Author:
Rising Sun
E-mail: jagrslc@yahoo.com
The FF of
Rising Sun is archived at: http://www.geocities.com/jagrslc
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Rated: PG-13
Classification: JAG
Story/Adventure/Romance: Harm/Mac
Summary: Where
ones reputation is involved there is no such thing. Harm and Mac must investigate an accusation against Admiral
Morris.
Spoiler:
Reference to Iron Coffin, Collision Course and A Separate Peace
Disclaimer: JAG
characters portrayed belong to JAG, CBS and Paramount Television. No copyright
infringement intended. All other
characters depicted are purely fictional and any similarities to actual people
are purely coincidental.
Author’s Notes:
Part two of a cross over story arc that includes:
All available at http://www.geocities.com/jagrslc/cross_over/cross_story/onefftoc.htm
Feedback: Please?
Story Written February
19, 2002
0525 LOCAL
MAC’S APARTMENT
GEORGETOWN
Mac unfolded her
copy of the Washington Post and choked on her coffee. The headlines screamed at
her “ADMIRAL MORRIS ACCUSED OF ATTEMPTED MURDER.” As she struggled to regain control of herself the phone rang.
Still coughing she answered. “Lt.
Colonel Mackenzie here.”
It was her
Commanding Officer, Admiral AJ Chegweddgin, the Judge Advocate General. “You Ok Colonel?”
“Swallowed my
coffee badly sir.”
“Have you seen the
paper!” he demanded
“The reason I
swallowed my coffee badly sir.” She replied in a strangulated voice.
“My office 0700.”
He ordered.
“Aye sir.”
================================
0655 LOCAL
JAG HQ
The bullpen was
slowly beginning to fill up. Mac spotted
her partner Commander Harmon Rabb Jr.
“He sent for you too?”
“The last time he
hauled us in at this time was for submarine duty.” He replied.
They walked into
the Admiral’s office. He was still fuming. Before the duo could snap to he
launched “Have a seat. Commander I am
aware that the Colonel has seen the morning edition of the Washington Post …
have you?”
“Er … no sir.” Harm
admitted.
AJ handed him a
copy. As he read it, the Admiral
continued. “Pass all your cases to others this is priority number one…” he
raised his hand to stop Mac’s attempt to speak. “The President is pressuring
SECNAV, who is pressuring me and I am putting my best people on this.” He
looked at Harm “You with us Commander!”
“Yes sir.”
“The Colonel will
take point on this… you have a problem with that” AJ glared at the junior
officer.
Harm shook his head
“No sir.”
“Good… questions?”
“Sir is not Article
43 in effect here?” Mac asked. “If the news report is correct it’s been thirty
years!”
AJ nodded, “True
the statue of limitations has expired by a long shot. Some twenty-five years… but I will not have a fine officer like
Admiral Morris slandered this way! The accusation has been made … we need to
address it.”
“Sir you are
assuming that the allegations are false?” Harm sort clarification.
“Commander you know
better than that! Go investigate… bring
me back proof one way or another. If he
did it then will nail him with conduct unbecoming … to start with. If there is
nothing then we need to find that out too. Am I clear!”
“Aye sir!” Harm
replied.
“The Admiral is a
fine officer and a fine African American who is a credit to his uniform and his
race... But I want the truth. Anything else?” He growled.
“No sir.” They
replied.
“Then dismissed!”
================================
1650 LOCAL
JAG HQ – CONFERENCE
ROOM
Admiral Morris sat
at the head of the table flanked by Harm and Mac.
“Thank you for
coming sir.” Mac said.
“Colonel this is a
load of horse manure!” he was indignant.
“Be that as it may
sir. You need to defend yourself
against the allegations.” Harm pointed out. He remembered a similar
conversation with Admiral Boone in this very same room. He hoped for better
results this time round.
Mac launched into
the interview. “Admiral what was your
station in July 1972?”
“I was a j.g.
onboard the USS Guadalcanal.”
“Did you know Lt.
(JG) Auguste?” Harm asked.
The Admiral looked
at him as though he were a fool. “Of course I knew her. We were serving to the same carrier.”
“Were you with her
when the accident occurred?” Mac inquired.
“No!” he snapped.
“Did you know her
arrangements for her shore leave?” Harm requested.
Morris paused to
think. “She mentioned that she would go down to the town and meet the guide
there. What was his name?” The team
waited for him to pull up the memory.
“Ernie? No Errol that’s right
Errol.”
“Do you know the
last name?” Harm pushed.
“You don’t ask much
do you? Let me think… it began with and
A. Ali? No… “ He closed his eyes trying
to reply a conversation that took place three decades before. “I’m not sure but
I think it was Alcindor.”
“Errol Alcindor?”
Harm put the names together.
He shrugged. “The
best I can do after all this time.” He snapped his fingers “Errol and
Sheila. It was a pair of guides. I may
not be sure on the surname but it was definitely Errol and Sheila.”
“What was the
reaction to the accident onboard?” Mac asked.
“As expected.
Shock. The Lieutenant was an accomplished climber. She’d climbed more torturous slopes than this in her time.” He
expanded.
“Sir…” Mac paused
she had to ask. “Where were you when the accident occurred?”
He took a deep
breath. As a Judge he knew the questions were necessary but that did not make
this any easier. “In Castries.”
“Where sir?” Harm
asked.
“Son. If you are
going to investigate this thing you had better do your geography homework. Castries was the main port of the island
where the accident occurred.” He informed him. “The accident took place in
Soufriere on the West Coast and I was in the north... in Castries” He had
volunteered a lot more than asked.
“You had witnesses
sir?” Mac continued.
“Colonel! That was
thirty years ago I don’t remember. If I had realized that I would need one I’d
have kept it in my logbook. “ He sneered.
“Be that as it may
sir a witness would be of assistance to you.” She pointed out.
He sobered and
nodded his agreement.
Mac exchanged
glances with her partner “Thank you sir. Should we need further clarification
we will be in touch.”
“Good day.” He
replied and was gone.
Harm let out the
breath he had been holding. “I guess next stop is… where is this place?”
She looked at her
file. “Saint Lucia – Caribbean.”
“Then let’s do it.”
================================
TWO DAYS LATER
1234 LOCAL – TOWN
OF SOUFRIERE
For such a small
island it had been a winding tortuous road to the rustic town. They stopped at the town square and asked
directions to the residence of Errol Alcindor. They were taking the chance that
he was still around.
Harm knocked on the
door and a man in his thirties opened. He was tall. Same height as Harm his
brown completion was tanned to perfection. He flashed a set of perfect white
teeth at the two. “Yes?”
“I am Lt. Colonel
Sarah Mackenzie and this is my partner Commander Harmon Rabb. Is this the
residence of Errol and Sheila Alcindor?” Mac asked.
He focused on Mac
and Harm felt a wave of jealousy as the man admired the Marine. “I’m Errol
Alcindor.”
There was a split
second of confusion then Harm replied, “I doubt you were running tours in the
early 70s”
“Ah you want my old
man! Now what would Uncle Sam want with
him?” his smile deepened.
Harm’s emotions
raged. “That is between us and him.”
“Really?” Errol
said, “Then by all means let me take you to him. Follow me!” he closed the door
and walked off.
“What is the matter
with you!” Mac hissed as they followed the man. Harm didn’t reply.
“There they are.”
Errol pointed.
“They?” Mac echoed.
“They; being my
parents.” Again he pointed. They were
standing before a headstone on the edge of the town cemetery. “Now if you will excuse me…” He turned to
leave.
“Maybe you can
assist us.” Harm called to the man.
He stopped. “With?”
“We are trying to
investigate an accident that took place in 1972 while your father was a guide.”
Mac explained.
Errol snorted.
“Accident! My father told many a tale
of accidents. Tourists then and now
don’t seem to have changed much. By and
large they are ok but you get one or two who don’t hear well and do the
opposite of anything the guide tells them. Accident! Colonel you will have to
be more specific than that.”
“The one where the
helicopter was needed … that should stand out not many in those days huh?” Harm
sneered. His testosterone levels were at critical.
Errol’s levels
leaped as well. “You look at me and see some island bumpkin. Let me inform you COMMANDER I am no
fool. It is Dr. Alcindor to you and
down here it is easier to catch flies with honey than vinegar. You want information yet arrive here with
attitude. That may work in the States
BUT NOT HERE!”
He stomped off, but
not before he heard Mac mutter “Ca Christi!”
He stopped.
“Vous êtes Créole?”
(You are Creole?) He asked.
“Haut-parleur
français” (French speaker.) She replied.
He reverted to
English. “Come. Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun. Let’s
find some shade and talk.”
She whispered to
Harm. “And you keep quiet.”
They followed him
into a bar. “What’s your poison?”
“Beer.” Harm
replied.
“Non alcoholic.”
Mac indicated.
“Alphonse!” He
cried “Two Pitons and a malt! And bring it before Christmas!” Once seated and equipped with their drinks
Errol brought them back to business. “In
those days Saint Lucia was a colony of Britain.”
“I take it that
that is not longer true?” Harm asked.
“Is the US still a
colony?” Errol obviously annoyed answered with a question.
Mac rolled her
eyes. “You were saying.”
“At that time in
the early 70s there was a Governor sent out from the UK. According to my father and his stories the
helicopter had to be sent out more often that expected.”
Mac absorbed the
information. “This incident occurred with military personal a female lieutenant
slipped off Petit Piton but didn’t die.”
“Ah that one!”
“You know the
story?” Harm was eager.
“He was forever
telling that one as and example of how even the military once they became
tourist were like any one else.” He said. “The story goes that he went up with
the two of them a man and a woman while my mum stayed at the mid point. They woke early to catch the morning view
but beheld the fallen woman instead.”
“That it?” Harm
said.
“What else is
there?” He retorted.
“Did your father
notice anything about the two.” Mac
propped.
He shrugged. “He
always marveled that they were a mixed couple.
Mixed meaning that the guy was black and the woman white. It may be common now but in 1972?” he left
the rest unsaid.
“Why would he think
they were a couple?” Harm asked.
“The same way I
know you two are… vibes.” He replied.
“We are not a
couple.” Harm automatically assured the Doctor. “Is there anything else?”
His look told him
that he didn’t believe. “He always said that he was suspicious of the whole
thing. That the woman seemed to be an
experienced climber and for her to go over like that was fishy.”
“Fishy.” Harm
grinned.
“Yeah smelt not
right.”
Mac stood. “Thank
you Doctor Alcindor.”
“Errol.” He corrected.
He stopped Harm from paying. “I own the place. The drinks are on me.”
“Thank you.” Harm
replied.
Errol nodded in
acknowledgement.
“Nice guy.” Harm
said as the drove off.
Mac made no
comment… she’d never understand men.
=================================
1020 LOCAL
THE CENTER
BLUE COVE, DELAWARE
A slightly balding
man of about sixty years of age was on the phone. “Parker here… yes sir. I have seen the papers.”
He listened. “I
assure you I am monitoring the situation. It has been thirty years the JAG team
may be good but they will find nothing.”
Again he
paused. “He has risen to the rank of
Admiral he is entrenched deep it would be tragic to eliminate him now. I recommend that we reassign him.”
The man on the
other end spoke. “I agree a wait and see approach is advisable. May I assume
that should an unacceptable outcome emerge that we reassign him?”
The other man
spoke. Parker gave a vampire smile “I agree… So the first assignment is to
retire Clarke Palmer… he is no longer of any use to us.”
Parker hung up the
phone.
================================
1650 LOCAL
JAG HQ
Harm and Mac had
walked into a minefield.
“What have you
got!” The SECNAV demanded.
“Nothing conclusive
sir.” Mac replied as she stood at attention.
“At ease.” AJ
ordered, “Tell us what you have.”
“We have
confirmation of the accident from the Admiral, the son of the guide and the
records. A black man was with the
Lieutenant that day but there is nothing to indicate that it was the Admiral.“
“… and nothing to
indicate that it wasn’t.” SECNAV countered.
“No sir.” Mac
concurred.
“Anything else?” AJ
asked.
“Witnesses sir.
There are none. The guides are dead. No
one we have contacted remembers much of that day … it was thirty years
ago. There is nothing but the word of a
former coma patient verses that of the Admiral.”
“I take it that you
interviewed her?” SECNAV asked.
“Yes sir. In the
presence of her lawyer one Jared Nelson.” She replied.
“Commander! Nothing
to say?” SECNAV pounced.
“The Colonel said
it all sir.” Harm replied.
“I want an Article
32.” SENAV announced.
“Sir?” AJ’s shock
was mirrored on the faces of his junior officers.
“Start with conduct
unbecoming, then go from there.”
AJ challenged the
order “Go where sir!”
SECNAV swelled to
twice his size “To an Article 32, care to join him Admiral?”
AJ would not be
intimidated. “Sir this is not right.”
“AJ, you have your
marching orders I have mine.” Nelson replied.
AJ sighed he’d
heard those words before and he hadn’t liked it then either. “Aye sir.”
Mac’s eyes bugged,
but she said nothing.
=================================
2310 LOCAL
THE CENTER
BLUE COVE, DELAWARE
Parker looked up as
his son Lyle walked in… he looked grim.
“We are not getting
the results that we wanted.” Lyle informed his father.
“What!” Parker
roared. “They found something?”
“Nada. They are
going on a fishing trip with an Article 32 hearing.”
“Pull him out. On
his way here let him stop off at Leavenworth to visit Palmer.” The older man instructed.
================================
1416 LOCAL
JAG HQ
“You sent for us
sir?” Mac asked as she stepped in.
“Have a seat.” He
waited for herself and Harm to get comfortable. “At 1200 today Admiral Morris died in what DC police are ruling
as a suicide.” He announced.
“Sir!” Harm was shocked. Mac was speechless.
“Apparently he
switched the gas on and somehow a spark set of an explosion. He has been
identified by his dental records.” The phone rang.
While the Admiral
took the call Harm and Mac spoke softly to each other. They returned their
focus to him when the call was over.
“That was
Leavenworth. Clarke Palmer is dead. Choked on a hotdog.”
Harm got
suspicious. “The Admiral and now
Palmer?”
“Easy Commander.
Coincidence… that’s all.”
=================================
2223 LOCAL
THE CENTER
BLUE COVE, DELAWARE
Parker grinned as a
distinguished African American man walked into his office. “Heard about Palmer. So sad… but such is
life. Anyway we have other pressing
matters. The Triumvirate still wants that matter resolved.”
“I’m to old for
that.” The man informed him.
Parked closed his
eyes for a second. “Have no fear… my people are on the case. We haven’t spoken
for a long time. How are you?”
“I will miss JAG.”
Former Admiral Morris informed him.
THE END