"Master Chief Calloway?" "The Navy was my life." "You took that away from me." "Stand down, Lynch." "Too late for that." "All you had to do was give me a second chance." "Blacksburg Unicom, this is stearman November-Romeo 153 for a straight-in approach on Runway 24." "Blacksburg Unicom." "Wind's out of the southeast about five knots." "Click twice for runway lights." "Roger." "Thank you." "One-five-three, you really kissed that one on." "Yes." "Hey, what's in the box?" "Stuff that dreams are made of." "Oh, well, that certainly clears that up." "Come on, who's it for?" "There's no tag." "Excuse me, but the admiral wants to see you, sir." " He said it was urgent." " Thank you." "Can you put this on my desk?" "And this and this." "Yeah, you're welcome." "You want a hand with that, major?" "It's nothing I can't handle." "Tried calling you at your home last night." "I'm sorry, sir." "I was flying." "How'd that go?" "Well, admiral, I tried landing at night about a month ago." "I damn near killed myself." "Last night, I aced it." "You didn't leave a message, sir." "Well, I wanted to talk face-to-face." "SECNAV's willing to approve the change of your designator to 1310." "Well, that is the option you wanted, correct?" "To be a naval aviator?" "Yes, sir." "I just didn't think it would happen this quickly." "Commander, have you fully considered what you're giving up here?" "A very promising career in JAG, with contacts on Capitol Hill, the Pentagon." "Well, sir, I've been thinking a lot about that lately, yes." "Do more good for the Navy and yourself as a lawyer." "Point well taken, admiral." "I've spent a lot of sleepless nights trying to figure it all out." "On the one hand, flying was my life until retinal scarring took that away, but on the other hand, my life here at JAG, sir, has turned out a whole lot better than I had any right to hope it would." "Only it's not enough." "Excuse me, admiral, there is an Agent Holland from NCIS to see Commander Rabb, sir." "Better see what she wants." "I'll expect your decision by the end of the week." "Dismissed." "Aye, aye, sir." "Thank you." "We have a lead on Charles Lynch." "He killed two women in a hotel in Wilmington, Delaware three nights ago." "Angela Dalla Valle, the owner of the hotel, and Marjorie Lewis." "Dar-Lin and Annie's aunt." "He stomped her to death." "Just like he did to Annie." "Yeah, there was no attempt to conceal the bodies, commander, no effort to clean up the crime scene." "It was a spontaneous, unorganized homicide." "He's out of control." "Give me 10 bucks of regular." " How you doing, master chief?" " You in the Navy?" "Machinist's mate 2nd class on the Patrick Henry." "Do you miss it?" "Yes." "All this action in the Balkans, I'm thinking about going back." "I left once." "Going back now is the smartest thing I ever did." "Where you headed?" "Trying to get back the rest of what I lost." "He looks just like you, Harriet." "You think so?" "Everybody keeps telling me he looks like Bud." "Oh, he has your eyes." "Oh, thank you." "What do you think, major?" "I think he's just gorgeous." "I wanna hold him." "Okay, come here." "I think A.J. Is more handsome than he is gorgeous because" "A.J., as in Albert Jethro?" " No, A.J. As in A.J." " The admiral doesn't need to know." "Well, how you gonna handle the christening?" "The admiral will be there." "Yeah, what if he calls him Al or...?" "We'll think of something." "Oh, he's hungry." "Are you hungry, sweetheart?" "Come here." "It's time for some dinner." "Okay." "It's okay." "It's okay." "Come on, it's okay." "Hey, why don't we open the present, Bud?" "Oh, sir, you didn't have to." "I wanted little A.J. To have something to remember me by." "It's die-cast." "It's got an operating headlight, smoke, a whistle." "Thank you, sir." "So how much time you have left in your family leave, Bud?" "My two weeks are up tomorrow, but Commander Brumby has me working on the Dawkins case." "It's a real doozy." "I'm surprised that you gave it up." "I didn't give it up." "The admiral gave it to Brumby." "Charles Lynch has resurfaced." "What do you need, sir?" "Chaser with a beer back." "I'm tapped out." "On me." "Bad week?" "Had to take care of a couple of things that were bothering me." "It's behind me now." "You ever wish your life had turned out different?" "Pretty much every day." "You ever think:" ""What if I could go back, straighten things out?"" "Say you're sorry to the people you hurt?" "Stuff like that?" "Done that." "What about the people that hurt you?" "What if you could even up the score?" "Start with a clean slate?" "Whatever it is, let it go." "Can't do that." "That's the only way you're ever gonna move past your anger." "What do you do if anger's all you have?" "Wonder what it's like to be as happy as Bud and Harriet." "They're working 12-hour shifts, they're up all night with a baby." "They don't have time to be happy." "They don't have to find time." "They just are." "I mean, don't you want that at all?" "There's a lot of time for stuff like that, Mac." "Yeah?" "Don't be so sure." "When was the last time you saw Jordan?" "Couple weeks ago." "She told me to give her a call when I decided if I was leaving JAG." "Have you?" "You know, I keep thinking what it would be like to go back and see what I've missed, start with a clean slate." "You have anything but a clean slate." "Look, I'm interested in the future too, Harm." "More and more, I want a life that is simple and good." " A great career, a good man" " And comfortable shoes." " Lots and lots of them." " Yeah." "Yeah." "Naval Criminal Investigative Service." "This is Harold Broky with the Wilmington Police." "I need to speak with the agent in charge of the double homicide at the New Eden Hotel." "Please hold." "This is Agent Holland." "Who am I speaking to?" "You're wasting your time looking for Charlie Lynch." "He died two hours ago." "I reached three people that served with Lynch, sir." "It helps to fill out his service record." "As you know, he was a gunner's mate 1 st class on the Sterett." "His first offence was a bar fight with some locals in Wilmington." "He received captain's mast." "Yeah, but there were eyewitnesses testifying the two men jumped him, so his punishment was suspended." "His second offence was four months later, where he assaulted a shipmate in the same bar." "Place called Boomer's." "He was busted down to petty officer 3rd class." "Then he missed ship's movement by design." "Now, he was in custody on base, pending transfer to his ship when Master Chief George Calloway, chief master-at-arms, attempted to help Lynch." "He and Lynch got into a shoving match, and according to his administrative separation paperwork:" ""His pattern of misconduct indicates he is unable or unwilling to change his violent ways, despite his best efforts and the efforts of others on his behalf."" "Lieutenant, when you have a moment, Dawkins awaits." "I'll be right there, sir." "I asked the lieutenant to give me a hand." "I'm sorry, Mic." "Right, not a problem, Harm." "All for a good cause, I'm sure." "Rabb." "What?" "When?" "Keep me informed." "Thanks." "That was Agent Holland." "She just got a tip that Charlie Lynch had been killed." " Was it for real?" " The killing was real." "It wasn't Lynch." "The victim was Master Chief Calloway." "Shot twice at close range with hollow-point rounds." "Where are you headed, sir?" "Delaware." "Lynch hid out there for three months." "That's where he killed Marjorie Lewis." "And that's evidently where he used to hang out, at Boomer's Bar." " What's on your mind, major?" " It's about Commander Rabb, sir." "I know that he still hasn't made up his mind." "I was wondering if there was anything you could do to make him stay." "If he wants to go, major, nothing I wanna do about it." "Have a seat." "I don't want any man or woman working for me that doesn't wanna be here, that this isn't their highest priority." "I expect the best undivided attention of everyone here." "Anything less is unacceptable." "Have you tried to talk him out of it, sir?" "Twice." "I think I may have gotten through to him." "Do you ever get used to it, admiral?" "Losing people?" "Moving on is a fact of military life, major." "I know that, sir, and it's always been fine with me until now." "It's a mistake to get comfortable with a billet or with personnel." "Anyway, if he does choose to leave, he can always come back, right?" "Not necessarily." "You chose to resign once, major." "Damn lucky I took you back." "Thought long and hard before I did it." "Aren't we past that, admiral?" "Forgiven, but not forgotten." "Thank you, sir." "This has been truly alarming." "Anytime." " Here you go." " Thanks." "We don't open for another hour, but can I get you something?" "Actually, ma'am, I'm here on official business." "There was a murder not too far from here in a hotel room." "Two women were killed." "I'm aiding the investigation." "I need to know if you've seen this man." "What did he do?" "He has a history of violence towards women." "You're kidding." "He treated me great." "Well, when was he here?" "Last night." "We had a nice talk." "He was thinking about starting over in life, a fresh start." "What else did you two talk about?" "He did have some anger issues, but I told him what I learned in my 12-step programme, let it go." "Did he happen to tell you which way he was headed?" "South, he said." "To even up old scores." "Social Services." "Yes, this is Agent Holland, Naval Criminal Investigative Service." "We're working on the murder of Annie Lewis." "I need to speak with the social worker who handled the family." "Hold on, sir." "Yeah, this is Ms. Rawlings." "Hello?" "Hello?" "We're gonna find you a nice family to live with real soon, Dar-Lin." "Jordan, why can't I go back to my real home?" "Dar-Lin, there's no one in the house on Evers Road." "What about Aunt Marjorie?" "If Charlie went away, why can't I stay with her?" "Did Charlie kill her too?" "Yes." "Charlie will never hurt you again, Dar-Lin." "I promise you that." "Sweetheart, I need to ask you a few questions." "When you were living with your Aunt Marjorie and Charlie, did he ever blame you for anything?" "I mean, did he ever tell you that something was your fault?" "He said it was because of us he didn't find no job or nothing." "He said it was your fault?" "That's why he hit us." "And then what happened?" "He always say he's sorry and hug us." "You mind if I give you a hug?" "Excuse me, ma'am." "I'm looking for Ms. Rawlings." "That's me." "I'm a little bit busy right now." "Just take a second, ma'am." "My name's Harry Lewis." "I'm looking for my sister's kids." "I went out to the house on Evers Road, but there was nobody home." "You're Wanda Lewis' brother?" "Step-brother, actually." "The family's all broken up." "We only got close just before she died in '96." "And why exactly are you here?" "I've been out of the country, ma'am." "Chief master-at-arms on the Coral Sea." "I heard Grandma Lewis passed, and I was wondering what happened to Annie and Dar-Lin." "Well, Annie's dead." "Excuse me?" "Murdered." "When?" "Three months ago." "What about Dar-Lin?" " Mr. Lewis" " Master Chief Lewis." "Who is Dar-Lin?" "Annie's twin." "Social Services has no record of a twin sister for Annie Lewis." "The family didn't like to talk about it a lot, ma'am." "The little girl wasn't quite right." "She had a birth defect." "She was institutionalised till she was 6." "She only came to live with the family four or five months ago, ma'am." "I would have known about this." "Families have secrets, ma'am." "That's one thing I've learned over the years." "Why don't you come back tomorrow, chief?" " I'll have some information" " Master Chief." "And today would be better." "That's not gonna happen." "Thank you for all your help, ma'am." "I'll be in touch." "You're right." "Lynch blames the people around him for his problems." "Right now, he's going after anyone he thinks did something to hurt him." "If Charlie blames Dar-Lin for screwing up his life, he'll come after her." "I'm gonna make arrangements to have her moved." "She's on a Navy base." "How much safer can she get?" "Charlie killed Annie on a Navy base, Jordan." "Dar-Lin is a remarkably resilient child." "She's making excellent progress in therapy." "But in order to heal, she needs a stable environment." "Every time you move her, it sets her back." "Sometimes I get the impression she doesn't like me." "You remind her of how vulnerable she was when you saved her life." "How vulnerable she still is." "She's learning how not to be that easy to hurt again." "She's growing a thicker skin." "But she needs to separate herself from you, Harm." "That's how she's gonna survive." "How much is this gonna cost?" "Two hundred and 50 bucks, unless you're handicapped." "What's the badge?" "Master-at-arms." "That like a cop?" "Security, discipline, enforcement, investigation." "We take care of the bad guys." " Professional courtesy." " Thank you." "You know, I was sent up to get some background on Annie Lewis." "Terrible, what happened." "The whole department pitched in." "All five of us." "We're a small town." "Who from the Navy did your deputies talk to about the case?" "Some lawyer." "Is she under protective custody?" "I hear they're keeping her at the Washington Navy Yard." "This Navy lawyer have a name?" "Yeah, a funny name." "Rabb." "Harmon Rabb." "That's the kind of name you'd remember." "Commander Rabb." "It's Skates, sir." "Lt. Elizabeth Hawkes." "RIO on the Seahawk." "What brings you to JAG?" "You in some kind of trouble?" "I came to see you, sir." "That's as much trouble as I need." "F-14 flight manual, weapons-systems handbook..." "NATOPS checklist." "Why don't we step into my office, lieutenant?" " Where are you stationed now?" " Just finished LSO school." "Report to NAS Oceana next week." " You still in F-14s?" " Is there any other way to go?" "My squadron's deploying to the Med on the Patrick Henry." "I included the open-book exams for all three manuals." "How did you know I might need these?" "My fiancé works for SECNAV's office." "He was telling me about this aging retread." "Aging retread?" "Those were his words, sir." "Your name came up and, well, I figured these come in handy." "Well, thank you." "Maybe we'll get to fly together someday." "Maybe you'll be my RIO." "If you're lucky, sir." "Well, that's something to look forward to." "Hang on a second." " Rabb." " Commander, Agent Holland." " Could you hang on one second?" " Sure." " This is gonna take a while." " No problem, sir." "I gotta meet my guy for lunch." " Maybe I'll see you at Oceana." " Okay." "Excuse me, commander." "Agent Holland, Lieutenant Commander Parker has just stepped in." "Let me put you on the speakerphone." "I got a call this morning from Social Services in North Mountain, Maryland." "A Navy master chief claiming to be Dar-Lin Lewis' uncle showed up." "He was looking for Dar-Lin." "Said he wanted to get his family back together again." "Ms. Rawlings didn't give him any information, did she?" "Oh, no." "Luckily, she got suspicious and called us first." "Social Services had no record of Dar-Lin." "Correct." "The master chief claimed she'd been in an institution." "Well, that's not true." "According to what we've learned," "Dar-Lin's mother, Wanda, was too strung out to handle two babies." "Before Dar-Lin went to her grandmother's, she was with cousins." "Knowledge of her came when Harm found her after Annie's death." "Well, we faxed a photograph of Charles Lynch to Ms. Rawlings." "She identified him as the man she spoke to, and we have established a Fugitive Task Force to track him down." "Thanks for the update, Agent Holland." "We'll be in touch." "The U.S. Attorney's office has arranged for Dar-Lin's transfer to Yuma at 0800 tomorrow." "Well, I'd like to talk to her first, Harm." " To prepare her." " Well, let's do it now." "We just received the court's authorization for the release of Lynch's juvenile and psychiatric records." "Lynch's mother was beaten to death by a drunken boyfriend." "The police found him sitting next to the body." "He was placed in a foster home, only to be moved to another at the request of the family." " Problems with his temper?" " Naturally." "What's tragic is he begged to return to the foster family." "He loved it there." "All he ever wanted was a family." "He just couldn't get along." "Three juvenile hall placements." "Each time, Charlie got in trouble for the same reason." "Uncontrollable temper directed against someone close to him." "Don't tell me you're starting to feel sorry for this guy, Jordan." "Everyone who's come in contact with him has said the same thing." "Let me guess." "Great guy to be around until the last 20 seconds." "Charles was brought up by no one." "He had no idea how to live in this world." "Despite his best efforts, he failed at everything he did." "Well, he's mastered one skill." "And what's that?" "Really good at killing people." "Perfect." " How are you feeling, Dar-Lin?" " Okay." "Commander Rabb needs to tell you something." "I didn't do anything wrong." "No, honey, Commander Rabb is your friend." "Dar-Lin, we need to move you to another house." "Why?" "I've been good." "I know you've been good." "It's just a precaution." "We want you to be safe." "I don't wanna go." "Help you, master chief?" "I heard the prettiest Marines in the entire Corps got assigned to SECNAV." "I wanted to see if it's true." "Seriously, corporal, I'm in the recruiting office in Des Moines." "Wondering if I could get a picture of the secretary of the Navy to hang on my wall back there." "We generally respond to requests in writing." "I was passing through D.C." "And thought I'd save you the trouble of sending a letter back." "Could I get that signed?" ""Thanks for the hard work, Charlie."" "Wait one minute, and I'll take it into him now." "Thanks so much." "I appreciate it." "And they're right about the prettiest Marines." "Jordan, I want you to know" "I couldn't have done any of this without your help." "And I appreciate how difficult this must have been for you, considering our circumstances." "This isn't about me, Harm." "I heard the lieutenant tell you she might see you down at Oceana." "SECNAV has approved my change of designator." "Then you've decided?" "Look, Jordan, I'm not going anywhere until I get this guy." "I'll see you tomorrow." "Actually, you'll see me later this afternoon." "Bud and Harriet invited me to A.J.'s christening." "I understand you and Mac are the godparents." "Baptism marks and celebrates the gracious transforming work of God within us." "Not just in the moment of baptism itself, but throughout the whole of life." "ID, sir." "I have a letter for Lieutenant Commander Harmon Rabb." "Hand delivery." "Park in Lot B. There'll be a guard there." "Show him the letter and your ID, and he'll take you to the quarters." "Thanks." "Bud and Harriet, will you be responsible and loving toward A.J., remaining faithful to him whatever the future may bring, respecting him wherever he may go, and remembering always that he is a child of God?" " We will." " We will." "Halt." "Advance and be recognised." "Flowing water is the central symbol of baptism, of cleansing and new beginnings, of God's holy spirit poured out on all who belong to God." "Dar-Lin?" "Dar-Lin!" "Dar-Lin!" "I know you're here!" "Dar-Lin!" "Where are you?" "A.J. Roberts," "I baptise you in the name of God, your living creator, in the name of Jesus, your redeemer, in the name of the Holy Spirit, the giver of life." "Receive this child." "Embrace him with love." "Be happy together." "Amen." "Think you can be real good?" "That's my girl." "I don't want you to be afraid of me, Dar-Lin." "Give me your hand." "All that matters now is that we're together." "We're family." "I underestimated him, Jordan." "There's one good sign." "He didn't kill Dar-Lin." "If all he wanted was revenge for some imagined crime, he would have murdered her on the spot." "But he planned this." "He took her with him." "What does he want with her?" "He has a pattern, Harm." "First, he loses his temper and hurts those close to him, and then once he realises what he's done, he begs for forgiveness and a chance to start over." "The bartender in Wilmington told me that he wanted to make a fresh start." "His psychological profile suggests that all he ever wanted was a family." "I think Dar-Lin's gonna be safe for the short term." "Yeah, until she does something to set him off." "The FBI is checking the house on Evers Road." " He won't be there." " Where else would Charlie call home?" "The Navy's the only place he ever called home." "He fought to stay in the service." "He said it was his life." "I got your favourite." "Pepperoni and extra cheese." "Go on, eat." "Eat." "I'm sorry." "Everybody spills, sweetheart." "Here." "I have something I wanna show you." "You wanna see it?" "This is the secretary of the Navy." "He's a very important man." "He signed it personally." ""Thanks for all the hard work, Charlie."" "It pays to be good, Dar-Lin." "Play by the book." "Annie never learned that." "She never did what she was told." "Don't make that mistake." " Hello?" " Bud, it's Harm." "Sorry to wake you." "Oh, no, it's no problem, sir." "I was already awake with baby A.J." "Tell me again the ships that Charles Lynch served on." "He served on the Sterett, the Bunker Hill and the Seabridge, sir." "They're all guided missile cruisers, right?" "The first two are, the Seabridge is an aviation-Iogistics ship." "Where are they based?" "Well, the Sterett is decommissioned, the Bunker Hill is in WestPac, and the Seabridge is in the Philadelphia naval shipyard." "Thanks." "Go back to sleep." "This is an aviation-Iogistics support ship, Dar-Lin." "It provides maintenance and logistic support for Marine Corps tactical aircraft." "Is this your boat?" "Ship, honey." "Yes, it was." "The Seabridge." "We went very far away from here to the Persian Gulf." "I was only a seaman apprentice then." "Did you like it?" "It was the best time of my life." "At night on the open ocean, the sky is so clear, you can see the Milky Way, like a ribbon woven with stars." "Cold?" "Anything you want, Dar-Lin." "All you have to do is ask." "You wanna go onboard?" " Holland." " This is Lieutenant Commander Rabb." "I've found what looks to be the master chief's sedan, pierside at the Philadelphia naval shipyard." "Good work." "Don't do anything until I have all the teams in place." "The last thing I need is a lawyer getting shot." "Reload that magazine while the gun is firing without having to stop shooting." "The mount above us can stow up to 20 rounds of ready service ammunition that can be fired by one person in this room." " Harm." " Stay with me." "Put down the weapon and let Dar-Lin walk away." "I can't do that." "I don't want her to be hurt in any way, Charlie." "Never would, sir." "I respect that." "I know you care deeply for the little girl." "Oh, you're damn right I do." "She's the only family you have." "You're gonna take good care of her, aren't you?" "That's your intention." "Tell him, Dar-Lin." "I bought her a pizza." "Pepperoni and double cheese." "Well, that shows concern." "I gave her my coat." "What the hell else do you want me to do?" "I want you to let her go." "That's what's best for her, Charlie." "Right now, that's all I care about." "She loves me." "Why don't we make it her choice?" "What do you wanna do, Dar-Lin?" "Stay with Charlie?" "Put your weapon down, commander." "I'll do that." "You do the same." "Dar-Lin, step through the hatch and wait for me outside." "Stay right here, Dar-Lin." "He just wants to put you in a home where nobody will love you." "Dar-Lin, do as you're told!" "Run, Dar-Lin." "Hold it." "Drop it." "Then what?" "Then we walk out of here." "I walk out of here now." "Alone." "Charlie, there's something I need to know." "Why did you kill Annie?" "I told her not to get on that school bus." "She just wanted to be with kids her own age." "She disrespected me." "And for that, you beat her to death?" "You have a problem with that?" "Yeah, I got a problem with that." "A man comes at you with an axe, you have no choice, do you, commander?" "None at all, ma'am." "Excuse me." "You're gonna be okay now, Dar-Lin." "They're gonna take good care of you, okay?" "You don't have anything to worry about." "Okay?" "Oh, almost forgot." "Come with me." "All right." "Sure I will, sweetie." "Commander, we need your statement." "That's gonna have to wait, Agent Holland." "I have something more important to do right now." "Commander Rabb to see you, sir." "Send him in." "Nice work last night, commander." " Oh, thank you, sir." " How's the little girl?" "She's with Commander Parker, sir." "Now that this problem is resolved, she can be taken out of protective custody and put up for adoption." "Good, good." "I had these sent over from the Bureau of Personnel." "Orders to report to Pensacola in 48 hours." "Say the word and they will be cancelled." "You understand, sir, this is something that I have to do." "What I understand, commander, is that you're throwing away a brilliant career and taking a giant step backwards." "Sorry to leave you short-handed, sir." "No problem." " Brumby will replace you here." " Brumby?" "His exchange programme has been extended." "He's a good man, gets along with people." "Major seems to like him." "Admiral, it has been a pleasure serving under your command, sir, and" "That will be all, commander." "Good luck." "Dismissed." "Aye, aye, sir." "Damn." "Did you tell him?" "Yes." "What the hell am I gonna do without you?" "Sorry for the language, sir." "Well, for starters, Bud, you'll probably win a few more cases." "Well, I'd rather lose to you than beat anybody else in court." "Technically, you haven't lost to me, Bud." "You'll do great." "Hey." " Yes?" " Getting a look at my new digs, mate." "Pleasure working with you, Harm." "Well, it's been something, Mic." "Did you think you'd sneak away without saying goodbye?" "Well, why goodbye and not good luck?" "Didn't I say that to you once, when I was stupid enough to leave JAG?" "Yes, you did." "You said you were happy for me." "I was." "But that was different." "You were in love." "And you're not?" "What does love have to do with anything?" "Hey..." "You want me to water your plants while you're gone?" "I don't have any plants." "Oh, damn it." "I have so much I wanna say to you, but I can't..." "I can't find the words." "I know." "Oh, damn you." "Why am I the only one crying?"