Honor & Betrayal PT
32
********************
INT
ADM CHEGWIDDEN'S
OFFICE
Admiral Chegwidden is seated at his
desk studying an evidence sheet that Agent Holland is addressing while she
stands at the desk beside him.
HOLLAND
(indicating the
specific area of the diagram being discussed)
Commander Rabb was
found lying wounded and unconscious in the alley, here......some 20 feet from
the entrance of the alleyway. The gun battle insued here, across the
street some one hundred odd yards away.
ADMIRAL
From all indications, it looks to me
as though the corner of the building would have effectively blocked their line
of fire.
HOLLAND
My thoughts exactly,
Admiral!
ADMIRAL
Agent Holland, those boys took the
lives of two people that night and Commander Rabb was the sole witness.
Certainly motivation enough, I should think, for them to have pursued Rabb into
that alleyway and taken him out.
HOLLAND
I considered all that, Admiral, and
DC homicide had concluded the same thing. The only problem with that
theory is that there were no spent shell casings found in the vicinity of the
alleyway. Then there's the little matter of the weapons confiscated from
the shooters all being 9 millimeter semi automatic pistols.
The bullet that was removed from Commander Rabb was from a 10
millimeter automatic pistol which has yet to be accounted
for.
CHEGWIDDEN
Which leaves little doubt that there
was another shooter on the scene that night.
HOLLAND
Umm hmm! Whose obvious intent
was to murder the Commander. Now the question is who,
and why?
ADMIRAL
Have you discussed any
of this with Commander Rabb?
HOLLAND
Yes, as a matter of fact I
did. I caught him just before he went into court this
morning. Which brings me to another important point......the
Commander admitted that he was at the scene that night to meet someone on
what he said was personal business. Only the meeting never had a chance to
take place.
ADMIRAL
Did he say who this person was?
HOLLAND
No, not to me!..... He said he
wanted to see more evidence before he got anyone else involved in all
this. But, by the look in his eyes and from the way he spoke about
this person, it was obvious to me that they were definitely not meeting out of
friendship. Big question is, why would the Commander want to protect
him?
Interrupting them, Tiner's voice
comes on over the intercom.
TINER
(OS)
Excuse me,
Admiral!
ADMIRAL
(reaching for the
intercom button on the phone)
What is it
Tiner?
TINER
Admiral Morris, sir! He's
requesting your presence in his chambers A ...S....A....P, Sir!
ADMIRAL
(gazing to his
watch)
Has the Peterson court martial
already recessed?
TINER
That would be affirmative
sir, Sir!
ADMIRAL
Thank you Tiner!....Oh, and
Tiner, would you please have Commander Rabb step into my office for
a moment!
TINER
Ahh....I can't sir!....Commander
Rabb's, ...well,.... he's sort of indisposed at the moment,
Sir!
ADMIRAL
(suspiciously)
Indisposed?!
TINER
Yes sir!
ADMIRAL
(irritably)
Tiner, where's the
Commander?
TINER
I believe he's with Admiral Morris,
Sir, but I'm not sure.
ADMIRAL
(gazing irritably
at Holland)
Why am I getting a
bad feeling about all this? (turning back to the phone)
Tiner, inform Admiral Morris that I'm on my way
up!
Without waiting for Tiner's
response, Chegwidden presses the intercom button off, stands and addresses
Holland.
ADMIRAL
(continues)
My apologies for the
interruption, Ms Holland, but it seems as though there is a more pressing
issue at hand that needs to be addressed.
HOLLAND
(standing)
No apology necessary, Admiral.
I appreciate all the time you've giving me! And besides, I believe I've
covered everything that I intended to.
CHEGWIDDEN
I trust you'll keep me abreast
of any progress you're making in this investigation?
HOLLAND
Without a doubt,
Admiral!
ADMIRAL
Good, because if it's at all
possible, I want to nail this guy!
HOLLAND
That would make two of us,
Admiral!
As they reach the door, Admiral
Chegwidden opens it and the two walk out into the outer office where
Lieutenant Roberts and Petty Officer Tiner come to attention in the
presence of the Admiral.
ADMIRAL
(addressing Roberts
and Tiner)
As you were,
gentlemen. (turning to Agent Holland) Thanks for your trouble,
Ms Holland! I know you've pursued much of this investigation on your own
time and I do appreciate it!
HOLLAND
My pleasure, Admiral! As I
said, it's the least I could do for the Commander.
Chegwidden gazes over Holland's
shoulder into the bullpen and observes the unusual silence as well as the
absence of several members of JAG OPS supporting staff.
ADMIRAL
(walking out into the
bullpen)
Tiner, where the hell is
everyone?
TINER
(shooting Bud a
quick glance)
Ahh.....I believe
they're upstairs, Sir!
Roberts raises his brow in
indifference to Tiner's response.
ADMIRAL
(irritably)
And why the hell's
that, Tiner?
TINER
(hesitating as his
eyes lock on Bud's)
Ahh.....well Sir, I
guess they were sorta curious to find out if all the scuttlebutt was true,
Sir!
Bud eyes roll back in his head as he
becomes totally perturbed with Tiner's response. Agent Holland
makes her way slowly towards the exit, but the events that are unfolding
continue to hold her interest.
ADMIRAL
(annoyed)
You know, .....it's becoming
painfully obvious to me that something's going on around here and I seem to
be the only one who has yet to be made privy of it! So, Petty
Officer Tiner, it would be greatly appreciated if you could be a little
more specific!
TINER
(stumbling over his
words as Chegwidden's glaring eyes meet his)
Ahh, yes
Sir!....Sorry Sir! .........Umm.......well
Sir,........ahh...... it seems that Commander Rabb .......
well....he sorta lost it in court today. Sir!
........
ADMIRAL
(echoing as his
brow narrows)
Lost it!?
TINER
Yes Sir! At least that's the
scuttlebutt I've heard, Sir!
There is a long moment of silence as
Chegwidden waits impatiently for Tiner to continue. No further words of
explanation coming from him, The Admiral's tolerance grows thin as he draws
closer to Tiner.
ADMIRAL
(through clenched
teeth)
By "lost it", Petty
Officer Tiner, just exactly what are you inferring?
ROBERTS
Excuse me, Admiral, ....but if you
would allow me, Sir, I believe I can explain!
ADMIRAL
(his eyes still
glaring at Tiner)
By all means, Mister Roberts,
please enlighten me!
ROBERTS
Yes Sir!......Well, Sir, it seems
that during today's court martial proceedings, Commander Rabb was somehow
provoked into assaulting Captain Peterson.
Chegwidden falls into a brief
silence as he attempts to digest Lieutenant Roberts' last words.
ADMIRAL
Tell me, Lieutenant, am I assuming
correctly in that what you've just told me is fact and not just scuttlebutt as
Petty Officer Tiner seemed to suggest?
ROBERTS
I'm afraid so, Sir!
Admiral Morris is holding Commander Rabb in contempt of court and I'm
almost certain that he intends on charging him with assault, Sir!
ADMIRAL
Well, it seems that there is no end
to the Commander's court room antics, now is there!
As he gazes back to tiner,
Chegwidden takes in a deep breath in an effort to calm the anger flaring up
within himself.
ADMIRAL
(irritably)
Well, thank you for clearing that
up, Lieutenant! (gazing to Tiner) Tiner, I'll be in Admiral Morris's
chambers for ...well, however long it takes me to straighten this mess
out!
TINER
Yes sir!
ADMIRAL
And Tiner...
TINER
Yes sir?
ADMIRAL
Get my people back to work, NOW! ...
Understood!
TINER
Aye, Sir!
With those words, Admiral Chegwidden
begins to walk toward the bullpen's main exit, Roberts following close
behind.
ROBERTS
Admiral, if you have a moment, Sir,
I think there's something you should be made aware of before you meet with
Admiral Morris, sir.
ADMIRAL
(irritably as he
pauses and turns to Roberts)
What is it,
Lieutenant?
ROBERTS
Well, Sir, I feel that
there were mitigating circumstances that came into play here, Sir,
and I strongly believe that they were substantial enough to have motivated the
Commander to violence, Sir!
ADMIRAL
(sternly as he
pushes past Roberts)
Mitigating
circumstances or not, Lieutenant, it doesn't excuse the
Commander's behavior!
ROBERTS
(following the
Admiral as he walks toward the main entrance of the
bullpen)
And I concur, sir! But the
Commander went into that court room not only having to face the prospect of
cross examining Colonel Mackenzie, but through Agent Holland he had just
been inadvertantly made aware of the fact that Captain Peterson may have been
the man who attempted to take his life.
Shocked by Robert's statement,
Admiral Chegwidden sharply turns on his heel to face the Lieutenant.
Agent Holland draws closer.
ADMIRAL
(in a warning
tone)
I'd be careful of what you're
insinuating, Lieutenant! I mean you've just accused
a senior officer of attempted murder and you sure as hell better have a solid
basis for making such an accusation!
ROBERTS
Yes sir, I believe I do!....The
person Commander Rabb was meeting the night he was shot.... Sir,
....ma'am? .......It was Captain Peterson. (gazing to Holland) So if
you're looking for a second shooter, ma'am, you may want to start with
Peterson.
HOLLAND
Once I secure a search warrant, I
can be on my way to Norfolk.
Chegwidden gazes to Holland his
anger diffused as he considers Roberts' words and fully begins to realize the
insurmountable circumstances that may have provoked Rabb to
violence.
ADMIRAL
Why don't you accompany her, Mister
Roberts! I'm sure she could use the help.
ROBERTS
Yes, Sir!....Thank you
sir!
With deep concern evident in
his expression, the Admiral turns away and walks out of the bullpen.
*********
INT
2ND FLOOR
HALLWAY
OUTSIDE
COURTROOM
As the elevator doors slide open,
Chegwidden steps off at a hurried pace and makes his way down a crowded hallway
of military personnel and press. Camera flashes blinding him
seemingly every step of the way, Chegwidden approaches Brumby, Mattoni and
Imes as they are confronted by a barrage of questions from the reporters.
Observing Chegwidden arriving on the scene, the reporters and camera crew turn
their attention to the Admiral
1ST REPORTER
Admiral Chegwidden, as the
Judge Advocate General of the United States Navy, what are your feelings
regarding the sort of behavior displayed by one of your officers in a open
court of law?
Displaying no outward emotion,
Chegwidden ignores the reporter's question as he focuses his attention on
his JAG officers.
ADMIRAL
(as he passes Imes,
Mattoni & Brumby)
With me if you
please!
2ND REPORTER
(pushing his way
through the maze of people)
What sort of
disciplinary action do you anticipate taking given Commander Rabb's outrageous
behavior, Admiral?
Ignoring still another question, the
four officers push their way through the maze of reporters and down the
hallway toward the conference room.
ADMIRAL
(in a voice
indicative of a command, he addresses the two Marines on watch by the court room
doors as he passes by)
Marines, I
want this corridor cleared of all non-essential personnel, NOW! (as he
continues to walk, he glances to Brumby who is by his side) Where's
the Commander?
BRUMBY
He's being held under guard in the
interview room, Sir!
IMES
Under guard?! Commander,
lighten up! I mean Harm's being charged with assault, not capital
murder!
BRUMBY
Well, Carolyn, if you'd seen first
hand the Admiral's mood in chambers after court, I think you'd agree that
he has every intention of making an example of the Commander!
IMES
Well, he can only do so much,
Mic!
BRUMBY
Well, the consequences could be
quite substantial if the good Captain decides to file assault
charges. And considering that the Admiral has every intention of
prosecuting the Commander to the fullest extent of the law,
...well, as litigators, I'm sure we're well aware of the fact
that a guilty verdict could possibly carry a prison
sentence!
ADMIRAL
(under his breath,
a note of disconcertion in his voice)
Commander Brumby, lets not go
driving the nails into the Commander's coffin just
yet!
BRUMBY
Sorry,
Sir.
Still being pursued by the press,
the four officers enter the conference room.
ADMIRAL
(turning noting the
door open and reporters standing just outside the door)
Shut the hatch,
damn it!
Mattoni quickly responds and closes
the door effectively shutting out the reporters.
ADMIRAL
Damn media circus got started before
I was even made privy of the fact that there was a problem. Someone want
to fill me in on how that happened?
BRUMBY
I'm afraid it was Captain Peterson,
Sir! He made quit a spectacle of himself on his way out of the court
room by loudly protesting his assault and demanding that charges be brought
against Commander Rabb. Needless to say, Sir, it triggered
quite a media frenzy.
Admiral Chegwidden shakes his head
in disbelief. He observes his three junior officer
carefully.
ADMIRAL
(sucking in a deep
breath)
And
where's Colonel Mackenzie? I sure as hell don't want
her becoming any part of what's going on out there!
IMES
I'm not sure where she is,
Admiral! She was pretty upset by what happened in court
and.....
At that moment, the door of the
conference room opens revealing Admiral
Morris.
MORRIS
AJ.....We need to
talk!
*************
INT
INTERVIEW ROOM
Commander Rabb is sitting in a chair
his wrists remaining manacled behind his back. A look of
discomfort evident in his expression, he restlessly stirs in the chair in
an effort to relieve the strain placed on the recently healed muscles of his
left shoulder. Two Marines are posted at the door as a light knock is
heard coming upon the it. The Master Sergeant responds by opening the door
to reveal Mac standing in the hallway outside the door.
Recognizing the Colonel, the Master Sergeant allows her
entrance. Harm straightens his posture at the sight of her and
smiles weakly as she walks towards him.
RABB
Hey, Mac!
Mac manages a slight smile as she
approaches him, but her smile quickly vanishes as she observes his writs
still in handcuffs.
MAC
(gazing to the
Master Sergeant)
Master Sergeant, I really don't
think the handcuffs are necessary at this point!
MASTER
SERGEANT
Under normal circumstances, ma'am,
I'd have to agree with you! But Admiral Morris has specifically ordered
that the Commander remain in handcuffs until such time as he is transferred to
the brig! I'm sorry, ma'am!
Surprised by the Master Sergeants
words, she gazes down to Harm to find him looking back at her)
MAC
(attempting to
humor him a little)
I guess the Admiral considers
you to be somewhat of a menace, Harm!
RABB
(laughs slightly)
Yah, well.....I
guess I'm a menace to something alright!
MAC
(noting his
discomfort)
All kidding aside, Harm, are you
alright?
HARM
Well, other than feeling rather
foolish, somewhat intimidated and thoroughly humiliated, I'm fine,
Mac!.....But I guess I deserve it considering I did no less to you when I had
you on the witness stand!
MAC
You did what you had to do to defend
your client, Harm! No more,....no less.
RABB
So what does that make me to you,
Mac?
MAC
The outstanding attorney that
you've always been!
RABB
Oh come on, Mac, don't go
getting all forgiving on me! I don't want it nor do I deserve
it!
MAC
Is that what this is all about,
Harm? Punishing yourself?
RABB
What?......No, of course
not!
MAC
Then why'd you assault Captain
Peterson?
RABB
Frustration!
MAC
And that's
all?
RABB
I don't know, Mac, I guess if you're
looking for excuses I could easily throw in anger and stupidity for good
measure! All I know for sure is that I lost
control, ..... plain and simple! So don't go making this out to be
more than it is.
MAC
Sorry Harm, I'm not buying it!
RABB
Buying what,
Mac?
MAC
You're inept attempt to try and
convince me that all of this isn't my fault. It isn't working!
RABB
Mac, come on!.....You're certainly
not responsible for my actions in that court room just
now!
MAC
Aren't I?.....I mean I insisted on
pressing these charges in the first place and if that wasn't bad enough, I
encouraged you to take on something that we both knew you weren't capable of
handling! And now, because of it all, your career is on the line!
RABB
Don't go making this about you,
Mac! Hell, the blame for my actions lies squarely on my shoulders
and no one else's! You've got to accept that, Mac!
At that moment, the door opens and
Admiral Chegwidden enters the room. Both officers coming to attention,
Chegwidden walks directly to Rabb and stands at his side gazing at him
with an intimidating glare in his eyes.
ADMIRAL
(sternly)
Colonel
Mackenzie....
MAC
Yes,
Sir!
ADMIRAL
You're dismissed!
MAC
Aye, Aye,
Sir!
Shooting Harm a quick glance, Mac
walks out of the room leaving Harm alone to face the Admiral's
wrath.
******************** TO
BE CONTINUED *********************