Friday, February 28, 1997

Washington Holiday - 32

King Josif of Romania was planning on requesting admission to NATO and the hard liners in his country threaten to kill his daughter, Princess Alexandra- a spoiled brat, if he does. They shot her bodyguard, while at a function, as a warning to the king. Webb convinced the SECNAV to assign Harm as her '"escort" to official functions while she was in the country. While at a formal dinner she went to the bathroom and had another woman give H her clothes and tell him she had gone out the window. H followed her to a nightclub, where she was drunk and refused to return, so H had to carry her through the crowd. H met a new neighbor, Meghan O'Hara (played by Nancy Chambers, DJEs wife, the future "Singer") who said she was a reporter for a newspapers society column and tried to get "chummy." The king, who had been unhappy that H was "so young" when he first met, sat and talked with him after he retrieved her from the nightclub. The princess continued to flirt with and seduce H, appearing at his apartment one evening. Interpol was able to catch the assassin of the bodyguard and got names of his accomplices; namely, Vartan Kepish who was on the king's staff. Webb exposes Kepish and also said that the other assassin was a woman. The time came for the king to announce his intention for joining NATO and a military base, but he couldn't put his daughter at risk. Instead she got up and announced their intention. O'Hara, who was the assassin, had killed a maid and guards and was in the balcony behind a curtain with a rifle. H spotted the gun, pushed people out of the line of fire, and climbed to the balcony. O'Hara had the drop on him but hesitated killing him, so was shot by the secret service. H held her in his arms as she died. H was presented a "Romanian Medal" for his service to the crown.

Harriet was assigned to Norfolk & Bud was flummoxed. He made a date with her then stood her up due to a flat on a bridge without a spare. When he finally got to her she had accepted a date to the NATO ball with Ensign Nestor. B bumbled into asking someone from the office to the ball. M & H had to finagle to get them together at the dance.

The Game of Go - 23

A failed operation of Webb's to capture a drug lord, Carlos Estruga, got a marine, Sgt Jesus Silva, killed as they seemed to walk into a trap. W demanded the court marshal of a marine who failed to fire his weapon, Corporal Cordoba. Estruga called ambassador Witherspoon and was shown placing pieces on a game board while claiming that Silva was alive and "willing to speak on videotape about the failed attempt to kidnap me." Witherspoon's secretary, Marisol, was shown suspiciously listening in to all his telephone conversations. Harm, Mac and Bud were sent to investigate. Alfredo Rincon, a local drug investigator, revealed that Estruga was using Embara Indians as guards and that the guards had been unaware of the recon team until one of the marines gave away their position. Cordoba claimed that his gun had "jammed" making him unable to fire; so, M field stripped it to prove that it didn't jam. Webb went "ballistic" with M and demanded that the "coward" Cordoba be prosecuted. When she challenged W back, about knowing what it was like to be under fire, he claimed that he had been in the gulf war; but, his actions were classified. M told him that a Marine doesn't leave men behind and W said "there's a first time for everything." Thwarted, W began publicly embarrassing Cordoba to the point that H intervened and told him that if he did it again he would "kick back," so then W began embarrassing B instead. H & B went to meet Estruga at an appointed rendezvous but Estruga wasn't there, only the body of Silva and a videotaped message. W was continually using the radio and Lt Diaz told M that during the failed mission they "couldn't keep W off the horn."

The videotape message said that Estruga wanted the release of his brother Norbeto from prison in exchange for W. While they were watching the message Estruga played sounds of gunfire and battle over the radio making W believe that there was trouble and leave the compound so he could be captured. W hadn't revealed that Estruga's brother was being held to H and M, in order to prevent them from demanding that they trade him for Silva (when they thought him to be alive.) Suspecting one of two traitors, H and M devised a plan to flush out the real one. B called the ambassador, with Rincon in the room and Marisol listening in on the phone, and informed him of Hs plan to rescue W. Marisol called Estruga AND Rincon went directly to move Webb, so both were traitors. H was captured (in his plan) and taken to Estruga. H placed "go tokens" on the board and claimed that Rincon had turned "triple agent." M, with others including Cordoba, followed Rincon to Webb. They ran out of gas due to a failure to check the gauge and had to run the remaining miles. Estruga believed Hs ruse and flew to where W was being held. Just as Rincon was convincing Estruga that H was lying, M arrived with her troops. H kicked Estruga out of the helicopter and Cordoba shot several terrorists from all around the petrified Webb without hitting him. W said he was relieved that they had decided to trade Norbeto for him but H told him "state said you weren't worth it." H and M captured Estruga and Rincon who had run into a cane field. W had to apologize to Cordoba so B went over to stand by him and watch him do it. M almost kissed H.

Friday, February 21, 1997

Full Engagement - 31

[We learn more back story about Harm and his flying family as he and Mac get better acquainted.] Harm talked Mac into "playing hooky" and going with him flying in his Stearman over the Appalachian mountains. He let her fly and laughed as she got it into a power dive then delayed pulling it out to frighten Mac. They had engine trouble and had to land in an open field with a split fuel line. H wanted to stay near the plane but M insisted on looking for a cabin and marched off by herself until H followed. They heard gunshots which turned out to be three redneck poachers killing a game warden. When the leader of the group tried to tell H that he had bought the warden's jeep in an auction, H asked about the police radio too. One poacher took a shot at them so they fled to the jeep and tried to hot wire it mid a hailstorm of gunfire. M returned fire with her flare gun as H stole the fuel line from the jeep. M was shot in the leg and H carried her to safety as they set the jeep on fire. They used brandy to "sterilize the wound" but she got infected anyway. They built a shelter for the night and M blamed H for caring more about his plane, Sarah, than he did for them getting out. H revealed that his grandfather had earned his wings in a Stearman like that and had been "killed flying off the Hornet in '42." His grandmother had kept it under a tarp, and he and his dad were going to restore it; but, his dad was shot down in Vietnam. After Hs "night blindness" crash he spent time with his grandmother and restored the plane - "it was like dad was with me." The poachers caught up while M couldn't run any more so H led them away in a diversion. One poacher tracked M, however, and put down his gun to go at her with his knife and "have his way with her." H returned just in time to see some struggling in the bush and pull the dying man off M, stabbed with his own knife.

Meanwhile an MP showed up at JAG with a 16-year-old fraudulent enlistment, Angel Munoz, to keep an appointment with H for his hearing the next day. Bud took custody of him and began trying to contact H. After leaving 10 messages and paging many times, he went to search Hs apartment, in shambles from construction, for clues about where he was. He heard a message from M who was waiting at the airport. The hanger mechanic told B that "this wasn't the first time he had flown out of here with a pretty girl and not come back till the next day." B assured Munoz that this was uncharacteristic and that if H said he could use extenuating circumstances then he would believe him because "he's very good at impassioned pleas." The poacher leader was shown "finding" his stabbed brother and stating that "I was just going to kill them, now I'm going to make them hurt." He arranged for tracking dogs to come "at first light" so they could find H and M.

M "freaked out" over having blood on her hands that "wouldn't come off" and the "look in the poachers eyes as he knew he was going to die" which was "just like Eddie's." She said that "Eddie was the closest thing to a friend she had while she was growing up." He was her drinking buddy and they were "wasted" after her high school graduation dance. She remembered the cool window glass on her face as she rode with him, then being on the cement with blood all around and the look in Eddies eyes as he realized he was dying. She was in the hospital for a week before her uncle Matt picked her up and took her to Red Rock Mesa to dry her out from her alcoholism. She began blaming herself and H told her that he wouldn't blame himself if she wouldn't. She capitulated then called him "stick boy" and began ragging on him about him telling her that women had 10% more fat than men. The next day M couldn't feel her leg and appeared very ill. H promised her that he would "get her through this." A poacher found them and shot. H returned fire with the gun he took from the dead poacher; then, had to tell M that he "knew they shouldn't let women be marines because they fell apart" in order to get her to keep walking on her leg. She told him to "shut up, you've made your point" as she got up and ran ahead of him.

At Munoz's request Bud appeared before judge Morris (who had been a hard case ever since the gun incident); but, Morris wasn't going to listen. Munoz plead that he had "extenuating circumstances" then claimed that "he isn't a real lawyer"! After a chewing out Bud got a continuance. The poacher with the dogs found and shot at a decoy coat they set up; then, set off it's booby trap which hit him in the chest, close range, with a flare and killed him. H carried M, running, to the plane and was fixing the fuel line when the lead poacher arrived and began firing. H talked M through starting the engine while he returned fire; eventually hitting the poacher, but not before the plane had begun taxiing with M. H chased it, jumped in and barely missed the trees as they became airborne.

Friday, February 14, 1997

Ghosts -30

Chegwidden's friend, judge Laura DeLaney, was jogging along their usual jogging trail and ran away from him and into a booby trap meant for C. He noticed a miniature Buddha statue placed nearby with a hole in it's belly that had meaning to him from his Vietnam past. C was fearful for DeLaney, especially her confirmation hearings, so called of their relationship to her annoyance. Osborne came ostensibly wanting to know about the Buddha and C said that he didn't believe in ghosts. Osborne left a bug under the chair. C asked Harm to add a codicil to Cs will for him but wouldn't say what it was about. H found the Buddha statue in the garbage can and of course began investigating with Mac. Webb was having lunch with his mother and Boris Yeltsin and agreed to give H the name of Thomas Wilson (Goliath) who was a CIA section chief in Vietnam, in country with Osborne during operation Phoenix. H offered to pick up his mothers lunch (which M advised later was $500/plate). Wilson said that Jack Holford, an "over-the-edge" CIA agent waged his own SYOPS campaign against North Vietnamese Army sympathizers. He removed internal organs from those he'd killed (which meant they would not get to heaven whole) and the maimed Buddha as a warning. Holford was MIA and presumed dead. He had a squad from SEAL team 3 assigned to him which were now all dead except for C- the last one died in car accident 2 weeks ago. H discovered that the wrecking guy had found another Buddha placed on the car after the accident.

C still rebuffing H and said that he KNEW Holford was dead. W said that they had recently found a former VN refugee who had been bilking families of MIAs by showing them some artifacts and getting money for his "contacts" to track down their relatives. The crook had been ready to bilk Holford's relatives- which would be a big embarrassment to the CIA. Osborn was a "sweeper" who cleaned up messes. DeLaney forced herself back on C and cooked him dinner at his house. When C came home she came down the stairs which had been booby trapped and was killed by a mine. Mac accepted a date with a lab technician to get information on the mine- outdated, made for the CIA. H & B checked graves registration for Holford. Finally C confided in H that, while in VN, he had found Holford over a body of a dead "symp." C was arresting him when Holford was killed with a single pistol shot through the heart just as VC attacked. When C came back Holford's body was gone. C "set up" an elaborate scheme to capture Osborne having H notice a resignation on his desk and talk with B & M in the office about the address C he was going to so Osborne could listen in on his bug. C captured Osborne and took him into the woods near his house. C threw a knife into the ground for Osborne to use in a fight and when he picked it up he heard the click of a land mine activating. Osborne thought he would be killed if he moved and confessed as C was walking away. H had retrieved W so he could hear the confession. The CIA would "take care" of Osborn with another "sweeper." H wanted to go back to watch Osborn try and defuse the "training mine" but C prevented him saying "to watch would be taking pleasure, which is what he did."

Bud was assigned to defend two midshipman, Malcolm Holmes and Danvers, for kidnapping and accidentally killing Bill, the goat mascot of Annapolis. Bud had the body of the goat exhumed and autopsied. It hadn't died of suffocation in the trunk but rather of "old age" issues. He got them off with buying a new goat and doing walking punishment.

Wednesday, February 5, 1997

Trinity - 24

A baby, Jimmy Nevins/Barnes, the son of Lt Linda Nevins (daughter of Adm Nevins of SINC-PAC) & IRA member Lorcan Barnes (the ghost) was kidnapped from military base. The kidnapper left a poem, which was a favorite of Barnes, which seemed to be an indication that Barnes had the baby without actually saying it. Harm & Mac were sent to investigate and were met at the airport by Detective Jonathan Graham of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) who took them to their headquarters where they walked in on Inspector Vincent Hutchinson interrogating Linda Nevins. Incensed, H stopped Hutchinson leaving M to talk to Nevins. Hutchinson told Nevins that Barnes wanted the baby for a human shield which Nevins knew was completely absurd. Hutchinson told H that finding the baby was just "complicated the matter" of finding "the likes of Barnes." H replied that "the baby IS the matter." Barnes didn't tell Nevins of his IRA affiliation until they were talking marriage. She gave him an ultimatum and Barnes wrote her the poem and left. Knowing they were on their own to find the baby, Nevins remembered the name of an old friend of Barnes'. The friend denied knowing Barnes but told H he should visit a particular bar and order a particular drink, which they did. While H was ordering the drink an Irishman "chatted" M into a game of darts where he told her to "loose the RUC" tails that they had and where and when to meet. M caused the tails to loose them while H & Linda escaped to go to the address. They were captured by Barnes who didn't know anything about the kidnapping. Hutchinson was tracking H & M through the ID badges he had given them and came to capture Barnes. He escaped just in time, however, and when H realized the tracking device in his badge they put it on a dog.

Barnes said that Hutchinson had put out a ruse that his mother was dying and captured him while he was trying to see her. They used torture on him and nearly broke him into giving the names of his group until Barnes began reciting the poem over and over- which is how Hutchinson must have gotten the poem and set up the kidnapping as another ruse. Barnes believed that Hutchinson wouldn't let the baby live if he was to be exposed and said it would be better for him if he committed suicide than give himself up to Hutchinson. So H concocted a plan to have M "let slip" to Hutchinson that the baby had been seen at the infirmary and had a positive test for potentially fatal lyme disease. Barnes' group was able to track an address when a repeat lab test was sent in for confirmation of Lyme disease. The repeat test was negative, however, before H & Barnes could get to the address so Hutchinson realized he had been found out. He then ordered the baby to be killed but the kidnappers couldn't do it. Instead they decided to take the baby somewhere and leave him to be found. H & Barnes picked up M in their van and, while H drove the van around front, Barnes went in the back way to retrieve his. H recognized Graham driving the car with the baby and blocked it's path with the van. Graham began shooting and Barnes came out joining the battle. H & M faked having guns long enough for H to tackle Graham and retrieve the baby. Graham got to his feet and was just about to shoot both H & the baby, when Barnes shot him. Barnes left in the van which was then shown blowing up in apparent suicide. H & M took the baby to the consulate, only to be intercepted by Hutchinson who told his people that they were "fugitives" and to "shoot them if they step inside." The guard who had been stupidly ignoring their pleas to open the gate then pulled his weapon and the RUC decided they would put down their weapons as well. H, M & Nevins were shown at the airport with the baby. They saw a glimpse of Barnes in the crowd watching them. Hutchinson had been captured by the Government.

Bud was acting as a "replacement" for Tiner and shown as his usual "dip-stick" self butting into Chegwidden's conversation's with H & M. First, to bring in some roses, then to interrupt for a phone call from Miss Delaney, then to interrupt again saying the person was irate. C finished his business with H & M then answered the phone: "hello Laura"; but, no further mention of the person or the call was given in the episode.