Chapters 1-6         Chapters 7-11 Title: Love is in the Air Background: Follow up to  Rock A Bye Babies episode three in my Season 11 series. Rating: PG13 Summary: Things start to come together for JAG in London Chapter 1 Headquarters London Friday February 10, 2006 “You have got to be kidding me?” Harm laughed out loud. “I’m deadly serious, Harm.  This nut is popping up out of bushes, from behind buildings, out from around parked cars. At first I thought it was harmless fun. You know, that time of year, love is in the air, and all that hullabaloo.  But now I’ve got women wandering aimlessly back and forth around the base waiting for their turn. Harm, things have got to get back to normal soon, and if the press gets a hold of this....” “Yeah, I know.  Sort of gives a new meaning to ‘a girl in every port’.” Harm was still laughing. In all his years in the navy he had never heard of anything so ridiculous. “Bruce, you spent years with naval intelligence. What do you need me for?” “I’ve tried everything. I’m out of ideas. Please? Do it for me. For old times’ sake. For all the years I put up with you at the academy.” Harm hadn’t seen Bruce Carmichael in close to ten years. He’d been transferred out of DC shortly after the Hemlock case. They hadn’t exchanged so much as a Christmas card since then, and now he wanted Harm, the Force Judge Advocate, to sneak around Ruislip Air Base looking for a kissing bandit. “I agree. If the press gets a hold of this, we’ll be on the front page of every tabloid and the laughing stock of every other paper. Let me see what I can do,” Harm assured his old friend. Harm set the phone down in its cradle and considered the situation for a moment.  This really was the sort of thing that should have been able to be handled on base without need for outside investigation.  On the other hand, anything that interfered with good order and discipline in trying political times needed to be given serious attention. Before he could hit his intercom, Beth had knocked and opened his door.  “Gunnery Sergeant Galindez is here.”  “You sent for me, sir?” Gunny announced. Harm tilted his head around Gunny, raising one brow at Beth.  “Yes, it does look that way doesn’t it?” he mumbled. “Excuse me, sir?” “Nothing, at ease. We’ve got an unusual ‘situation’ at Ruislip.  Apparently a lonely and confused sailor has taken it upon himself to satisfy every single female on base.”  “Sir?” Gunny was rather confused. He’d already realized that his CO’s earlier confusion was undoubtedly another moment of being caught off guard at Beth’s precipitating his requests, but this time, the captain was making no sense. “We have a Valentine’s Day kissing bandit on the loose.  Captain Carmichael has personally requested that JAG help him resolve this unfortunate dilemma.” Gunny had never been more thankful for all his years in the corps than he was right now.  Swallowing the urge to burst out laughing was difficult, but not impossible. “Are we sure it’s a sailor, sir?” After all, the base had plenty of Marines as well as civilians. “I don’t think we’re sure of anything, Gunny.  I’d like for you to take a run over there this afternoon and see what you can uncover.” “Understood, sir.” “And, Gunny? “Yes, sir?” “Try and keep this under wraps. See if you can’t find something else to pretend to dig into as a cover while you’re there.” “Can do, sir. I’ll get on it right away.” “Thanks, Gunny.”  Harm nodded a dismissal.  Having Gunny snoop around would gather much less attention than if he were to suddenly show up on base asking questions.  He heard the latch to his door click shut and shook his head laughing. “A kissing bandit.” What was the navy coming to? “You did it to him again, didn’t you?” Gunny stopped at Beth’s desk. “Hmm?” “You sent for me before he asked you to, didn’t you?” “Oh, yeah, maybe... I guess things were just so busy this morning I thought he’d already asked,” she shrugged. “You really have to stop doing that. It tends to spook people.” “You want to tell me something I don’t know?” Beth chuckled quietly.  Her previous CO was so oblivious to life and reality he never noticed anything she did, but Captain Rabb was cute the way he tried to hide being flustered whenever she’d forget to wait for him to ask for something. “I have to go to Ruislip this afternoon, or do you already know that?” Gunny tried to hide his smile. “Funny.  The kissing bandit?” Gunny nodded. “I need another reason to snoop around.  Is there anything else going on over there?” “As a matter of fact, Commander Manetti is defending a corporal accused of trying to smuggle a jeep.” “Smuggle a jeep?” “He’s been mailing it home in small pieces.  I think it’s pretty cut and dry, but maybe she has more for you.” “Thanks. This also means I won’t be able to make it for dinner tonight.”  Gunny hadn’t actually made specific arrangements with Beth for dinner, but ever since that day he’d managed to convince her his friendship had nothing to do with pity, it was just a given that they’d have dinner together after work. “If you want, I could, I mean, if you don’t think it would be too late, I mean, I’d understand if you’d rather not...” Gunny stood waiting for her to spit out a coherent thought. He’d learned that if he just gave her a few minutes to get over her naturally introverted personality, she usually got her point across. “If you think you can wait, I’d be happy to fix us something to eat and keep it warm for you.” Beth let out a long sigh.  She couldn’t explain why inviting Gunny over to dinner had to be such a production for her.  Despite how much they did together, none of it was  ever at either of their apartments, and for some reason, she felt incredibly awkward inviting him. Gunny swallowed hard. “I’d like that. Thank you.” Rabb Flat London “Oh, that is so cool.” Mattie eyed the large photo frame. “I still have a few more photos to choose, but I really want each photo to mean something.” “He’s going to love this. Even without the photos, the frame is really cool.” Mattie just loved the handmade silver frame. It was so English and yet so unique. “I hope you’re right. This is our first ever Valentine’s day as a couple and I really want...” “Oh, my God! That’s right!” Mattie sprang up from the table. “I’ll be right back,” she called over her shoulder. “What happened?” “I just remembered I forgot to invite myself over to Mary’s to spend the night Tuesday.” “Whoa, young lady.” Mattie froze in place. “Tuesday is a school night.” “Maaaac. It’s Valentine’s Day.  If you think I want to hang around here all night while the two of you try to pretend I’m not in the way... forget it.”  “You are not in the way,” Mac insisted. “No, and roses are really blue. Come on, Mac.  I promise, we’ll do nothing but homework all night.” “I don’t know...” “If I can talk Harm into it will you agree?” Mattie crossed her fingers. “Okay, if you can convince Harm.” “Great.  I’ll go talk to Mary.” Mattie stepped around the doorway. “I said you’ll have to convince Harm,” Mac repeated to Mattie’s back. “No problem. As soon as I bring up sex, he’ll cave!” Before Mac could do much more than laugh and shake her head, Mattie was back in her room and online with her friend. Chapter 2 “Excuse me, ma’am.” “Come in, Gunny.” “Thank you. Petty Officer James mentioned you have a case over at Ruislip.” “That’s right.” “Captain Rabb has given me an assignment at the base and I need an alternate reason for doing a little investigating.” “And my jeep wrangling client is just the subterfuge you need? Well it just so happens I’ll be leaving for Ruislip shortly. If you’d like to join me...” “Yes, ma’am. Thank you.” Parking lot RAF Ruislip “I honestly didn’t think that sort of thing really happened anywhere outside an MGM musical,” Tracy Manetti chuckled softly.  “While I’m meeting with my client, you can conduct your investigation.” “Yes, ma’am.” Gunny locked the car door and had just turned to catch up to the commander when he was startled to see a man running past him, full speed ahead. “You don’t think?” Tracy had barely had enough time to form the question when Gunny tore off after the possible offender.   Glancing around the parking lot, she noticed a female ensign standing nearby, in the approximate direction the sprinting sailor had come from. “Are you okay?” Tracy asked, drawing closer to the obviously stunned woman. “Hmm?” The startled young lady turned towards the soft southern accent and immediately stiffened to attention, saluting her superior officer. “Excuse me, ma’am.” “At ease, Ensign.  Tell me what happened.” “Nothing much, ma’am. I’d heard the stories, but I didn’t think they were serious.” A sly grin slowly spread across her face. “Stories?” Tracy prompted. “Well, I’d heard, but no one I knew had actually been, you know, kissed.” The woman’s face lit up again in an impossibly brighter smile. “Did he hurt you?” Tracy continued. “No, ma’am.” The ensign raised her fingers to her lips. “I really should spend more time in parking lots...” Tracy’s eyes opened wide. “I’d like to ask you a few questions.  Can you tell me what he looked like?” The still stunned woman glanced off to the distance, shaking her head no. “Did you notice his rank?” Tracy already knew he wore a naval uniform but he’d passed them in such a flash of motion that she hadn’t caught his insignia. “Fraid not,” she nodded again. “Is there anything at all you can remember that might help us catch him?” Tracy pressed. “Do we have to catch him?”  The previously dazed ensign looked at Tracy as though she’d just lost her best friend. It was Tracy who now stood in the parking lot stunned.  “I don’t think we could consider the gentleman’s ‘behavior’ appropriate for a military base, ensign.” “Oh, no, of course not, ma’am.” Regaining her composure, the ensign raised her fingers momentarily to her lips, brushing them softly before letting her hand fall once again to her side. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be late for duty.”  Saluting Tracy, she hurried across the lot. Keeping an eye on the ensign, Tracy saw Gunny rushing back in her direction. He stopped abruptly by the woman’s side, exchanged a few words, and then hurried back to where Tracy had been standing. “No luck?” Tracy inquired. “He knows this base better than I do.  He may have been wearing a navy uniform, but he’s no sailor.” “How could you tell?” “For one thing, he was wearing running shoes.” “He could change them. What else?” “No cover.” “Surely anyone who works this closely with the military would know they’d have to have a cover outdoors.” “Exactly,” Gunny agreed. By the time Tracy finished her meeting with her client, Gunny had gotten a list of names of the other ‘victims’. He’d finished interviewing the young ensign from the parking lot and had made a few casual inquiries of two names on the list when Tracy caught up with him.  “What have you got so far?” Tracy followed Gunny to the parking lot. “We’ve narrowed it down to a tall, short, slender, heavy, petty officer, corporal.” “Oh, dear.  Not the most reliable witnesses.”  Tracy held back a smile. “Maybe if even one of them had kept their eyes open, I’d have something to go on.” “I suppose this would explain why the base officials weren’t able to get anywhere with their inquiries.”  Tracy stepped aside while Gunny opened the car door. “I’ve got copies of all the reported incidents. Maybe I can come up with some kind of a pattern.” “Let me know when you have the common denominators narrowed down and we can work out some kind of profile. It won’t be much, but maybe it will help.” “I have a feeling I’m going to need all the help I can get with this.” Gunny climbed into the car and pulled out of the parking space. It was already after five and it was a long ride back to the office and then to Beth’s. He almost wished he hadn’t accepted the invitation.  Only a few hours on the trail and already this case was nagging at him.  Rabb Flat 1930 “You really should have warned me.” Harm stood staring at the empty hallway. “I tried, but every time I opened my mouth to say something you pulled me into another kiss.” “You should have stopped me.” Harm turned back to face his wife. Mac placed one hand on her hip, crinkled her mouth into a sideways smirk, and raised one eyebrow at him knowingly. “Okay, so maybe I was a tad persistent,” he defended. “A tad?” “Oh, Mac. She’s right. When I’m near you I feel like a horny teenager. There, you happy? I said it.” With one long stride, Harm was standing in front of her and had pulled her tightly into his arms. “You don’t think she thinks I’m a sex maniac or something?” If the look on Harm’s face hadn’t been so serious, Mac would have burst out in laughter. “No, I’m sure the thought has never crossed her mind...well, not seriously anyhow.” This time Mac couldn’t help laughing just a little. “Mac, this is serious.” Harm pulled away from her. “What if we’re giving her the wrong impression? Her entire future sexual perceptions are being formed by what she sees.” Harm paused, turned to look at the hall and turned back. “I thought we were being discreet.” “We are, within reason.” Mac stepped up to Harm and placed her hand on his arm. “She’s a smart kid.  She knows we’re newlyweds and she knows you’re not the most comfortable talking about sex. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that using those two points in a single conversation would be enough to fluster you into giving her permission to spend Tuesday night at Mary’s.” Harm carefully considered Mac’s words. His grip around her waist tightened slightly. “She manipulated me.” “I prefer to look at it as she chose the tactic with the highest probability for success.” “Hmm.” He kissed Mac’s nose. “Except if I didn’t want to spend most of my waking hours making love to my wife, she wouldn’t have wanted to go to Mary’s in the first place.” Harm was serious again. “I think you’re making too much of this, Harm. Mattie’s a teenager and a romantic at heart. She knows how much we love each other and Tuesday is Valentine’s Day, the most romantic day of the year. Anyone would feel like a third wheel around any couple.” “Maybe.” Harm resisted the urge to kiss her again. “It’s okay. Really, it is.” Mac leaned up and kissed him on the lips. “Have I mentioned lately how much I love you, Mrs. Rabb?” “Feel free to remind me anytime, Mr. Rabb.” Capturing his lips one more time, Mac pulled back slowly. “I love you, too, but we’d better pick this up later. After Mattie goes to bed,” she smiled. “It’s a date.” Chapter 3 Gunny stood in front of Beth’s door. The only other time he’d been here had been when he’d picked her up to take her to the medal ceremony a few weeks ago.  There was no reason for him to be nervous, but for some reason a flock of geese was doing calisthenics in his stomach.  He’d barely had time to raise his hand to knock when the door suddenly flew open. “I thought I heard someone out here. Come on in. I knew you’d be a while, so I decided to make a lasagna.” “You didn’t have to go to all that trouble.” Gunny followed her the few short feet to the tiny kitchen. “It wasn’t. I love lasagna, but it’s way too much for one person. Besides, this is an easy meal to keep warm. Are you hungry?” She pulled the tray out of the oven, dropped it on the counter, and flipped the door shut. “Mm, that smells wonderful.” Gunny sniffed the air. “Mom’s recipe. I had to use bottled sauce, but the secret is the extra cheese.” Beth was happy to have something to keep her busy.  Gunny had been so good to her, she really wanted to pay him back, at least a little.  “Make yourself comfortable. Well, as comfortable as you can in this place.” Gunny could hear her chuckling in the kitchen.  Sitting down in the only armchair in the room, he immediately realized why she was laughing.  Maybe he should have tried the sofa. Glancing over at the stiff-looking couch, he was fairly sure it wasn’t going to be much better.  Shifting his weight slightly, he looked around the room. It was very obviously base housing.  He could see here and there where she had tried to spruce it up a bit. Despite the sparse furnishings, she’d managed to give the place a homey feel.  A heavy mood settled around him. His eyes had fallen on the photograph beside him.  Beth looked so happy in that photo. He wondered if he had any right to be here.  Maybe he was just getting old.  He was bound to reach that age sooner or later when he felt the need to settle down, find a wife, and raise a family.  He hadn’t meant to get so attached to Beth and the baby, but who was he kidding? He wasn’t just attached, he was growing more and more in love with her every day and it wasn’t just because of the baby. She had a wicked sense of humor, an honorable sense of loyalty, and an uncanny ability to make him feel good just standing in the same room with her. “Gunny?” “What... sorry.”  He hoped she hadn’t caught him staring at the photograph. He didn’t know why, but somehow he felt like a voyeur, as though he’d been taking a look at a private moment meant only for the two people laughing in the picture. “Would you like something to drink? I have ginger ale, Coke, and Miller light.” Gunny couldn’t stop the grin that slowly spread across his face.  There was no way she just happened to have Miller light in her fridge.  “A beer would be nice.” He lifted himself out of the seat. “No, no. I’ll get it.” Laughing softly again, she called over her shoulder, “It’s not like I have that far to go!” Next Day Picadilly Jewelers “It’s a lovely choice. Any woman would be delighted to receive such a thoughtful gift.” “It would have probably been more thoughtful if I hadn’t waited until the Saturday before Valentine’s Day to pick it out.” Harm didn’t know how he had let time get away from him, but if Bruce hadn’t called him about the kissing bandit, he would honestly have forgotten Valentine’s Day was coming up.  “Is it too late to have it engraved?” “Not at all. We have a few other things waiting before yours, but if you come back Monday morning, it will be ready.” “Thank you very much.” Harm took one more deep breath, nodded his head and paid the gentleman politely waiting for Harm’s final decision. The locket wasn’t the sort of thing he expected to see Mac wear, but he hoped that would make it all the more special to her. Now all he had to do was find photos of himself and Mattie small enough to place inside the locket, and he’d be home free.  Of course, he didn’t have much time to hunt something down, and he already had Mac looking at him funny when he said he needed to run out to the office for a short while.  Harm had made an extra effort to avoid work like the plague over the weekends.  Nonetheless, so as not to lie, he was on his way to his office for at least a few minutes. Maybe he could get Mattie to help him out with the photo project. At least it might look less conspicuous if she snooped around than if Mac spotted him pilfering old photographs. Rabb Flat An hour later “Anybody home?” The house sounded unusually quiet to Harm as he stepped across the threshold. “In here,” Mac’s muffled voice could be heard from the back of the house. Harm followed the echo to their bedroom. “Exactly where is here?” “In the shower.” A slow grin twitched at the sides of his mouth before he realized he didn’t hear any water running.  What he hadn’t expected to find was Mac in a pair of ratty old jeans, a tank top, her hair in a bandana, standing on a step stool, and painting the ceiling over the shower. “Hey,” she grinned, blowing a wisp of hair out of her eyes. “Hey,” he chuckled. “What the hell are you doing?” “I got tired of looking at the spots from the Habersham’s water leak last month.  I thought a little fresh paint would do the trick.” “We had water spots?” Harm stepped a little closer to the shower. “Yeah, I noticed them a few days after the leak in the Habersham’s flat. The one that almost flooded us out of house and home.” Mac paused to glance at Harm. “If you say so.”  His eyes fell from the ceiling, slowly taking in the beautiful pink glow of her skin, and rather amused that she was now standing at the just the right height, leaving her bosom at his eye level.  Thoughts of searching for small photos had completely evaded him as he considered the odds of his Marine decking him if he tried what he really wanted to do.  “Do you have any idea how delicious you look standing there like that?” “I’m covered in splattered paint drops and you think I look delicious?” Mac glanced down again and noticed the intensity with which he was watching her paint. “You’re incorrigible, Harmon Rabb.” She bent over and kissed the tip of his nose. “I tried to tell you that last night!” As much appeal as nibbling his way up his wife’s torso held at the moment, Harm knew too well that he’d have a much happier wife if he let her finish her project and if he could get Mattie to help him on his hunt for the perfect photos for his gift to her. Chapter 4 Headquarters London Tracy Manetti’s office Monday Morning “Whoever this is, he’s not intimidated by rank, and there doesn’t seem to be a preference for age, hair color, weight...” Tracy looked over the information Gunny had compiled. “No, ma’am. Apparently the bandit doesn’t believe in discrimination. The only consistent factor seems to be marital status. None of the women approached were married or dating at the time.” “So we can presume whoever this person is, he has some way of knowing the romantic status of his victims.”  Tracy concentrated on the information before her. “Simple observation of a lack of a wedding ring wouldn’t be indicative of whether or not the women had a boyfriend.” “So where is he getting his information, and more importantly, how do we use that to catch him?”  Gunny had been thinking about the same thing.  He’d considered asking the commander to act as a decoy, but wasn’t sure that it would make any difference if her single status were not already well known. “Do I detect an idea brewing?” Tracy asked in her very charming southern drawl. “We need to draw him out.  How many places have you been on base since you took over this case?” Tracy knew exactly what he had been thinking. She’d considered the same thing. If she had been visible enough on base for the bandit to realize she was single and unattached, perhaps she could draw him out.  “I interviewed several people in the motor pool, my client’s girlfriend in the housing office, of course I went to the CO’s office, and I had lunch one day in the commissary. I’d say I was relatively visible,” she grinned. “I think a visit to your client, and a few repeat interviews, might be in order today.” Gunny had already mapped out a list of places for Tracy to go that were high on the culprit’s hit list, with easily accessible vantage points for Gunny to keep an eye on her. “It probably wouldn’t hurt to toss out a comment or two about not having a Valentine for tomorrow.” “No, ma’am, it wouldn’t.” Gunny smiled coyly. He was really liking how easy Commander Manetti was to work with. Picadilly Jewelers Beth stood patiently waiting for Blair to pick up the phone. “Captain Rabb’s office.” “What took you so long?” Beth practically shouted into the phone. “I didn’t think it was prudent to tell Admiral Ulrich to please hold,” Petty Officer Blair snapped. “Ulrich? Why didn’t he use the direct line?”  Beth wondered out loud. “I don’t know. Do you think I should have asked him?” Blair made no effort to hide his sarcasm. He hated it when he had to sit in for Beth. “I need to speak to the captain.” “So why didn’t you use his private line?” “Because I’m not an admiral!” She hated to admit he was right. Since she was on an errand for her boss, she probably could have used his private line.  She shifted her weight back and forth from foot to foot waiting for her CO to finish with the admiral, until she finally heard his voice over the phone. “Rabb.” “Sir, it’s James.  I think there’s a small problem.” “How so?” Harm leaned forward against his desk. “Sir, you didn’t get your wife a gold-plated golfball that reads: to Mac, the best fourth we ever had, the M.M.?” “What?” “Well, sir, apparently the storekeeper is home sick today and the salesclerk is a little confused by his filing method.” Harm’s eyes opened wide. “Beth, what are you trying to tell me?” “Sir, the item for Captain Harmon Rabb was placed on the engravers shelf with the name ‘Mac’ on it.  This is all they have for Mac.” Harm sat momentarily stunned. She had to be kidding him. On the other hand, nothing else was going right this morning. Why should this be any different? “I bought Mac a gold locket.  They were supposed to have engraved on the back: to Mac for Eternity, love Harm. “I see. I’ll follow up on that right away, sir.” “Let me know if I need to come down there.” “Yes, sir. I don’t think it will be necessary, sir.” Hanging up the phone, Beth glared at the spacey blonde. “NOW will you call your boss?” She had tried to convince the woman that there was no way her boss would buy such an absurd gift for his wife, but the ditzy blonde had refused to bother her boss when he wasn’t feeling well. Fifteen minutes later Harm’s private line rang. “Rabb.” “Sir, I’ve got the name of the other client they most likely gave your gift to.  It’s a Mr. Marshall Harris.  I’m afraid it’s going to take a little time. He’s not answering his phone and according to the sales clerk his address is about an hour outside of London by train.” “Just have them wrap up another one without the engraving and I’ll have it engraved later.” “I thought of that, sir. They don’t have another one. Not even a similar one.” Harm ran his fingers through his hair. “Very well, Petty Officer.  Come on back to the office. I’ll take over from here.” “I don’t mind going after it, sir.” “Beth, you’ve done an excellent job, but it’s time for me to deal with it.” He had felt badly enough sending her out on his errands during her lunch hour. There was no way he was about to let a woman five months pregnant go traipsing around suburban London in search of his gift for his wife. “Aye, aye, sir.” Dropping the handset back in its cradle, Harm wondered why he had bothered getting out of bed today. Scotland Yard had notified the navy and the US Embassy about unverified terror threats, and now the entire United States military and its affiliates were on red alert.  Security was going to be a royal nuisance until the source was either verified or disproved. There was no way he would be able to get out of his office early to hunt down the locket. He was simply going to have to buy Mac something else. Maybe he could keep it for an anniversary gift, though he had hoped to get something more elaborate for their anniversary, or maybe he’d just give it to her for the hell of it because he loved her. Laughing quietly, he shook his head. After all, who said you had to have a reason to give your wife a gift? Back at the flat, Mac had just finished taping the last corner of her gifts to Harm.  She had no idea how she had managed to make it this long without spilling the beans.  Shopping for the gift had given her a reasonable distraction and then toying over which photos to include had been time consuming as well, but now that the gifts were neatly wrapped, she hadn’t a clue how she was going to wait until tomorrow to give them to him.  Every photograph had been carefully considered and chosen. Trish had sent her a lovely one of Harm graduating the academy. Of course she’d chosen one of Trish, Harm Sr., and Harm as a young boy for the first photograph.  She added the one of Harm’s graduation, and then after having picked a few photos of Harm and his old fighter squadron, and Harm with Sarah the biplane, she opted instead go straight into their lives. There was the photo of them at the NATO ball their first year working together. She loved the photo from their trip to Florida after capturing the drug runners. Harm always looked so handsome in a muscle shirt.  She had to admit, they looked pretty good together in the photo from the party at the Sudanese Embassy, and somehow they’d managed to get a nice photograph of only the two of them without their significant others at the Surface Warfare ball.  She almost didn’t put in the one of them at her engagement party at the admiral’s house, but it was one of the few photos that had been taken of them together that year.  The next photo was one of her personal favorites, Butch and Sundance armed and ready to go, standing by a humvee in the Afghan desert.  The Christmas photo at the Roberts’ the year Harm gave away his wings was her next choice, and the two of them at the admiral’s retirement, and of course their wedding photo, were the last few. She’d struggled with what to put in the last empty space and finally settled on a cutout advert for Harrods’.   Smiling with satisfaction, she placed the two packages between some sweaters in her closet.  Already fifteen minutes late for lunch with Harm, she grabbed her purse and smiled contentedly. Only eighteen hours and 42 minutes until they could exchange gifts. Chapter 5 RAF Ruislip 1230 hours Tracy Manetti had spent the better part of the last two hours wandering about Ruislip Air Base in hopes of attracting the bandit’s attention. She’d returned to the car three times pretending to have forgotten paperwork, and she’d strolled down the narrow path between the commissary and the admin building at least four times. The last time, she’d strolled so slowly, the tortoise could have easily beaten her! She’d pretty much had enough for one day. The commissary was only a few feet away from her when she saw a rustling in the shrubbery off to her left. Setting her footing more firmly, prepared for the appearance of a wayward sailor, she found herself laughing out loud when a big old tomcat brushed past her ankles. “You wouldn’t be searching for a Valentine, now would you?” She smiled down at the fat cat. Judging by his weight, there was no doubt he knew where to find a good meal. Having watched the old cat swirl a path around her ankles a few times, Tracy was just about to bend over and pick him up when he darted off towards lunch. “Guess I’m not going to get a Valentine either,” she laughed after the cat. “Everyone deserves a Valentine,” came from behind her. Before she could fully turn to see who it was, she found herself the recipient of a rather bold and ardent kiss.  For a split second she almost forgot why she’d been walking that stupid path in the first place.  There was no doubt why so many of the women remembered so little. She wasn’t sure she’d ever been on the receiving end of such a forcefully tender and enrapturing kiss in all her life.  Reaching out to grab hold of his arm, she was once again startled. This time by a prominent southern accent, “Thank ya, ma’am.” Not exactly sure what had come over her, she heard herself say, “You’re quite welcome,” as she watched the young man gallop away. It wasn’t until she noticed Gunny close on his heels that she remembered what the entire point of her late morning stroll had been all about. London Headquarters Harm’s office Same time “Harm, you’ve got to eat something anyhow. Let me go pick up some take away. We can eat it here, or if you want I’ll go home, but at least you’ll have something to eat.”  Mac understood why he wouldn’t want to leave the building until he had more concrete information on the red alert, but she didn’t think that meant he had to skip lunch altogether. “She’s right, sir,” Beth offered boldly.  “Sorry, to interrupt, sir, but the intercom button seems to be stuck on your phone and there are four... gentlemen here to see you.” “Any excuse to gang up on me, Petty Officer.” “No, sir!” Beth blushed profusely, straightening to attention as best she could in her condition. “At ease, Beth,” Harm chuckled quietly. “I’ll agree to take out and you can send the visitors in. Any idea what this is all about?” “I believe it has something to do with the mix-up in this morning’s meeting, sir.” Harm looked at her curiously, not sure what she was referring to. “You remember, sir. The one I had to call you on more than once.” “I see. Very well.” Giving Beth a dismissive nod and a discreet wink, he turned towards his wife. “Want to do take out Lebanese?” Mac’s nose crinkled awkwardly. “Not in the mood for Lebanese.” The truth was, just the word Lebanese made her queasy. “Okay, then what would you like?” Harm was a little surprised. In all the time they’d lived here, Mac had never once turned down Lebanese. “How about the Indian place up the street?” Her eyes lit up like a kid at Christmas. “Indian food it is,” Harm answered with a broad smile. He’d eat horsemeat if it meant making Mac happy. As Mac stepped out the door, Beth held it open for the visitors. It took every ounce of military decorum for Harm not to burst out laughing.  If he’d thought Germans in lederhosen in the middle of Washington HQ was laughable, they had nothing on the group passing over his threshold. “How may I help you gentlemen?”  Harm extended his hand to the costume-clad group. Each man introduced himself, the last one moving his mandolin to one side in order to shake Harm’s hand.  “My name is Marshall Harris and I believe we have something that belongs to you.” It took a few minutes for the name to register. “The locket!”  Harm wondered if this meant today wasn’t going to be a complete loss after all. “You can imagine our surprise when Mac here opened his retirement gift. Fortunately, we were doing a performance just down the road a tic.” “I gather that would explain the... um...” Harm wasn’t sure quite what to call the getups they were wearing. “Wardrobe, yes.  We’re the Merry Minstrels,” the taller gentleman whose name Harm had already forgotten announced proudly. Now it all made sense. The tights, the balloon-like pants that barely reached their knees, the puffy sleeves with gold fabric and velvet accents, the feather clad hats, and of course, the mandolins. “You see, old Mac here is retiring.  He and his wife are moving to Jersey,” Marshall explained. “It’s not that we can’t replace him. He never was very good at the mandolin,” the taller one teased. “No, but he’s going to be missed at our Wednesday afternoon golf games. It’s hard to find a good fourth,” Marshall finished with a smile. “It’s nice to know you’ll be missed for something,” Mac chuckled heartily.  “Anyhow, we’re hoping your Mac is a sight prettier than ours!” the taller one chimed in, obviously the comic in the group. “Uhhm,” Harm cleared his throat. “That would be my wife.  You just passed her on her way out.” “A mighty sight prettier, she is,” a short, pudgy fellow with a slight Irish accent spoke up for the first time. “Yes, well.  Here you go.  Lovely choice for such a lovely lady.” Mac handed the small package over to Harm. “Thank you, gentlemen. I appreciate all you’ve done.” “It’s been our pleasure.” Shaking each man’s hand, Harm watched them walk out the door and couldn’t resist stepping up to see the bullpen’s reaction.  It gave him as much of a chuckle watching his staff pretend to not notice the odd group leave as it had to see them step into his office a few minutes earlier.  Front Entry London HQ Forty-five minutes later “Colonel, how nice to see you here this time of day,” Tracy stepped up to the door next to Mac. “I’m bringing Harm some food, but I’m not all that sure he’s going to eat it,” she shrugged. “Let me get that, ma’am.” Gunny scurried past the two women to open the door. “Thank you,” Mac nodded at Gunny. “Any luck on the Cupid case?” “The commander caught him this morning, ma’am.”  Gunny waited for Tracy to step through. “I appreciate your efforts, Gunny, but the truth is without the Gunny I’d have been another dumbfounded victim, and quite frankly, I think ‘victim’ is a poor choice of words,” Tracy grinned broadly, trying her best not blush too badly at her own embarrassment. “Really?” Mac raised an eyebrow at Tracy. “Oh, yeah!” Tracy laughed out loud. Gunny followed the two women into the building, shaking his head and trying very hard not to laugh along with them.  The twinkle in his eye disappeared behind a wall of Marine awareness at the high pitched bleep of a building-wide alarm. Tracy, Mac and Gunny stopped in place, instinctively glancing around them. “That’s the alarm attached to the security sensors. This way!” Gunny placed a hand along either woman’s lower back and hurried them a few more feet down the hall, through the double doors, and down the stairs. “What exactly does that mean?” Mac asked, following Gunny’s direction, but her mind was back on Harm and his office. “Nerve gas, ma’am.”  Gunny swallowed hard. His job was to get the commander and Mrs. Rabb to safety, but his heart was several offices away with a very beautiful, very special, and very pregnant, petty officer. Chapter 6 Harm’s head shot up at the glaring alarm.  It took him a few seconds to register the difference between the odd bleeping and the usual fire drill.  Knocking his chair over behind him, he rushed out to Beth’s desk.  She was already out from behind her desk and heading for his door.  “Move it now, Petty Officer.” “Sir, I have to secure....” “Now! Out the security tunnel. Do not stop or speak to anyone. That’s an order.”  Knowing it would most likely do no good, he pulled out his handkerchief and handed it to her anyway. “Breathe through this.” “Yes, sir.” She accepted the handkerchief and reluctantly turned away. Once Mac and Tracy were past the second set of double doors in the underground tunnel, Gunny pointed ahead. “There’s a safe room at the end of the hall. I’m going back to help with the evacuation.” “Understood,” Mac replied automatically. Technically, Tracy was his superior officer, but it was second nature for Mac to respond to the Marine.  Gunny hadn’t made it more than twenty feet back up the hall when the staff started shuffling in his direction. “This way.” He waved them forward. “Keep going. The safe room isn’t far.” “Why can’t we just leave the building?” one of the secretaries asked. “SOP, ma’am.” The question hadn’t been directed to Gunny, but since he’d heard it, he felt obliged to respond.  When he saw Beth coming towards him with a cloth over her mouth his stomach rose to his throat.  “Are you okay?” Beth nodded.  She wasn’t prepared to disobey an order, even to speak to Gunny. Gunny wanted to stay with her, but his duty was to see to it that the building was evacuated. He had a responsibility to everyone in the building. Harm would have preferred a less dramatic confirmation of the red alert, but at least it was some consolation that Mac hadn’t been caught in the building.  Now, his thoughts fled to Beth. He had a concern for everyone under his command, but he was especially worried about her. If the nerve gas alarm was accurate, there was no telling what damage could have been done to the baby.  He didn’t want to even begin to consider the horrible possibilities. “Sir, you need to leave the building now,” Staff Sergeant Michael Houlihan said as sternly as possible. “Is the building secure?” “Floors three, four, and five are all clear.” “What about the rest of the building?” “In process. Let’s get moving, sir. Please.”  The sergeant waved Harm down the hall just as Gunny Galindez came through the tunnel double doors. “Anyone left?” “Three, four and five are all clear,” Houlihan reported. Just then Corporal Milton came barreling around the corner. “One and two all secure, sirs!” “Then let’s move it!” Harm ordered, following the last of the Marines through the double doors and down the hall. Mac was surprised at the size of the safe room.  She had expected a small structure barely large enough to pack the staff in like sardines.  If her estimates were correct, the safe room ran the length and width of the building above it.  The rear of the area had at least twenty cots neatly laid out in barracks style.  One wall was covered with basic supplies, including blankets, pillows, lanterns, and water.  Silently she hoped they wouldn’t be there long enough to need any of it. “Not exactly what I had expected,” Tracy commented softly, looking around at the bare room. “Me neither,” Mac added, her voice as quiet as Tracy’s. “How many people do you think are in the building?” Mac wondered aloud, noticing a stack of thin mats, not much different from those used for exercising. “I believe at full capacity there are approximately 350.” “Things could get crowded,” Mac sighed. “Yes, ma’am.” Tracy looked up at the first group of people coming through the door.  “We’d better make ourselves useful.” Mac nodded her head and walked towards the door.  Tracy moved to where the mats were stacked along one wall of shelves. “Everybody move along. If you’d like a cushion to sit on, see Commander Manetti across the way. Otherwise, find a spot somewhere and make yourselves comfortable.” Quickly, a continuous hum of conversation could be heard throughout the room. When Mac spotted Beth winding her way into the room through the crowd, she suggested Beth go straight to the back and lay down on one of the cots. “I don’t think that will be necessary, ma’am.” Beth tried to smile. She was worried about Gunny going back into the building. “Well, you certainly can’t be expected to sit on the floor in your condition. At least go sit on one of the cots.” “Thank you, ma’am, but it’s not that hard to get up and down, yet.” Beth noticed Mac looking over her shoulder and down the hall. “I’m sure he’ll be along any second, ma’am.” “Thank you, Beth.” “I tried to stay and secure the offices, but Captain Rabb ordered me to leave.” “I would have done the same,” Mac nodded. “I’m sure you’re right and he’ll be along shortly.” Mac wished she felt as sure as she sounded. The last thing she needed now was for Harm to play Superman somehow. Within a few minutes, the last of the personnel had settled into the room. Harm and Gunny had been in the hall just outside the doorway, talking on the radio. Mac watched them intently, wishing she was still an active Marine so she could go out there and find out what was going on. Finally, Harm and Gunny made their way into the room. “Attention on deck,” Gunny called out loudly.  Immediately the room quieted to a dull roar. “If I can have your attention a minute please.” Harm waved his arms at the crowd in an effort to drop the noise level another notch.  “We’ve had a confirmation of a security sensor indicating nerve gas has been released into our ventilation system.  As some of you know, the tunnel and this safe room are on a separate ventilation system and will not be affected by whatever has set off the alarm.  A doctor should be joining us shortly in the event anyone needs medical attention before we receive the all clear.  We could be here for a while, so try to make yourselves as comfortable as possible.” Everyone continued to stare at Harm as though that might somehow make the information he’d just shared more palatable.  By the time he’d moved closer to his wife, the quiet buzz of conversation had once again filled the room. “How bad is it?” Mac asked quietly. “We have no idea.  We might as well make ourselves comfortable, too.” Harm steered Mac towards a relatively uncrowded area along a side wall. “This could be a long night.” Grabbing a spare cushion as he walked past the rack, Harm dropped it on the floor and gestured for Mac to have a seat.  “I didn’t realize you were in the building.” “Barely,” she shrugged. “If you’re hungry, your lunch is on that table over there.” She tried to smile but somehow it came out more as a faint smirk.  “I was barely in the front door when the alarm went off. I’d bumped into Gunny and Tracy outside. As soon as the alarm sounded, Gunny practically shoved Tracy and me into the hall and down to the tunnel.  I probably didn’t breathe from the building air for more than 30 seconds.” “I’m worried about Beth. We got her out pretty quick, but I’d hate to see something happen to that baby.”  Harm’s eyes were focused across the room at Beth. “You think it might?”  A sick feeling swelled in the pit of her stomach. “I wish I knew,” Harm sighed heavily.                                                                                       NEXT                                                                     HOME