records, I want witnesses, I want you to check the visitors log and find out when and how many times he’s been here. Check dates and times, Bud. If it was one of Webb’s operations, and he got her into this mess without my knowledge, I might just kill the son of a bitch with my bare hands."

At A.J.’s ever increasing conviction, Bud’s eyes continued to grow wide. Looking over at the junior officer, A.J. couldn’t help the smile that came unbidden to his lips. "It’s alright, Bud. I’m okay," pausing for just a moment, A.J. continued. "However, we also have another problem."

Frowning in confusion, Bud quarried, "What problem would that be, Sir?"

"That problem, would be the Commander."

"Oh God. I forgot all about him. Sir, he’s gonna flip when he hears about the Colonel."

"Yeah well, that’s where the problem comes in. He’s already heard."

"Oh shit!" At A.J.’s raised eyebrows, Bud recanted. "Sorry, Sir. I didn’t mean to..."

"It’s alright, Bud. That was my reaction too. Seems the scuttlebutt reached the Henry and Harm had to hear it from some of the other pilots. Called me last night to find out if it was true and to chew my six out for not telling him what was going on with Mac."

"And did he, Sir?" Bud couldn’t resist it, he had to ask.

A.J. chuckled at the memory. "Yeah, he did. Damn stupid man. He’s worried sick about her. He’s crazy about her, yet he’s still messing around with other people. I will never understand him." Shaking his head, A.J. fell silent.

"Well, Sir, what are you going to do while I’m gathering information?"

"I’m going to follow Webb around, see if I can find out anything. Maybe if we tail him, we’ll be able to come up with something that will get us closer to what’s really going on here. In the meantime..."

"In the meantime what am I supposed to do?" The deep voice came from the direction of the door, causing both commanding and junior officers to look his way.

Clayton Webb’s Office

08:15 Local

"Come in." Webb barked.

"You wanted to see me, Webb."

"Yeah, Kate. Come on in and have a seat." Sitting down in one of the office chairs in front of his desk, Kate Pike watched and waited.

Finally, Webb spoke up. "I’m going to arrange for you to be stationed at JAG for the next couple of months."

"Why would you do that, Webb?"

"Because, for one, they’re shorthanded with Mac being gone and, I want to make sure she has a position to come back to if she still wants it."

"Alright. What else aren’t you telling me, Webb?"

Sighing in frustration, Clay began the next part of the reason. "Harm is coming back from the Henry. A.J. pulled him because of them being shorthanded, but I know it’s because of Mac. I want you there as a distraction again."

Smiling, Kate replied, "Well, that shouldn’t be too tough. It worked before."

"Yeah," Clay countered miserably. "It worked great."

"Look, don’t worry about Harm. I’ll keep him occupied. You just take care of whatever else it is you need to take care of."

"Alright, Kate. I’ll be in touch."

Walking out into the bright sun shine, Kate never noticed the government sedan parked off to the side or the two men that watched her exit Clayton Webb’s building.

"Dammit! What the hell is Kate doing here?"

"Maybe she’s apart of all of this too, Harm." A.J. didn’t want to rub salt in the wounds but he had to ask. "Is she what Mac was so upset about, Harm?"

Looking away from the Admiral, Harm stared out the window. "Yeah, Mac she...she heard me make a comment to Kate. I didn’t know she was there, honestly I didn’t. I...I told Kate that I didn’t think of Mac in a romantic way. I told her we were just friends, that’s all we’ll ever be, and that’s all I wanted from her." Harm shook his head in disgust at himself before continuing. "I stood there and lied to Kate, flat out lied! Just because I was lonely. Just because..." He stopped, embarrassed to be revealing all this to his C.O.

"So, what happened after that?"

"Kate and I went out to dinner. We went back to my place, Kate came on to me and...I pushed her away."

"Why?" Although, A.J. already knew the answer.

"Because, she’s not the one I wanted. I want Mac."

"Well then, what the hell happened? Didn’t you try to get her to talk to you?"

"Yeah I did but she wouldn’t. That night she had called over to my apartment to talk, and Kate answered the phone. I had almost gotten her to tell me everything a couple of days later when Kate showed up and interrupted us again." The pain and guilt clouded his voice and A.J. knew that even if everything turned out okay in the end, Harm would never get over the guilt he felt over not being there for Mac.

"Just bad timing I guess, Harm. You two seem to have the worst luck."

"Bad timing," Harm mumbled under his breath. Then something occurred to him, and Harm sat up straight in his seat. "Bad timing? Try perfect timing."

"What are you talking about, Son?" A.J. asked, totally confused.

"Every time. Kate has been there every time Mac was about to talk to me. Or me to her. What if, that was all part of the deal. At least on Webb’s part?"

"I don’t know, Harm. That’s stretching it don’t you think?"

"Maybe, maybe not." Harm mulled it over. The more he thought it over, the more sense it made. He really needed to see Mac. Looking at his watch, Harm spoke. "Look, Admiral. I need to see Mac."

"Harm, I don’t think that’s such a good idea."

With determination, Harm cut him off. "I have to see her. I have to let her know that I’m still here. That I’m not giving up on her no matter what. Maybe if she knows that I might be onto what’s going on she’ll talk."

Sighing, A.J. agreed. "Okay, Harm. Go talk to her. But remember we still have no idea what’s going on. If she is undercover you have to be careful what you say. There’s more than her reputation at stake."

"I know, Admiral. It’s her life."

JAG Headquarters

11:45 Local

"Enter."

"Admiral, Commander Pike reporting for duty, Sir."

A.J. eyed the young woman suspiciously. When he had arrived back, he had immediately called Lt. Robert’s in to brief him on what he’d discovered through out the course of the morning. He and Bud had both been surprised when Harm had showed ahead of schedule, not expecting him back until later today. But they had set down and come up with a strategy, together, to help Mac.

Bud had showed him Mac’s phone records, noting that Webb had called her almost everyday for the last three weeks. Well actually, Bud noted that they had stopped when Mac was thrown into the Brig. He had also checked the visitors log, Webb having been there at least 5 times in those same three weeks. Something really stunk!

But the real kicker had come an hour later. Tiner brought him a request of transfer from the SecNav for Kate Pike to serve in the JAG office for the time being, seeing they were short handed with the Colonel’s absence. A.J. was now more sure than ever that Clayton Webb was behind the whole shootin’ match.

"At ease, Commander. Have a seat. I see you’ll be filling in until a replacement for the Colonel can be found."

"Yes, Sir. I was thinking that I might be considered for a permanent position if things work out."

"We’ll see how things work out. For the time being, I’m assigning you to work with Lt. Roberts."

Kate was taken aback.

"Something wrong, Commander?"

Stammering, Kate tried to make it through a reply. "Um no, Sir. I just assumed I would be taking the Colonel’s place as Cmdr. Rabb’s partner."

"No, the Commander will be solo for a while. That will be all for now. Dismissed."

"Aye, Sir."

A.J. watched as she dejectedly marched out of the office. ‘I sure as hell ain’t gonna make it that easy for you, Webb. You’ll have to come up with something better than that.’

Pleased with himself, A.J. went back to work.

Ladies Maximum Security Correctional Facility

12:35 Local

Harm waited impatiently for them to bring Mac in. Normally, she wouldn’t even be allowed visitors but Harm had finagled his way in, stating that he was her attorney. The young prison guard, had let him in, no questions asked. ‘Makes you wonder about the lack of security.’ Although Harm wasn’t about to complain at the moment. All he wanted to do was see Mac.

The room was sparsely lit, making it difficult to see the other side of it by the door. Turning, Harm sat facing away from it waiting, waiting.

Soon the guard opened the door, and walked Mac in to sit down. Keeping her face turned away, Mac could only guess who was actually sitting in the room with her. She didn’t have to see him; she knew.

"Could you give us a minute," Harm spoke to the guard. Nodding, the guard backed out of the room.

Before he could say anything, Mac’s soft voice broke the silence. "What are you doing here, Harm?"

"I came back as soon as I heard."

His statement almost brought her head up. Almost. Instead she simply asked, "Why?"

"Because, I wanted to be there for you, to help you. Please, Mac. Please let me help you."

"It’s too late for that, Harm. It’s already over."

"No, Mac. I can get you out of here. I can help, but you’ve got to give me something. I think...I think you’re caught in a spider’s web, Mac," he tried to watch her reaction but her face was still hidden. The only sign he had gotten was a visible tensing of her body at the mention of a web. He had to be on the right track.

Gently, he tried again. "Mac, honey, please. Let me help you. Let me get you out of this."

"I can’t, Harm. As much as I want you to, I can’t."

"Look at me, Mac."

"Harm, please just leave," she begged, turning further away from him.

"Not until you look at me, Sarah."

"Harm..."

"Look at me. Let me see your eyes, Mac. Let them tell me to go away. Let me see that you don’t want me here."

"Damn you, Harm, just leave...please."

Walking over to her, Harm knelt in front of her chair. She tried to fight him, to turn away again, but Harm held her. Taking her face in his hands, he was shocked by her wince of pain.

"Mac?"

Slowly she turned to face him.

"Oh God, Mac. What did they do to you?"

One eye was swollen shut, her cheek completely bruised. A cut with a few stitches in it at her temple completed the picture.

Gently, with infinite care, he touched her cheek. "Mac? Please talk to me."

Unable to meet his eyes and face the concern she knew she would find there, she took refuge in looking at the floor. "It’s nothing big, Harm. Let’s just say I’m not too popular here."

The rage he felt at her being hurt threatened to overwhelm him, but he managed to control it, albeit just barely. "Mac, you’ve got to talk to me, let me in. I know I can help you."

With nerves stretched to the edge, she pulled away from him and stood up, walking away from him. "Harm, there is nothing you can do. Please go, and don’t come back. Forget you ever knew me, it’s better that way." As much as she wanted to fall in his arms and confess everything, she knew she couldn’t. The remembrance of that nightmare, and Webb’s warnings, had sealed her lips.

"You know I’m not going to do that, Marine. With or without your help, I’m getting you out of here." His voice was firm as he followed her.

She fell back on the only thing she could. Anger. "When will you get it through your head that I am guilty? I’m ready to pay the price for what I did. There is NOTHING you can do."

"The first thing I’m going to do is get you moved for your own protection. I’m not going to stand for your being beaten." His voice took on a rough edge as he thought about that.

"It’s already taken care of, Harm. I’ve been moved into solitary. The only person I see now is another traitor." It was difficult to maintain the facade of anger with him; he was being so…so...Harmlike. "It seems the Warden didn’t believe that I fell. She had me transferred for my own protection." Neither the inmates or the guards cared for a traitor, but the Warden seemed to feel she would be safer if she was put in with Davidson.

"Then I can move onto the next step. Proving your innocence." Backing off was not something he would even remotely consider.

"Harm, I repeat, there is nothing you can do. Don’t waste your time." Walking toward the door, she motioned to the guard through the window to open it.

"Good bye, Harm."

"It’s not over, Sarah. I am nowhere near finished with this. You better remember that."

Sighing, she shook her head. "Give it up, Harm. I have." And with that, she followed the waiting guard out of the door.

"I don’t believe you, Sarah. Not for a minute. And there is no way in hell I’m giving up." She couldn’t have heard him, but it made him feel better to say it anyway. Grabbing his cover from the table, he strode angrily from the room ready to tear Webb limb from limb.

JAG Headquarters

1330 Local

Kate was walking through the bullpen when he entered. She turned to him with a smile that faltered as she caught his angry expression.

"Harm?"

"Kate, what are you doing here?" The last thing he felt like doing was dealing with her right now. He was afraid he would ring her neck.

"I’ve been assigned temporarily to JAG, seeing as you’re shorthanded here. It will be good to work with you again, Harm." Her warm smile did nothing to assuage his ire, it only inflamed it.

"Yeah, well that’s all we’ll be doing, Kate. Working," he replied coldly, just managing to bite back the words of accusation he wanted to fling at her.

Confused at his attitude, she backed off a little. "Okay, Harm. What ever’s wrong is not my fault. Remember that," she countered, as she entered Mac’s office. He had to restrain himself from going and throwing her out of there.

"Tiner, I need to see the Admiral." Tiner took one look at his face and quickly buzzed the Admiral. "Send him in."

Harm quickly recounted his meeting with Mac, working himself up into a rage as he reported to the Admiral. "You should have seen her, Admiral! Her eye was swollen shut and she had stitches! Stitches, god damn it!" Every time he thought about it he got angrier. "And what the hell is Kate Pike doing here?"

"Commander, calm down. Your anger is getting the better of you, Son." The Admiral was pretty angry himself at Harm’s description, he was just better at hiding it than Harm.

Harm took a deep breath. Forcing himself to sit down, he faced the Admiral more calmly. "Sorry, Sir. It’s just…"

"I know, Harm. Believe me, I know. Kate Pike has been assigned here from the SecNav’s office. Apparently he was concerned because we are shorthanded."

Harm gave a disbelieving laugh. "Right, Sir. The SecNav is always so concerned about us."

The Admiral almost laughed with him. "I think it’s time we had a chat with Mr. Webb. I want to know what’s going on and I refuse to put this off any longer, especially if Mac is in danger." Pushing his intercom A.J. barked. "Tiner, get me Mr. Webb on the phone." Releasing the intercom button he had pressed, A.J. sat back. "It’s time we got some answers."

"Mr. Webb’s on line one, Sir." Tiner buzzed the Admiral back. Putting the call on the speaker phone, A.J. wasted no time with pleasantries. "Webb, I need to see you. Now." The Admiral’s voice was steel.

"AJ, I can’t come to JAG now. I’ve got a very important appointment…"

Harm’s voice cut him off. "Cut the crap, Clay, and get your six over here, now."

There was a pause. Finally, Webb answered, his voice resigned. "I’m on my way."

"Maybe now we’ll get those answers."

"I’m not going to hold my breath, Admiral."

"I know what you mean." A.J. chuckled to himself as a thought occurred to him. "Maybe we could hold him down and beat it out of him."

"Don’t tempt me, Sir. Don’t tempt me."

An hour later Clayton Webb strolled into A.J.’s office, coming face to face with two highly upset Naval Officers. "So, Admiral, you wanted to see me?"

"Yeah, Webb, I did." A.J. stood with his arms crossed in front of his chest, staring menacingly at him, offering no further explanation. Harm’s stare matched the Admiral’s.

"Well? What about?" Webb tried to bluff his way out of it even though he knew he couldn’t. He wasn’t going to get out of this easily.

"I think you know." The Admiral’s cold tone chilled him to the bone.

"I have no idea what you’re talking about, A.J." Webb’s gaze shifted to Harm, giving him his best ‘innocent’ look. "Either one of you want to fill me in?"

A.J. got right in his face. "I want to know why you have one of my officers on a mission without my knowledge, or approval. I want to know all the details, and I want to know right now."

"A.J..." Webb tried to weasel out of it.

"NOW, Webb. If you are smart you won’t fuck with me on this one."

Clay gave a sigh of resignation and gave in. "Okay, but hear me out before you kill me."

A.J. went around and sat at his desk, while Webb took a seat next to Harm. "Let’s have it, Clay."

"Mac is working for me right now. With the SecNav’s approval I might add. I am not at liberty to release the details of the mission at this time."

Harm gripped the arms of the chair firmly, trying not to get up and strangle him. "I want to know what’s going on, Webb. Don’t give me that bureaucratic bullshit."

With another sigh, Clay gave in completely. "Mac is undercover. It is her mission to get close to Captain Janet Davidson, who is the real traitor, and learn everything about her, including her contacts. We have to get these people, A.J. It’s a matter of national security."

A.J. was deceptively calm as he spoke. "You mean you had Mac set up herself as a traitor, pretend to get drunk, and lie to all of us so YOU could do your job better?"

Harm gasped at the Admiral’s statement about Mac getting drunk. "Sir, Mac pretended to be drunk?"

"Yes, Commander. And she did a damn good job convincing me too. It’s what started this whole mess. I will have to have a little talk with her about that when all this is over." A.J. was irritated that he was so easily fooled.

"A.J., she was under orders. She couldn’t tell you anything, and everything that was done was scripted for her. She was in agony over lying to everyone here, especially you." Webb did his best to save her from the Admiral’s wrath. "She had no choice. In fact, she’s convinced no one here will forgive her, and she will lose all her friends over this."

Harm and A.J. glared at him, horrified. It was Harm who found his voice first. "You mean she’s going on a dangerous mission convinced she has nothing to come back to? YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Harm went for him, knocking over his chair. Grabbing Webb by the lapels of his jacket, he hauled him to his feet. "You better pray she comes out of this just fine, Webb. Because if she doesn’t, there is no rock you can hide under. I will find you. In fact I already owe you. Did you know she got beat up?" Harm drew back a fist to let Webb have it, just as the Admiral shouted at him.

"COMMANDER! STAND DOWN THIS INSTANT!" The Admiral roared, waiting just a second for Harm’s fist to connect with Webb’s face.

As Webb went down from the blow, Harm let him go. The Admiral’s order had actually been unnecessary, for the one punch to Webb had relieved some of his anger. At least enough of it so that he could control himself.

Still sitting on the floor, Webb put a hand to his lip, which was bleeding. "Damn it, I wish you guys would quit hitting me. I’m only doing my job, the same as you."

"Yeah, but the difference is when you do your job, it usually costs one of us too much." Harm’s tone was bitter.

Webb got to his feet and sat shakily in a chair. Harm picked up the chair he had overturned and seated himself.

"Now that the obligatory fight is over with, Webb, can we have some details please? What is next on the agenda for Mac?" The Admiral’s tone was dry.

"She’s just going to hang out with the Lieutenant in solitary, make friends with her. I have a bug in the cell so we’ll know when we have the information we need. Hopefully, it won’t take that long and you can have Mac back safe and sound."

The sound of a cell phone ringing broke into their conversation. Webb pulled his phone out and answered it. "Webb."

There was a long silence. "When?" Another silence. "Okay, keep me updated on what you learn. No, I’m already there. Yes, I’ll tell them." He hung up.

Harm and the Admiral waited tensely; fearing the news wasn’t good.

Finally, Webb told them. "It seems there has been a jailbreak. Lt. Davidson and Mac have escaped. No one knows where they are. We’ve lost them."

Ladies Maximum Security Correctional Facility

Earlier that day

Mac was being led back to her cell after her meeting with Harm, the guard loosely holding her elbow. She had only been in here a little over a week, but it felt like forever to Mac. Things had gone off without a hitch. Her trial, or subsequent lack of one, had ended her in the brig immediately. The 25-year sentence had actually been less than expected, like it really mattered. If things went according to the plan she’d be out of here within a month.

The next step in the plan had been for her to get close to Janet Davidson. Mac wasn’t sure how to accomplish that, as Davidson was in solitary confinement. She’d been trying to work out a plan to get to her when she’d been beaten up.

It had come out of nowhere really, although she guessed she should have been expecting it.

Ladies Maximum Security Correctional Facility

Three days prior

"Well, look at what we have here girls. Aren’t you that bitch traitor?"

Mac froze. She was ‘learning her new duties’ in the kitchen, washing dishes. As she turned to face the unexpected voice, she noticed the guard at the door slip out. Great. Somehow she knew this was not going to end well, at least for her.

Facing her questioner, Mac remained silent. There were three of them and they apparently did not care for traitors. Robbery, murder, etc. were acceptable reasons to be imprisoned, treason was not.

The three women spread out around Mac, encircling her as best they could. Mac pressed her back up to the sink, not allowing them to get behind her. Knowing she was in trouble, she warily eyed "Large Marge." Of course, Mac had absolutely no idea what her real name was, so that’s what she termed the leader in her own head. Attempting to keep her tone brave, she replied, "What’s it to you?"

"We don’t care for traitors here. We think you should be aware of how much we don’t like you."

Mac looked around for an escape route. Not seeing one, she attempted to bluff her way out. "I think you should know that I am perfectly capable of defending myself. And will do so, at all costs."

Large Marge grinned at her, revealing a gold tooth. She was a heavily built woman, as were her two friends. "I don’t think you are. I think my friends and I can take you out." She nodded at the women on either side of Mac, giving them signal to go for it.

With all her strength Mac whirled and kicked the woman on her right in the head, knocking her to the floor. The woman on her left managed to grab Mac’s arm, but quickly released her as the base of Mac’s palm connected with her nose. There was a sickening crunch followed by a spurt of blood.

Large Marge didn’t hesitate. While Mac was handling the other two women, she came in full force, her fists at the ready. As Mac swung around to face her, Large Marge’s ham sized fist slugged her in the eye, knocking her back against the sink. Knowing this was a life or death fight, Mac struggled to maintain her footing, but slipped on the wet floor. As she went down, her temple connected with the sink, momentarily dazing her.

"Pick her up!" Large Marge shouted at the other two women, who hastened to comply with her order. Another punch, this one to her stomach, caused Mac to double over.

The guard slipped back in the door. "Someone’s coming! Get out of here!"

"We’re not finished yet."

"Yes you are. Get out before we all get caught!" A few more well placed kicks and punches later, the guard, Large Marge and her friends all quickly exited the room, leaving Mac crumpled up on the floor.

The guard that discovered her took her quickly to the infirmary, where her cut from the sink was stitched up and basic first aid administered.

The Warden had a quick interview with her while she was in the Infirmary. Mac insisted that she fell, knowing that telling the Warden anything was not going to help her.

The Warden’s answer had been quick and decisive. "I don’t believe you fell, Miss Mackenzie. Now, in view of your injuries, I am placing you in a separate confinement. You will actually be sharing a cell with Janet Davidson. You and she seem to share a certain clumsiness."

All in all it had been a painful way to push the mission forward. But at least she was in where she needed to be.

Her thoughts were interrupted by her arrival at her cell. The door was opened by the guard who gestured to her to enter. The door clanged shut behind her and the key was turned in the lock. The sounds of prison were something she didn’t think she would ever get used to.

"Sarah? Who was it?" Janet’s question greeted her. "Are you all right?" Seated on the bed opposite Mac’s, the petite blonde looked nothing like a traitor should look like. At least that’s what Mac thought.

"Yeah", Mac sat on the edge of her bed. "I’m fine. It was just someone from my past. He should have known better than to come." Wearily she allowed herself to fall back on the bed.

There was a short silence. Mac was very quiet; knowing from experience that Janet didn’t like the silence. She had discovered that the first day they were together. Janet would talk to fill the quiet, and Mac could tell she was lonely. No real information had been forthcoming; their talk had centered on movies, childhood, and inconsequential things. Nothing about how they had gotten here. Every time Mac broached the subject Janet would change it, saying it was too painful to talk about.

"Mac?" Janet’s voice interrogated her again. "Was he someone you loved? Does he love you?"

Sighing, Mac thought about the questions before answering. "Yeah, he is someone I love, but he doesn’t love me."

"Then why did he come?"

"Because he has a god damned hero complex. He’s got to save the world." Mac felt the irritation burn through her as she stared at the ceiling. If Harm would just leave her alone, maybe she could forget about him and go on with her life. But he always was there in some form or fashion, intruding on her thoughts, her feelings, saving her from herself. Why couldn’t he just chase Kate and leave her alone?

"Mac, I bet he loves you."

Mac rolled her eyes; she was fed up with this line of talk. "Ha. I bet. What about you? How come no one comes to see you? Wasn’t there a ‘significant other’ in your life?"

There was another silence, as Janet didn’t answer. She’d meant it to divert the conversation away from Harm, but she could see she touched a nerve. Alerted now, Mac tried to zero in. Maybe this is where she finally would get some information. Sitting up, she tried to capture Janet’s gaze with her own.

"Janet?"

Janet avoided her eyes, looking down at the floor. "It’s difficult to talk about."

"So try me. It’s not like I have anything better to do."

Janet settled back on the bed and leaned her back against the wall. "Well, there is this one guy. He really loves me and I love him. I tried to help him, but I got caught. That’s how I ended up in here."

"What happened?" Mac didn’t want to push her too fast, but she was desperate for this information. The sooner she got it, the sooner she could get out of here. Her conscience pricked her as she looked at Janet’s delicate face, knowing she was going to betray anything Janet told her in confidence.

"Well I met him one night in the laundry room of my apartment. I was changing a load from the washer to the dryer when I saw this good-looking guy trying to figure out how to start the washer. He kept looking at all the dials like he was confused. Finally he looked at me and said ‘Help’. I started laughing, and so did he."

"Then what?" Mac prompted as Janet paused, apparently deep in thought.

"I helped him do his laundry of course. After that we went out a few times, and I started to fall in love with him. I met his Mother, and two brothers. They had emigrated here from Iran, trying to get away from the government. The more I knew him, the more I loved him."

"So what changed?" Mac kept pushing every time Janet stopped.

"One night I went to visit him in his apartment, and I found him crying. I finally got the story out of him after a lot of begging and pleading. His Father was still in Iran, and captured by the Government. He was scheduled to be executed in a week. The only was to save him was to get some kind of information about our government.

He said he couldn’t ask me to betray my country, and he was just so sad that his Father was going to die. He knew I worked at the Pentagon, you see. I had told him all about that. But he didn’t want me to do anything, he loved me to much to ask me."

‘I bet he did.’ Thought Mac. Aloud she said, "How sad for him. He must love you very much."

"Yes he does. That’s why I didn’t tell anybody anything about him at my trial. And that’s why he…" She broke off suddenly.

"Why he what?" Mac questioned her.

The sound of the key turning in the door startled her. Again the door clanged open as she turned to see who it was.

"That’s why he has to rescue his love." A man's voice broke in. The man at the door was a very handsome man of obvious Middle Eastern descent, and he was staring at Mac with hostility. He also held a gun on her. "Janet, come on. Everything is arranged, we’re getting out of here."

"Mohammed, we have to take Mac with us." Janet did not seem surprised to see him.

"I’m afraid we can’t do that, Janet. She’s seen my face. Go on; wait for me at the door. This will not take long but it will not be pretty," Mohammed commanded, the gun pointing directly at Mac’s head.

Stunned by the fast change of circumstances, Mac could only stare at him while she cursed Webb silently. She should have known one of his plans would not go according to plan.

"NO!" Janet stood between Mac and the gun. "She’s a friend, Mohammed. She’s in the same situation I am. Please, let’s take her with us. We can let her go later. She’ll never tell on us. Will you, Mac?" Janet turned beseeching eyes on Mac, begging her to go along with her.

"Of course not, Janet. If I get out of here I can’t go to the authorities without being arrested anyway." Mac had no intention of getting shot right now if she could avoid it.

"There, you see? Please, Mohammed. For me." Janet used her softest tone on him.

Mohammed’s cold dark eyes never wavered from Mac’s, promising nothing. "All right, Janet. We’ll take her, for now. We can get rid of her later if we have to."

Somehow Mac knew that Mohammed did not harbor love for Janet. His eyes were too cold, too calculating. It did not bode well for Janet’s future. Or her own for that matter.

Mohammed gestured with the gun. "Get up. You’ll come with us. Do as you’re told and be quiet. We have a plan."

Mac got up and followed Janet out the door. There were no other prisoners in this cellblock, but there was a whole prison system to get through. Surely someone would notice them leaving.

As they neared the next door, Mac noticed a laundry hamper cart. "Get in." Mohammed wasted little time on words. Silently and quickly, Mac and Janet climbed into the cart and bent down as low as they could. Mohammed piled laundry on top of them, covering them completely. "Whatever you hear, just stay quiet and don’t move."

The cart began to move, slowly at first. Unable to see, Mac listened as they were wheeled around the prison. Mohammed joked and laughed with other guards as they too pushed carts. She could hear the squeaking of the wheels. Finally the cart stopped, but she could still hear the voices.

"Load them up, Joe." The cart was pushed up a ramp and roughly came to a stop. The sound of a truck door closing and an engine starting were the only sounds before the truck started to move.

Once they were safely past the gates of the prison, Mohammed wasted no time in commanding obedience from his prisoners. "Alright, both of you, out of the baskets. Now, move."

Heaving the laundry off of her, Mac stood as best she could. Before she could catch her balance in the still moving vehicle, she was jerked backwards. Mohammed grabbed her from behind, turning her around while still holding her in a vice like grip.

"Hey, damn it, not so rough."

"Listen, I don’t care who you are or why you were in with Janet. You are mine now. You will obey me, do you understand? I have absolutely no reservations about killing you."

Her self preservation kicked in, and she knew she had to do something to buy her at least enough time for Clay to find her. "Look, I don’t want to die. I’ll do what ever you want me to do."

"Whatever I want, huh," Mohammed asked, leering at Mac’s ample chest. "We’ll see about that. Right now I want you to sit down and remain silent until we reach our next destination." Releasing her roughly, Mac fell back onto the floor to wait to see what fate brought her way next.

Three hours later, Mac was jarred awake by the sudden halting of the truck. Soon, Janet appeared next to her, sitting down and nervously fidgeting with her hands. Uncertainty marred the features of her delicate face and Mac wished she could make it easier for the confused young woman.

"Janet? Something on your mind?"

"Mac...I’m sorry for the way Mohammed treated you. He’s usually very kind and gentle. I...don’t know why he’s...why he’s like this."

Proceeding cautiously, Mac tried to reach out to her. "Maybe it’s because you don’t really know him, Janet. Maybe this is really him."

"No," she answered strongly. "You don’t know him like I do. You don’t know how he is when it’s just us; him and I."

"Janet, he’s not what he seems. He’s was going to kill me. He might still."

"He couldn’t, Mac. He’s just not capable."

"Believe me, Janet. He’s capable. I saw it in his..."

Before Mac could finish her statement, the back of the truck opened and Mohammed and three other men stepped in, one she recognized as the guard that had led her back to her cell earlier that day after her meeting with Harm. Which meant that Harm had seen him too. Well it wasn’t much but at least it was something.

Mohammed looked menacingly at Janet who continued to cower under his intense gaze. "Richards, take Janet and put her in the car. ‘Mac’ and I will be along in a minute."

Janet began to plead for her friend. "Mohammed, please don’t hurt her."

"You will be silent. I said you are to go with Richards."

Without a word, Janet followed the other man to the waiting vehicle.

Turning to look at Mac, Mohammed’s tone took on a warning tone. "You are here, and alive because I am allowing it. You now owe me. I will collect before this is over." Again he looked her over, taking in her voluptuous form.

"What about Janet? I thought you love her."

"What does love have to do with anything?"

The words hit her so hard she almost lost the ability to breath.

Mohammed continued, not even breaking stride. "She served her purpose, as will you. Now, cooperate and you will live. But know this, I will watch you every minute of every day. You cross me, you die. Let’s go."

Without ceremony, Mac was dragged out into an unfamiliar wooded area and thrown into the back of a plain black sedan. Looking back at the truck, Mac could only hope that Clay could find her once they were gone and on their way.

The journey had now begun.

JAG Headquarters Admiral Chegwidden’s Office

"What the hell do you mean you lost them? How could you loose them? I thought you said you had everything covered." Harm’s patience was stretched to the limit.

"Harm, we did all we could do. We didn’t have men on the inside because that would have raised too many suspicions."

"So, what exactly did you have in place, Webb?"

"We had a bug in her cell. We could hear everything that was said in that room."

"And?" Harm asked expectantly.

"And what, Harm?"

"That’s it?"

"Well...yeah."

"Jesus Christ, Webb. What were you planning to do if she was really in trouble? How were you supposed to keep her safe?"

"She’s a Marine, Harm. I thought that whatever happened like that, she could handle it."

A.J. finally found his voice. "Okay, let’s recap again, shall we? Not only did you have one of my people on a mission without my knowledge, and had her lie to me and everyone she cares about, but you sent her in with no fucking back up?" The decibel level rose with each point he made. "What the hell is she supposed to do now? What if they kill her? They have absolutely no reason to keep her alive, Clay."

"Look A.J., Harm. We’ve got people on it right now. They just slipped past us. I swear to you we are doing everything we can to make sure that Mac makes it back alive."

Before Webb could blink, Harm was in his face. "That is just not good enough, Webb. If she dies you die. I swear to you I’ll kill you, Clayton. Now what the hell do you know? Do you have any idea where they’re going?"

"We think they escaped in the laundry truck. It was scheduled to leave right around the same time the break took place. Plus, we’re figuring that someone on the inside must have had something to do with it, guards maybe. We’re questioning everyone that had anything to do with Mac or Janet at any point in time today. We’ll find her. I promise.

"Oh you’re damn right ‘WE’ will, Webb. I’m not letting you out of my sight until she’s found, not that I don’t trust you of course. I think we should all head over there, Admiral. Maybe we could find out a few things on our own. Lead the way, Webb."

Grudgingly, Clay had no choice but to agree. "Alright, let’s go." Heading out of the office, Clay offered up a silent prayer. ‘Please, for her safety, and for my own, please let Mac make it out of this alive.’

Ladies Maximum Security Correctional Facility

Later that day

Once they had reached the facility, Clay introduced both men to Matt Wilkins, one of his operatives. "Wilkins, this is Commander Harmon Rabb and Admiral A.J. Chegwidden. Both worked with Mackenzie at JAG. They’re going to aid in helping us find her."

Harm immediately jumped in, starting the interrogation. "What do you have so far?"

"We’ve listened to the tape from the cell a couple of times but nothing sticks out as far as a clue as to where they were going," Wilkins answered matter of factly.

It was A.J.’s turn. "Let’s hear the tape, Webb. Maybe we’ll be able to get something off of it that they missed."

"You can try if you’d like, but with all due respect, there really isn’t much but a lot of girl talk about lost loves or some crap like that."

A lead weight seemed to settle in the pit of Clay’s stomach. ‘Oh, God. She must have been talking about Harm.’ "Um, let’s go listen to the tape, gentlemen," Clay managed to stammer out.

All four men filed into the security control room. Loading the tape into the player, Wilkins explained the sounds as they happened. "We’re just running the audio from today. There wasn’t much this morning, so we skipped to afternoon. The part you’re listening to was from about one o’clock today."

Harm figured the time and realized that this happened to be not too long after he had left. Shit, if he could have only kept her there a little longer, she wouldn’t even be in this mess.

"There’s the cell door being opened and closed. The rest I’ll let you listen to on your own. I’ll be outside if you need me, Webb." Wilkins gave a nod in their general direction and headed out the door.

Soon after, Janet Davidson’s voice came over the speakers.

Janet: Sarah? Who was it? Are you alright?

Mac: Yeah, I’m fine. It was just someone from my past. He should have known better than to come.

Harm listened to Mac’s voice, his heart constricting at the pain her heard in it. She sounded so alone.

Janet: Mac? Was he someone you loved? Does he love you?

Mac: (Sighing) Yeah, he is someone I love, but he doesn’t love me.

Janet: Then why did he come?

Mac: Because he has a god damned hero complex. He’s got to save the world.

Janet: Mac, I bet he loves you.

Mac: Ha. I bet. What about you? How come no one comes to see you? Wasn’t there a ‘significant other’ in your life?

The rest of the conversation played on but Harm hardly heard any of it. He was too wrapped up in his own thoughts. The finality in Mac’s voice had left no room for question. She honestly believed he didn’t love her. ‘That’s why she wouldn’t let me in when I went to see her, wouldn’t let me get close. She still thinks I don’t love her. But I wrote it all down for her in my letter. How could she not understand? How could she think that I don’t care? She said that she loved me...wait, she just said she loved me. Mac loves me...’

Harm was jarred out of the rest of his thoughts but the entrance of a third voice on the tape.

Mohammed: That’s why he has to rescue his love. Janet, come on. Everything is arranged, we’re getting out of here.

Janet: Mohammed, we have to take Mac with us.

Mohammed: I’m afraid we can’t do that, Janet. She’s seen my face. Go on; wait for me at the door. This will not take long but it will not be pretty.

Tension filled the small room as all three men listened to ‘Mohammed’ threaten Mac. Harm felt helpless as he waited to learn the outcome of the encounter.

Janet: NO! She’s a friend, Mohammed. She’s in the same situation I am. Please, let’s take her with us. We can let her go later. She’ll never tell on us. Will you, Mac?

Mac: Of course not, Janet. If I get out of here I can’t go to the authorities without being arrested anyway.

Janet: There, you see? Please, Mohammed. For me.

The silence seemed to draw out forever before Mohammed’s voice came through once more.

JAG Headquarters

2105 Local

Harm sat at his desk, staring out the window at nothing in particular. It had been a long day, and the adrenalin that had been driving him was finally leaving his system. He was tired and frustrated and...afraid.

They had come back to the office, diving right into the investigation of the evidence they had found at the truck. Bud had been assigned the task of tracing the prescription bottle, while Webb was trying to keep track of his men in the field. Wilkins was in charge of the prison end, and they were still waiting for the results to come back on the fingerprints. Now with everyone working on different things all Harm could do was sit and wait. And it was killing him.

"Commander, how are you holding up," A.J. asked, standing at the door of his office.

"Well, I’d be doing better if we knew something. All of this waiting is driving me crazy."

"I know, Harm. We should know something soon, though. And you know Mac, she’s one tough gal. If anyone could make through this, it’s her."

"I know, it’s just...I wish things...I just wish things were different."

"Harm, I know that things are really bad between you and Mac, but I also know that you’ve been through too much together to lose each other now. We’ll find her, Harm."

"I hope so, Sir."

The knocking at the door brought the conversation to a halt.

"Excuse me, Admiral, Commander. But I think I have a line on that prescription."

"Come on in. What have you got, Bud," A.J. questioned the young Lieutenant.

"It belongs to an...Ahmed El Saeed. Lives here in D.C."

"You have an address, Bud," Harm asked, impatiently.

"Umm, yeah it’s right here. But I checked on that too. He left his apartment about two weeks ago. The landlord says he stiffed him his last months rent."

"Damn! Dead end."

"Well, it gets better, Gentlemen." Clayton Webb strolled into the office, sitting in one of the office chairs in front of Harm’s desk, and tossing his cell phone down on the desk. "I just got a call from Wilkins. The prints from the cell turned up nothing."

Now it was A.J.’s turn. "What about the number Harm found? Anything on that yet?"

"We’re still working on it. We’ve tried calling it and didn’t get an answer. We’re still trying to come up with a name."

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Harm heaved a heavy sigh of frustration. "So, do we have anything on her?"

Bud chimed in, "Well, Sir, I did take the liberty of looking into the information on Janet Davidson’s apartment building. I talked to the landlord there as well, and she said that Janet was spending a lot of time with Mohammed Abu Khalif. She said that he moved into the building about six months before Davidson was arrested. She also said that he didn’t want to sign a lease but that he had paid her for all six months in advance."

"Alright, Roberts, now we have a name. I’ll get on it and see what I can come up with as far as whose pulling his strings. I suggest you guys go home and get some rest. As soon as I know anything, you’ll be the first to know." With a final nod, Webb made his exit.

"Good work, Lieutenant. Now, Harm, Bud, go home and get some rest. That’s an order. It’s been one hell of a day."

"Yes, Sir," both men answered together.

Bud was about to follow the Admiral out of the office, when he turned back. "Sir? Aren’t you leaving?"

"I don’t...no, Bud. I think I’ll stay here for awhile."

Uncertain whether to leave him alone, Bud warred with himself for a moment before agreeing. "Okay, Commander. But if you need me..."

"I’ll call, Bud. I promise."

"Good night, Sir."

"Night, Bud."

Alone again, Harm turned back to his window. Looking up at the stars, Harm made a wish. "I just want to hear your voice again, Mac. Please."

He didn’t know how long he had been sitting there when his cell phone began to ring. Reaching inside his uniform jacket, it only took Harm a moment to realize it wasn’t his phone. Across the desk he saw the phone where Webb had dropped it. Picking it up, Harm only hesitated a moment before answering it.

"Hello?"

When he was met with silence he tried again. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

"Har...Harm is that you?"

"Mac? Oh God is it really you?"

"Yeah, it’s me. What the hell are you doing on Webb’s phone?"

"He left it here at JAG. Where are you, Mac? How did you get away?"

"I didn’t get away. I have to talk fast before they realize what I’m doing."

"Mac, do you have any idea where you are?"

"All I know is that two hours and forty-three minutes into the trip, I saw a sign for New York, so we’re heading north. After that I fell asleep and I have no idea know if we’re even still in the U.S. I would assume we’re on our way to Canada."

"Alright, Mac just hold tight. I’ll get Webb and the Admiral and then we’ll be on our way."

"I’ll try, Sailor. Harm...I....I didn’t really do it. It was all part of the mission."

"I know that, Mac. I always knew. And we’re gonna get you out of this. Mac...I lo..." Before Harm could finish, the sound of a man’s voice came over the line.

"Mac? Mac, you still there?" He could hear her talking to the man, trying to calm him. The next thing he heard was a smack and her cry of pain and then...nothing.

When all that remained was silence, fear and panic threatened to choke him. "Mac? Mac? What the hell happened?" Harm shouted at the dead air on the other end of the phone. Soon, the dial tone sounded over the line.

"MAC!!!" Harm again shouted, but it was no use.

There was no one there.

3/3