HONOR & BETRAYAL....PART 35
************************
INT
INTERVIEW ROOM
BRIG
1132 HOURS
Sporting a bruise across the lower left side of his face and a
split lower lip, Captain Peterson paces the floor anxiously.
At length, the door opens revealing a marine guard and then Agent Holland.
PETERSON
Well, well.....Agent Holland!.......What brings you all the
way out here?
HOLLAND
Well, Captain, you should know by now that I'm here
routinely!...It's part of my job!
PETERSON
(sarcastically)
Well, Ms Holland, just exactly what part of your job brings
you here to see me?
ADMIRAL
(interrupting, as he enters the room)
How does a nine millimeter, Mk22 handgun sound to you, Jimmy?
Surprised by AJ's interjection, Peterson gazes over Holland's
shoulder to see AJ entering the room. As the Admiral approaches,
Peterson notes the angry glare in his eyes.
PETERSON
(avoiding AJ's question)
AJ!......Coming to pay me a visit after all this
time?
CHEGWEDDEN
Hardly, Jimmy! I just wanted to be
here to see the expression on your face when Agent Holland informs you of the
new charges pending against you.
PETERSON
Charges! What charges?....(turning to Holland)
What the hell's he talking about?
CHEGWIDDEN
What about the weapon, Jimmy? Do you still own
yours?
PETERSON
Yah, .....when last I checked! .......Why?......What's it to
you?
CHEGWIDDEN
(angrily giving Peterson a quick shove and knocking Peterson
backward)
What's it to me?.....(pushing him a second
time) What's it to me?! ..........Well, let me tell you,
Jimmy!.......Its 9 millimeter magazine carries a 158 grain slug! The same
type of slug that they pulled out of Commander Rabb after he'd been shot
and left to bleed to death in a damned alleyway.
(staring glaringly into Peterson's eyes) Is any of this sounding
familiar to you at all, Jimmy?
PETERSON
(outraged)
So! ..... What, you think I did
it?
ADMIRAL
Well, the slug was from your
weapon!
PETERSON
What?
HOLLAND
Ballistics just confirmed the match, Captain! Your weapon
fired the slug that was removed from the Commander's
body.
CHEGWIDDEN
Looks like this is your day of reckoning, Jimmy!
PETERSON
Come on, AJ, you can't be serious about
this!.... I mean what motive would I of had for doing
something like that?
CHEGWIDDEN
I'm not sure what your motives were, Jimmy and frankly, I don't
give a damn. All I know is that because their paths briefly
crossed yours, two of my people have suffered grievous consequences in
both their personal and in their professional lives. And for that, you are
going to have hell to pay!
PETERSON
(turning to Holland, deep anxiety now evident in his
expression)
Yah well, I'm going to demand a change of venue, AJ because
there's no way in hell that I'm going to get a fair hearing around
here!
CHEGWIDDEN
Tell it to your lawyer, Jimmy! ...... And your right, ........ you
probably should consider someone outside of JAG Ops to defend you on the
attempted murder charge!........I think there's going to be a widespread problem
with objectivity among my staff.
With those words, Chegwidden steps away from Peterson and walks
toward the door.
CHEGWIDDEN
(turning back to him as he attempts to suppress
his anger toward Peterson)
Oh, and Jimmy! Don't worry about the strings you pulled the
last time!........All things considered, I'm sure that they'll be be
permanently severed just as soon as the word's out that you're
facing additional charges of attempted murder.
He walks to the door and opens it.
CHEGWIDDEN
(addressing the Marine Sergeant standing at his post outside the
door)
We're finished here, Sergeant! Get this man
out of my sight before I decide to do something to him that I'll
regret!
SERGEANT
Yes, Sir!
Peterson walks passed the Admiral their eyes meeting in
mutual animosity. Chegwidden watches the Marine escort
Peterson off down the corridor then turns to the second Marine stationed at the
door of the interview room.
CHEGWIDDEN
(addressing the second Marine)
Corporal, where's Commander Rabb? I requested to see
him nearly twenty minutes ago.
CORPORAL
(apologetically, standing stiffly at attention)
Yes Sir! You did, Sir! And Master Sergeant Durant
acted immediately upon your request, Sir!
ADMIRAL
So why isn't he here, Corporal?
CORPORAL
I......don't know, Sir!.....I can check on it for
you, Sir!
CHEGWIDDEN
By all means, Corporal, please do! I don't have
all day!
CORPORAL
Yes Sir!
With those words the Corporal hastily walks off down the
corridor.
******************
INT
BRIG GYMNASIUM
1146 HOURS
Entering the gym, Lieutenant Malory observes Rabb standing by
the heavy bag wearing a tank top and sweat pants and a pair of boxing
gloves. As Rabb aggressively and repeatedly pounds the heavy bag in
front of him, Malory walks toward Harm and pauses momentarily to
observe the angry and frustrated expression on his prosecuting attorney's
face.
MALORY
(curiously)
Getting all that pent up anger out, Sir?
Harm grabs hold of the bag to stop it's motion then turns toward
the sound of the voice that had just addressed him.
RABB
(observing Malory as he wipes the sweat from his
brow)
Lieutenant Malory.
MALORY
(in greeting)
Sir!.......(pauses, indicating the heavy bad) So, who
was the punching bag, Sir?
RABB
(his brow drawn in confusion)
Excuse me?
MALORY
The heavy bag, Sir!.....The way you were going at it, it'd be
my guess that it wasn't the heavy bag you were hitting at all.
Rabb only answers Malory with a slight grin and a raised
eyebrow.
MALORY
(with a note of humor in his voice as he draws
nearer)
It's okay, Sir!.....You're not loosing it or anything. Hell,
the first three weeks I was in lock down, ..... this here bag!?......Well,
Sir,...... it was wearing you're face!
RABB
Really! ...... Well,.... can't say as I blame you there!
MALORY
It was very therapeutic, Sir! .... It got out all that anger and
frustration. Same as what you were just doing!
RABB
I was just working out, Lieutenant.
MALORY
Yah, I bet!......On Captain Peterson's face! ......Scuttlebutt has
it that you're in here because you assaulted him in an open
court.
RABB
News travels fast!
MALORY
Not really! It's just that there's not a whole lot to do in
here for one thing, so scuttlebutt's sort of a favorite past time among
the inmates. But then Captain Peterson was quick to brag about how he was
going to nail your ass to the wall because of what you did to
him.
RABB
Well, I'm sure he'll try, Lieutenant!
MALORY
Just out of curiosity, Sir,...... if there had been a weapon handy,
do you think you would of shot the guy?
Rabb is taken aback by the Lieutenant's question.
RABB
(at length)
I doubt it, Lieutenant!....
MALORY
Really, Sir?
RABB
Really, Lieutenant.
MALORY
(draws nearer to Rabb so that his words can only
be heard by Rabb)
I know what he does to women, Commander! And
if you knew what he'd done to your Colonel friend.....then I'd say you were
definitely in a state of mind to have taken the bastard out!......Now, am I far
off my mark here, or what?
RABB
Killing the man would only have served to lower myself to his
level, Lieutenant!
MALORY
With respect, Sir, but the same could be said for
assaulting a senior officer in an open court room. And now that your
standards have been knocked down a few notches, so to speak, I'm
sure you realize that in the heat of passion, there's no limit as to how
low a man can go, now is there?
RABB
(annoyed)
What is it you want from me anyway, Malory?
MALORY
Nothing, Sir!.....Just wanting to point out that even guys like you
are vulnerable to making serious mistakes. I mean, you get into that court
room and in the course of doing your duty, you don't think twice about the
person you're destroying in the process.
RABB
You're wrong about that, Lieutenant! But more often than not,
the defendant has committed some sort of grievous crime for which I can find no
empathy. As for me, I'm paying for my mistakes, Lieutenant, and yah,
what I did was in the heat of the moment. But that doesn't excuse
my actions. And in spite of my remorse for what I've done, I
know I have to face the consequences whatever they may be.
MALORY
Well.......I guess that makes you a better man then I am, Sir,
because I refuse to go down alone for something that wasn't entirely my
fault. (he pauses for a long moment) Are you get'n out of here soon
enough to be prosecuting my case, Sir?
RABB
At this point in time, I haven't been advised to the
contrary!
MALORY
Are you still interested in some sort of plea bargain
then?
RABB
Whatever you've got, Malory!.....Only you should
be talking to Colonel Becker about this first, not me.
MALORY
(gazing toward the door and observing MS Durant
entering the gym)
I probably shouldn't be talking to you at all,
Sir!.....You're on this brig's top ten list of the most unpopular guys to
associate with.
Rabb gazes in the direction of Malory's gaze and notices Durant
beginning to walk towards them.
MALORY
(continues)
But go ahead and set up a meet with Becker! I
can't! Peterson would be all over me if he ever found out what I was
up to.
Malory hastily walks away as Harm gazes back toward the
door and observes Durant approaching him. Further antagonized
by Malory's last words, Harm turns his attention to the heavy bag and begins to
pound it with his gloved fists. As Durant approaches Harm
he observes him with curiosity as Rabb repetitively strikes the bag even
more furiously than before.
DURANT
Commander Rabb!
RABB
(sharply striking the bag as he answers Durant
with exaggerated politeness)
Yes...Master Sergeant.....Durant!
DURANT
(annoyed by Rabb's tone and manner)
I've been looking everywhere for you, Rabb!.....You're supposed to
be having lunch in the mess hall.
RABB
(stopping the motion of the punching
bag)
Yah, ....well, .....I really wasn't very
hungry.
DURANT
I thought Corporal Tate apprised of the rules of my
section?
RABB
(sarcastically)
Your section?! (pauses noting Duran't increasingly
agitated demeanor) Yeah, ...as a matter of fact, he did!
DURANT
So what's your excuse for being here, then?
RABB
Like I said, Master Sergeant, I wasn't hungry so I thought
I'd come here and work out instead.
DURANT
Sort of see if you could bend the rules a little bit!... Maybe push
some buttons so to speak to see how this Master Sergeant would
react.
RABB
(contemptuously)
Actually, Durant,.... none of this was about you! All I
wanted to do was spend what little free time I had doing what I wanted and
that's all. It had nothing to do with you or your damn
rules.
DURANT
(his quick temper brewing)
Well, then just so we're clear, Rabb, .....the rule of thumb for
section A is very simple! You be at your scheduled place at your
scheduled time! Is that understood?!
RABB
(arrogantly)
Fine!.....Because there's nothing I want more than
to get through my two weeks in this damn place without any further
unpleasantries from you or anyone else for that matter! .......Now, is
there anything else, Master Sergeant?
DURANT
(drawing closer to Rabb and eyeing him
angrily)
Yeah!....You've got five minutes to shower and
change. The Judge Advocate General.......you know,.. your boss.....he's
been downstairs waiting for you going on thirty minutes now! ....Not a
positive reflection on my managerial skills when one of my inmates can't
be found.
RABB
(mockingly emphasizing the
pronouns)
Your section.......your inmates. A
little heavy on the possessive pronouns, aren't you Master
Sergeant?
DURANT
Not at all! I take my job seriously, Rabb, and when
someone makes me look bad, well, I don't appreciate it very
much!......
RABB
Yah, well, lighten up a little, Durant! You
might find out that you're actually enjoying your job a little.
DURANT
Oh, I enjoy my job just fine, Rabb! Especially the challenge
of keeping my inmates in check!
Rabb takes note of Durant's threatening tone and
demeanor.
RABB
Well, Durant, I can assure you that keeping this inmate in check
won't present you with any further challenge. So I guess you'll just have
to find your pleasure in some other poor bastard's misfortune!
(pauses shooting Durant an arrogant grin) Well.......I've got a
shower to take!
With those words, Rabb backs away from Durant, then turns and
heads for the gym's locker room.
DURANT
(gazing angrily after Rabb)
Rabb!
RABB
(pausing, turning back to Durant)
Yeah!
DURANT
Remember.......you've got five minutes! Can't keep the JAG
waiting too long, now can we?
RABB
Nope.......sure as hell can't!
With those words, Rabb walks off toward the locker
room. Durant watches him closely until Rabb disappears through the
doorway.
********************
INT
BRIG
1210 HOURS
Still waiting impatiently, AJ paces the
floor.
At that moment, footsteps are heard outside the doorway. The
door opens and Commander Rabb is escorted into the room by Master Sergeant
Durant. Both Rabb and Durant come to attention before the Admiral. Taking
note Harm's orange coveralls, AJ grins slightly with
amusement.
ADMIRAL
At ease, gentlemen! (walking to Rabb and observing him
from head to foot) Nice uniform, Commander! ...Blaze orange.....the color
suits you!
RABB
(amused by his CO's comment)
Well, thank you Sir!......But I can't say as I'm
too partial to it, myself, Sir!
DURANT
Admiral, ......Sir!.......My apologies for keeping you waiting,
Sir! But the Commander.......
ADMIRAL
Is here now, ...so thank you Master Sergeant! That will be
all!
Chegwidden notes the aggravation in the Master Sergeants demeanor
as Durant shoots Rabb a quick glance.
DURANT
Yes Sir!
With that, Durant hastily leaves the room shutting the door behind
him.
ADMIRAL
So, I see you've managed to make it through
your first night in lock down unscathed!
RABB
(smiling back)
Yes sir! Although sleep didn't come very easily,
Sir!
ADMIRAL
No, I suppose not! But, I can imagine you'll get used to it
pretty damn quick! (indicating the closed door through which
the Master Sergeant had disappeared) Now, want to to tell me what's
going on between you and Master Sergeant?
RABB
(confused)
Sir?
ADMIRAL
Well, by the look on the Master Sergeant's
face just now, I'd have to say that he already has some serious
issues in your regard.
RABB
With respect, Sir, but the Master Sergeant seems to have issues
with everyone, Sir!
ADMIRAL
Care to explain that?
RABB
(hesitantly as he chooses his words
carefully)
It's nothing to be concerned about, Sir! .....Durant
just has a bit of a tendency to be somewhat over zealous in the
performance of his duties is all, Sir!
ADMIRAL
By that are you inferring that he's mistreated you in some way ,
Commander?
RABB
(evasively)
No Sir!
ADMIRAL
(moving closer to his junior officer, their eyes
meeting)
Commander, if you feel that your well being is at risk in any
way, I'd expect you'd be forthcoming with that
information.
RABB
Admiral, I can assure you that I don't feel at risk at all,
Sir! I mean I'd admit that Durant is sort of a master at
intimidation, but other than that, he's probably pretty
harmless, Sir!
ADMIRAL
Well, Commander, if I were you, I wouldn't go testing his
resolve!
RABB
No Sir! I have no intention of doing that,
Sir!
ADMIRAL
In fact it'd me my advice to you to be on your best behavior for
the duration of your incarceration.
RABB
As was my intention, Sir!
ADMIRAL
....because unless I can get Admiral Morris to release you to my
custody, I'm afraid that the situation for you in here could possibly
deteriorate ......making alienating any member of the staff to your
disadvantage.
Rabb's brows narrow in suspicion as he observes the uneasiness in
the Admiral's demeanor.
RABB
Admiral, why am I getting the impression that all this has
something to do with Captain Peterson, Sir?
ADMIRAL
Because it does!. (turning away from Rabb and walking toward
the window)......Peterson's been formerly charged with your attempted
murder......and.....he's been advised as much.
RABB
On the basis of what evidence, Sir?
ADMIRAL
(reaching the window and gazing out into the
prison yard)
He had possession of a nine millimeter Mk22 handgun. .....the
weapon of choice in my days as Seal in Nam. (he pauses for a
long moment gazing back at Harm) The slug they pulled out of you,
.....It was an exact match with the weapon Agent Holland confiscated as
evidence from Peterson's home in Norfolk yesterday.
RABB
(shocked)
My God, is there nothing that man isn't capable of,
Sir!
ADMIRAL
(crossing his arms across his chest as he gazes
out the window)
If you knew the man the way I knew him, Commander, you'd
know the answer to that question.
RABB
(observing the Admiral closely)
You're referring to the years you served with his
team in Vietnam, aren't you, Sir?
AJ only answers Rabb with silence as his mind
drifts back in time to the dark memories of his days in
Vietnam.
RABB
Admiral?
ADMIRAL
(at length, a haunting expression filling his face as he gazes out
the window)
There was this one time we had orders to terminate this VC
Colonel. Intel had it that he'd been known to successfully interrogate
POW's to the point that it was undermining the effect of some of our air
strikes. So under the cloak of darkness, we penetrated the perimeter of
his home went in, and took the bastard out. But not before Peterson
had his way with him. Nearly compromised the entire mission because he
felt that a bullet to the man's head wouldn't suffice. So he took a knife
to the bastard instead. When he'd finished with him, he ordered me to put
a bullet into the Colonel's head just to make sure he was
dead!
Shocked by the Admiral's revelation, Rabb is only able to respond
with silence. A long silence passes
between the two men while AJ attempts to deal with the flood of emotions
running through him. Finally turning from the window, the Admiral
walks back to face his junior officer.
ADMIRAL
(his eyes meeting Rabb's)
So,..... in answer to your question, Harm, ....no, I don't believe
that there's anything that man isn't capable of.