Chapter Twenty-One

Trial TV was covering this important trial.  It seemed like it was being covered in every angle.  The witness list had been kept under wraps due to security reasons, and that was helping the sensationalism of the trial.

0800 EST

JAG headquarters

Falls Church, VA

Harm pulled up to the parking lot.  His parents had left early yesterday and Mattie was being a big help with the baby.  He wondered how much longer he had with his little girl.  She was having problems sleeping last night, so he rehearsed his opening arguments in front of her.

Flashback to the night before

“As officers of the United States Military, we are all proud to serve this nation to keep it safe, to keep her citizens safe.”  Just then, Mackenzie started gurgling.

“You know baby girl, Daddy is having a hard time with this opening statement.”  He picked her up out of the playpen.  She clutched his shirt and nuzzled into his chest.  He sat with her in the chair from Pottery Barn that his mother had picked out. 

“15 people died in an American ran prison in Iraq. . .” and the words just continued to pour out of Harmon David Rabb Jr.  By the time he had completed it, Mackenzie was fast asleep in her daddy’s arms.

Back to the present

“Come on little muse, I have to drop you off at daycare and get ready for a big day in court.”

He reached around to the backseat and undid the carrier from the base.  She looked at him with her big blue eyes.   His heart melted, he knew today was going to be hard.  He unlocked the doors and was immediately berated by reporters.

“Commander Rabb, can you tell us more about witnesses?”

“No comment.”

“Commander Rabb, can you comment on all the charges.”

“No.”  It was getting increasingly hard juggling the baby carrier in one hand and trying to push the reporters away with his other hand that held a briefcase.  Just then a reporter was bumped, and ran into Harm with full force.  Harm stumbled and dropped the carrier.  Mackenzie started crying.  Harm went into full father mode.  “Back off, right now, or else,”  Mackenzie’s wail got louder and Harm dropped to one knee.  “Hey baby,” he picked her up out of her carrier.  He looked and a small bruise was forming where her body bumped against the straps of the carrier.  He picked up pacifier from the diaper bag.

“Commander, who’s the baby?”

“She’s mine.  I want you guys to leave us alone now.  Answers may be given after the opening of the trial.”

“Commander, are you married?”

Harm chose to ignore the rest of the questions that the reporters were asking and walked inside.  Mac walked up to him and grabbed the diaper bag and carrier.

“I saw those reporters harassing you.  Is Mackenzie hurt?”

“Shaken up, she has a little bruise where she hit the straps,”  Harm was telling her.  Mac saw red.

“I’ll kill them,” Mac said.  She saw him look at her weird.  “Harm you love that little girl so much, and I hate the fact that she got hurt because of those people.”

“I know Mac.  Let’s just get her up to the daycare now.  This day is going to be hard enough on me and you.”

They got up on the second floor and he introduced Mac to the manager of the daycare.  He explained that Mac, Harriett, the Admiral, Bud, or Jennifer Coates would be the only people allowed to pick her up unless he was going to say otherwise.  Bud was there dropping off Jimmy and AJ.

“Sir, Ma’am, good luck in court today.”

“Thank you Bud.”

Harm entered the court room and took his seat at the prosecution table.  Harm during big trials started picking up the habit of entering the court room a couple minutes early to collect his thoughts.

“Hello there Commander,” a sultry voice from the past came in from the back.

“Captain.” Harm replied curtly back.  She came up and sat on top of the prosecution table.  “Captain, I don’t believe we should be talking before a trial like this.  It could be misconstrued.”

Just then Sturgis walked through the door.  “Well Captain, unless you are thinking of plea bargaining, I believe I have to trust my colleagues opinion.”  Harm threw him a look of gratefulness.

A couple minutes later, the trial started.  Admiral Jonas sat in the back of the room for opening arguments with Bud.  As soon as opening statements, Admiral Jonas looked at Bud and said, “So Commander, what do you think?”

“Well sir, the Captain made several points.  But the Commander has always been known for be a silver tongue in the courtroom, and with the events of 9/11, the jury is going to be a little swayed no matter what.”

The rest of the court day proceeded with battles being taped.   The witnesses were kept in separate rooms so they couldn’t see the television reports or know what was going on in the courtroom.  The process was slow going, with Krennick objecting to almost everything.  They barely got through half of their witnesses.

Jennifer Coates had picked up Mackenzie for Harm right at 1700, and she was waiting for them in her office.  The admiral, realizing how close Harm and Mac were getting, ordered them to stay away from each other than seeing each other for professional reasons for the time being.  He didn’t want a mistrial happening for anything.  Sturgis and Harm had decided that Harm would be the one to question Mac since she would be more comfortable with him. 

“Hey Jen, thanks for picking up Mackenzie for me.”

“No problem sir.  I already strapped the carrier in to the Lexus and the baby bag is in there, so you should be ready to go now.  Good luck with the reporters.  They are at every door so there is no escaping them.”

“Thanks Coates.”  He picked up Mackenzie and headed towards the door.  The lights were blinding from the cameras, but Krennick was taking up most of the limelight.  She stopped talking when she saw Harm step out with the baby.  Just then the reporters zeroed in on Harm.

“Commander Rabb, how do you feel today’s litigation has gone?”

“Fairly well.” He said knowing to keep his answers short and sweet so he wouldn’t give out any extraneous information that could be used against him in court.

“Is it true there are several more witnesses left to be called?”

“Yes that is correct.”

“Commander, checking into your military records, it has shown you are not married, nor ever have been. But yet, you have two children, a teenager and a baby.  How can the public trust a man that acts amorally to fight for truth and justice?”

Just then Admiral Jonas had heard it all.  “Ladies and gentlemen of the press, Commander Rabb will not be answering any more questions regarding his family life, unless the commander feels it be so warranted.”  The SecNav was standing next to Admiral Jonas and he gave his nod to Harm.

“I don’t understand what type of bearing my family situation has on the case, but I have no reason to lie,” he shifted Mackenzie to one hip, “I have two daughters.  If the reporter who first originally asked this question would have pulled up a court case several months back, they would have discovered that I adopted a 15 year old daughter.  Her mother was killed in an auto accident, and her father relinquished his parental rights to me, he left her alone for months, and Mathilda wanted to stay with me.  Mackenzie and I have been victims of a theft that took place at a clinic, I am sure all of you heard that story on ZNN several weeks ago.  So I am what you would call the officer and a gentleman.  Don’t question my morality.  That is all.” 

Mackenzie started crying, and Harm reached into his pocket and pulled out a pacifier.  He noticed a piece of lint, so instead of giving it to her, he let her gum on to his finger.  She immediately calmed down.

The SecNav looked at the admiral and said, “Well, even if Rabb doesn’t win this case, which is highly unlikely, the image of single fathers in the military will now have Rabb as a spokesman.” 

The cameras followed Harm walk out to the car.  He kissed Mackenzie on the forehead, and he handed her the Marine bear that Mac had made for her.  He drove away to the new house that awaited them and the teenage daughter that came running down the steps.

Chapter Twenty-Two

0800 EST
JAG Headquarters

Falls Church, VA

Today was the day that Harm dreaded, luckily the Captain Sebring had something come up in the morning so court was pushed back until 1000.  After two days of court, he wanted nothing more than for this trial to be over.  Mackenzie did her normal cry routine when Harm dropped her off at daycare, but then immediately settled in when she saw AJ looming over her.

He walked into the office where he was immediately cornered by Captain Krennick.  “Well, well Harm, it looks like you have the whole world watching you now.  Don’t mess up.”  She pointed up to the television where there were images of Harm. 

“Don’t worry Krennick, I’m not planning on it.  I perform well under pressure.”

“I know you do,” Krennick said.

“Red light Captain.”  Just then Coates stepped out of the office. 

“Commander, the admiral would like to see you in his office asap.”

“Thank you Coates.”

He stepped away from the Captain leaving her in a state of daze.  Harm walked into his CO’s office and saluted.

“At ease Commander.”  The admiral said addressing him.  The SecNav was standing behind him.

“Well Commander, the press has taken an interest in you.  Seems like you are America’s hero.”  Harm had a confused look on his face.

“Commander have you seen the news today?”

“Well sirs,” Harm started off, “Mattie has a thing about starting the day off right.  So in the mornings me, her, and Mackenzie watch cartoons together.  Mattie said she has had enough bad things happen to her, and she doesn’t like to start off the day with bad news.”

“Sounds like you are raising a bright girl there Commander,” the Admiral commented.

“Well Rabb, it seems like the public can’t get enough of you.” The SecNav started.  He turned around and pointed to the television and turned it up.

[This is Stuart Dunston of ZNN reporting on the court marshal of the service members accused of selling out their country.  But it is not so much the case right now that has most of America talking, it is the lead prosecutor of the case, a Commander Harmon Rabb Jr.  Commander Rabb started serving this nation when he joined the Naval Academy after high school… What is interesting to know ladies is that the Commander is now a single father.]  The SecNav turned off the television.

“Commander, America right now is watching your every move.  You are being painted as a hero and a single father who fights for truth, justice, and the American way.  Right now, in this time where America needs a hero, a Superman if you will, and it seems like you are it.  You are putting a new positive light on our military, and we need it.  Don’t mess up Rabb.”

“I won’t let you down sir.”

“Commander, we just wanted to apprise you of the situation, don’t let the press find any kryptonite.  Dismissed.”

“Aye, Aye sir.”  He turned crisply on his heel and walked out of the office.

Harm, Mac, and Sturgis met one more time before court to go over her testimony one more time.  Mac had decided to keep it abbreviated, knowing that a lot of details would shock Harm, but she wanted to protect him.  Harm stopped her, “Mac, is there more we should know?”

“Harm, right now I just don’t want to have to relive it twice in one day.  I gave you a general overview of what I went through, but I will give more detail in court, I promise it won’t derail your questioning.”

Harm walked into the courtroom with Sturgis by his side.  Captain Sebring walked in a couple of minutes later.

“The prosecution may call their next witness.”

“The prosecution calls Lt. Colonel Sarah Mackenzie.’

Mac came in with a sure step in her.  The bruises she had sustained on her face were healing, however there were marks on her neck that showed were the rope was placed around her neck.  Her ribs were still bruised also.

“Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God.”

“I do.”

“Be seated.”

Mac sat down as Harm stood up.

“Will you please state your name, rank, and current duty station for the record.” Harm started.

“Sarah Mackenzie, Lt. Colonel USMC.  My current billet is JAG headquarters.”

“What were the purposes of you being over in Iraq during the month of April?”

“I was assigned to work with the CIA to retrieve information from prisoners on how  the coordinates of our troops were being sent out.”

“Can you describe what you observed in the camp?”

“While I was at the prison camp, a young Muslim chaplain was teaching to the imprisoned.  There was some complaints among the prisoners of them being ill-treated.”

“Objection your honor, what bearing does this have to do with this case?”

“Setting the scene.”

“Over-ruled, you may proceed.”

Mac continued, “The Muslim chaplain in question was Lt. Aslambad.  He was seen several times passing out Muslim newspapers to the enemy and to the troops.  The newspapers he was handing out had numbers circled that corresponded to coordinates.  Embedded with the prisoners were several servicemen who went UA.  They were able to blend in with the prisoners when needed, or look like servicemen.  These men were then able to send out their newspapers.  We were not aware of this until a day before the uprising.  Then the mission was changed from how the information got out to flushing out the servicemen who were selling out their country.  We didn’t know who they were though until during the uprising.”

“Could you identify the men in question.”

“Yes.”

“Objection, how do we know that Colonel Mackenzie can accurately identify the men, she has seen hundred of prisoners.”

“I am curious to this to, Colonel will you please answer the question.”

Mac looked down to the floor.  She raised her eyes to look at Harm for strength.  She didn’t want to reveal everything that happened.  She regained composure, “To understand how I can I have to talk about the uprising.” 

Harm spoke up, “Colonel, will you please describe what happened during the day of the prison uprising.”  Harm reached for some water and handed it to her.

She took a long gulp.  “The day of the attack, Agent Webb and I decided to separate.  We were clashing with each other’s style, and had been fighting about a personal matter before we had decided to start questioning the people.  I felt I could get more information from some of the prisoners if I was away from Agent Webb.  We decided on adjoining rooms, that way Agent Webb and I would be within arms reach of each other.  I was accompanied by a guard, or so I thought.  Around 1500 hours, I retrieved a prisoner known as the Farsi word for Sun, Agent Webb retrieved the man known as Sky.  While I was questioning Sun, I noticed that the guard had a tattoo of the Sun and Sky.  While I was taking a break from questioning and turned my back to retrieve Agent Webb, I felt a gun in the on my back.  My guard had handed his gun to the prisoner.  My hands were tied behind my back.  The guard walked into the other room and injected Agent Webb with a drug.  Then the uprising started.  The guard looked at me and smiled, I would never forget that face.  It was Corporal Jenkins.  I had asked the why, and he just smiled, he then said we was going to introduce me to the friends he made while in boot camp, Sun, Sky, and their leader, Aslambad.  They wanted to teach me how to be a good woman.  Then he started preaching on and on about how women shouldn’t be in the military, and then he backhanded me.  While I was on the ground he tied a piece of rope around my neck so I would learn to be a submissive woman.  He jerked me around with it for awhile.”  She unconsciously touched her cheek and neck.

The court room gasped, and the judge banged his gavel.  “Order!”  Admiral Jonas sat in the back of the room and watched Sarah Mackenzie gather all her strength to continue.

“If I may continue.  The men left the room for a while, and during that time, Webb was thrown into the room with me and was revived.  He told me about his prisoner, and we immediately put all the clues together.  Just then, the four men came into the room.  Webb immediately tried to get them away from me.  But I was ripped from his grasp.  Sun had noticed a hook on hanging from the ceiling.  The guard and Sky picked me up and hung me by it.  They were saying how much fun they could have with me.”  She looked up and saw Harm’s reaction.  He was standing stoic, but she could see the anger in his eyes.

 “Aslambad stood guard at the door.  The guard took his filthy hands and tried to undress me.  But I fought back. I felt a big scar on one of their hands.  The other man had a huge tattoo of a heart on his forearm that could be seen through his robe.  Sky took the belt he was wearing and began hitting me with it.  He hit me so hard, that I fell to the ground.  I tried to get up to fight.  I looked and saw a bullet wound in one of their calves as I was getting kicked.  Then I heard the unmistakable sound of a zipper and laughing,” she paused.  “One of the men came towards me, and tried to bend me over a table.  His hands were already going down my pants.”  She stopped again, and tried to choke back the tears from falling, but failed.  Harm walked towards her and wanted to reach out to her, but he couldn’t.  He was hoping his physical nearness would help her through the memories she had to face, and he couldn’t believe she was holding this all in her.

“I could feel his filthy hands on me, he turned me around so I could look at him.  He said he did this so I could remember his face, he claimed it would be the last one I saw before I died, and then I kicked as hard as I could.  He got back on top of me, and ripped open my BDU top and bit my right breast.  He said he should have been breast fed as a baby.  Agent Webb had woken up at some point and made his way to the adjoining door and unlocked it.  Aslambad told the men to stop, and to get ready for war.  The man who had failed in raping me had gotten really angry, so he just started beating me.  He kept calling me a whore and a bitch.  He told me that by the time the war was over I would be his.  I tried to fight back, I kept telling myself I was a Marine and could defend myself.  By then I was so tired, I couldn’t fight back.  I looked up, and saw Aslambad standing over Agent Webb getting ready to behead him.  I screamed for him to stop.  I heard a shot being fired, I felt getting hit really hard at the base of my head, and I went unconscious.  The next thing I remember is waking up in a transport to Bethesda.”

“Thank you Colonel.”  Harm tried to sound compassionate towards her, but the anger he felt for the men was overwhelming.  Harm was grateful though that Mac was not raped during her hostage situation, but she was damn near close enough. 

“The prosecution is handing in exhibits A, B, C, and D.  These are pictures that depict the various marks that Colonel Mackenzie was able to identify.  The first is the tattoo of the sky scene, which belongs to Corporal Jenkins.  The second is a scar that was caused by a knife fight, belonging to Corporal Regins, the third is a bullet wound which belongs to Lt. Aslambad, and the fourth, a tattoo of a heart, belonging to Corporal Menkias.”  The entire room gasped.  “The prosecution has no more questions for the Colonel at this time.

Captain Allison Krennick stood up and gave Mac a once over.  “Colonel Mackenzie, in the past, have you ever experienced torture like this before?”

“I have, the information is classified on both accounts.”

“Did you see anyone for this?”

“Objection, this does not pertain to the case.”

“Goes to state of mind your honor.”

“Over-ruled.”

“I saw a therapist, but I was not diagnosed with anything.”

“When you were at Bethesda, what was your diagnosis?”

“Four cracked ribs, a strained wrists, I ended up with stitches and a concussion.”

“Colonel Mackenzie, if you received a concussion, isn’t it possible for you to have hallucinated this in a dream?”

“Captain Krennick, if you had been through something like this before, you would hope it was a dream, but it wasn’t.  I have the scars on my wrists from the stitches, and it still hurts to cough.  If I made it up, I wouldn’t have these injuries, now would I.  I doubt anyone in this courtroom would know what it is like to be tortured.  But trust me, if you had been there, you would like to forget it, or try to convince yourself that it is all made up, but when you see the scars yourself, its hard to forget.”

She stood there, forgetting that Mac was a lawyer herself.  “Well, you would be wrong on that account Colonel, there is someone who understands torture.  Anyway, back to questioning.  You told a nice tale, how many tales like this have you told before.  How do we know you aren’t lying, you have lied in the past on the stand.”

“Objection, badgering the witness.”  Mac screamed from the stand before Harm could get the objection out of his mouth.

“Sustained, Captain Krennick, one more stunt like that and I will hold you in contempt.”

“Sorry your honor.  No more questions.”  Krennick had to give up knowing that she wouldn’t be able to attack Mac anymore on the stand.

“We will recess for lunch.  After that I will hear arguments from the defense.”

Harm went downstairs to retrieve Mackenzie for lunch.  He needed to be with something as pure with as his baby girl.  The entire world, due to the presence of the video cameras would know Mac’s pain, and all he wanted to do was to make it better.  Harm and Mac had decided to not see each other until the end of the trial.  Krennick only had four witnesses though, her clients.

He mulled over his thoughts as he walked into the daycare.  He decided that since a cold front was going through, and it was unusually cool for the time of year, so he would take her to the park for lunch. 

Mac had beat him to the punch, she was down there staring at her daughter.  ‘God she is just so beautiful and pure.’ she thought to herself when she picked her up.

“I’m going to keep fighting to keep this world a better place for you, I promise,” she whispered into Mackenzie’s ear.  Mackenzie smiled at her.  Just then, Harm walked through the doors.  Mackenzie squealed when she saw her daddy walking towards her.

“She just adores you.” Nikki the daycare worker said to him.

“Naw Nikki, I think it has to do more with the uniform.  She doesn’t squeal like this when I am home with her.”

“I highly doubt that sir.”

“I will have her back by 1300.  Mac, I know the admiral told us to stay away from each other, but do you want to come?”

“Its better that I stay away from now, I wouldn’t want to have the cameras catch us going out together.  Keep her warm, will you?”

“Always.”

Harm went out to the car to be greeted yet again by cameras.  “No comment until after court adjourns for the day.”

“Commander Rabb, tell us more about you and this little darling!”  a reporter exclaimed.

“She’s my daughter, I love her, what else is there to say.  Now if you excuse me, I am going to spend some quality time with her.”

He roared in the car and drove away.  The retired Admiral Chegwidden had witnessed the entire confrontation and smiled to himself.  Rabb was definitely learning in his older ways.  He got out of the car and greeted his golfing buddy, Admiral Jett Jonas.

“Well AJ, you were right when you said Rabb was a piece of work.”

“Yeah, tell me about it.  It seems like the bear in him has finally quieted down.” AJ commented.

“I’m not too sure about that one there.  This morning during court when Colonel Mackenzie was testifying to the abuse she sustained, there was this look of anger in his eyes that I have never seen before.”

“Mackenzie and Rabb have one of those relationships.  Rabb has given up everything for her before, and he would probably do it again.  Mac has followed him almost everywhere.” AJ said thoughtfully.

“Is this why there is a note in my desk to make sure those two don’t get separated?” Admiral Jonas questioned his old friend.

“I figured it could be my gift to them if they were to ever finally see what they mean to each other.” He sighed, and they went to play their round of golf.

Unbeknownst to Harm, he would be followed to the park, where the cameras would yet again, capture his every movement with Mackenzie, every moment with Mackenzie was caught for the 6:00 news.

Commander Krennick’s clients were guilty as sin, and she was going to have a hard time defending them.  The only thing she could do was try to damage the reputation of the people that were put on the stands before with other testimony from her clients through her clients’ testimony.  Each time, Harm was quick to object each time slandering started to occur.  By the end of the day, the trial was all but over with closing arguments to occur the next day.

Jen was standing by the door waiting for Harm to come claim Mackenzie when she got a call on her cell phone.

“Coates speaking.”

“Jen, its Mattie.”

“Hey Mattie, what are you up to?”

“Well, I was thinking, tomorrow Dad should be hearing the verdict of this case, and I was thinking since it has been a week since him and Mac have been alone, maybe you, me, and Mackenzie could have a girls night of shopping?”

“Mattie, I like the way your devious mind thinks.  Here comes your dad now.  Bye chick.”

“Bye Jen.”

“Commander, here is the little angel.  The daycare worker said she had a nice long nap today.”

“Thanks Jen.”

“Commander, it has been a couple of weeks since I have seen Mattie, and no offense, but I have noticed how tired you have been lately.  So, if you have no objections, I would like to take Mackenzie and Mattie out tomorrow.  I figure you may like the time off for at least a couple of hours,” Jen saw Harm raise an eyebrow, “Of course, if you would rather take Mattie bikini shopping tomorrow,” Harm held up his hand.

“No Jen, that is perfectly fine, are you sure you want to take the rugrat?”

“Mackenzie will be fine.”

She handed Mackenzie to him, and Harm reached into his wallet and handed Jen some money.  “Here you go.  $100 should cover the bathing suit and dinner.  I better give some money to you now before Mattie hits me up for more.”  He smiled.  “Jen you are a life saver, if you need more, Mattie has my card.”

“Thanks Dad.”  Jen punched him in the arm.