Time for the next thing
by Gail (gem225@hotmail.com)
JAG
Clayton Webb/Page Martinez (referred to), Clayton Webb/Harmon Rabb (future), Clark Palmer/Harmon Rabb (overheard)
Rating: adult
Clayton Webb finds out who's gotten Harmon Rabb to change so much.
Companion snippet to The Change
Disclaimer: Clayton Webb, Harmon Rabb, and Clark Palmer belong to Belisarius Productions and CBS. Page Martinez is my own character, so she belongs to me; Tom Stone is mine, too. Evans belongs to Isilzha, but she said I could borrow him, said she was proud of him.
Please do not archive this story without asking me first. It's more than likely that I'll agree, but I want to know where my stories are.
Warnings: character death.
Notes: For the history of Page Martinez and Clark Palmer and Clayton Webb, read A dish best served cold. The things to know are that Palmer had a grudge against a CIA agent named Page, took her captive, sexually tormented her with some help from DSD trainees, broke her, then wiped her memories and set her free. She got back to DC, and Webb, who was her sometimes lover, helped her get the memories back and get Palmer in a way that got Page to feel as though she was over him.
This is for Alexandra, who loved Page Martinez about as much as she loved Clayton Webb. Not beta'd.
*****
Clay finished telling Page what he'd done when he was over at Harmon Rabb's and stared down at his living room carpet. He'd had to talk to someone, and he knew she wouldn't run to anyone, even if she didn't understand. He thought she would understand what he'd done, though.
"So you put a bug in." Page's voice was calm, something Clay was grateful for. He sure as hell wasn't calm. Something was really wrong with Rabb, and no one at JAG had a clue, and he had to find a way to fix it, even if it was an illegal one. "All right. So what now?"
Clay laughed grimly and lifted his head to find her eyes fixed on him. "We listen to the tape. I'm sure he was trying to get rid of me because she was coming over." He went over to a cabinet and opened it, showing her listening equipment. "Let me switch over."
"You think you can save your friend? What if he doesn't want to be saved? What if he likes it?"
"This is Harmon Rabb, a commander in the Navy, and one of the most arrogant men I've ever known, not excluding some of our colleagues, Page. He can't want this."
"Everyone breaks given the right pressure at the right places, Clay." Her voice was suddenly strained. "Palmer sure as hell taught me that."
Clay drew in a sharp breath. Shit. He'd done it again. But it had been so long since Page had even mentioned that time, and he'd thought she was over it. Damn. He finished switching over to the new tape and got it taping, then went over to her. Her arms were folded, and she just looked at him, but he still put his arms around her. He knew it was a good sign he'd done the right thing when she didn't move away. "Page, come on. Palmer's dead. I swear it."
"Yeah. Dead and burned to a crisp. I know, Clay. I know that." She was quiet a moment. "I read the file on Commander Rabb. He and Palmer certainly had some interesting run-ins."
"Rabb was Palmer's obsession."
"Nice to know someone took my place," she muttered, and Clay kept himself from saying anything. "All right, let's listen to that tape."
She swung herself down to the couch, and Clay went over to the machine and started the first tape, then came over to sit with Page. They'd find this bitch and get Rabb away from her, he promised himself grimly. Rabb, bitten and scared of someone finding out? That was not Rabb. Rabb was clearly not doing well. He'd stopped the vegetarian thing, forgotten about his father, changed his apartment, changed his whole fucking life. Rabb was under someone's influence.
They listened as someone came in. Then that someone spoke. "I see Webb was good to you. He left right at eight. What did you tell him to get him running out of here like a scared mouse?"
Page let out a growl as Clay found himself unable to say anything.
"I told him I had a friend coming over, sir," they heard Rabb reply.
"Like hell he's dead," Page whispered. "Fuck, Clay. Stop the tape now." Her voice was shaky, and Clay got up to hit the button. "Palmer's got him. Got him damned good."
Clay didn't move after he'd stopped the tape. "Harm. Oh, god, Harm. What the hell has he done to you?"
Page's laugh was harsh. "Come on, Clay, we both have a pretty good idea about that, don't we?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Palmer's broke your friend, Clay." Her face was pale and set when Clay turned to look at her, but her eyes were clear, to Clay's relief. "Probably fucked him." She stood. "We should listen to the rest of the tape, then edit it."
"What?" Clay didn't understand. Edit it? It needed to be destroyed, he knew that much.
Page sighed. "You're going to need to know what Palmer's doing to him, Clay," she explained. "And you're going to want to cover it up if it's what I said, right?"
Clay's nod was automatic. This would ruin Harm's life, not to mention his career. Harm doing what Palmer said? Calling him sir? That was insane.
"And then you need to take Palmer out." Clay looked at her and found that her eyes were glittering. "Kill him for real this time. The man cannot be allowed to live, Webb. You know that."
"What about Rabb?"
"What about him?" Page shrugged. "You going to take him on like you did me after Palmer was through with me? Of course you are," she answered herself. "You've been hard for him ever since, what, you got your nose broken over him in Russia? No, earlier. Why do you think I stopped letting you fuck me from behind? Easy. I got tired of hearing you call for him. Must have been dreaming you were fucking him. Too bad. I like it from behind, but there's so much I can take."
"Jesus, Page, you're full of shit," he snapped, but she just laughed.
"You want him." Her voice and eyes didn't leave him any room. "That's fine, Clay. I know you like guys; I've known it since I got to know you. But think hard about this one. Palmer's got him. Palmer owns his ass and his mind and his heart. It all makes sense. You think you can make him into someone who can think for himself again? Think again. You might just be taking on a slave for the rest of *his* life. You want that? I never thought you wanted a slave."
"I want Harmon Rabb," he said slowly. "That man I had dinner with tonight, no, I don't want him. I don't know him."
"But he'll need sex," she pointed out. "And he'll need it the way he's used to having it. Can you do that?"
Clay stared off into space, but there really wasn't anything to decide. "I can. I will."
"All right." She stood. "Tape. Then we'll start planning Palmer's death."
"Capture. Jail will work."
"He deserves to die. And he won't come quietly. You know that."
"We'll capture him."
"Won't work. All right, all right, we'll talk about it later," she added when Clay's eyes flashed with anger. "But we'd better get the story about Rabb straight first."
This time Clay just nodded. He knew that she was right about that. They had to protect Rabb.
*****
Clayton Webb felt the gun rest heavily against his ribs and grimaced. Would it come to that? He glanced around at the rest of the team. Most of them were just standing around, but of course Evans was watching everything, all bright eyes and one of the best shots there, and then there was Martinez, Page, his second-in-command, who'd been giving him her best innocent look for a while now. He didn't trust it. He knew damned well what she thought should go down here, and he was not going to allow it. Clark Palmer was going back to Leavenworth, and this time there would be no chance of him escaping.
"Webb, he's moving," Shanahan said in a low voice, and Webb gestured to the others, who took their positions. He glared at Page, who returned it before she moved to her assigned spot. He knew how she felt. He wanted the man dead after hearing what Palmer had done to Rabb, after seeing Rabb, for god's sake, but he had to be practical. Palmer wasn't going to be talking about that, and there was information to be gained if they could play Palmer right.
Then Palmer appeared in a leather jacket and jeans, and Webb drew his gun before he stepped out of his hiding place, but kept the gun at his side.
"Hi, Webb." Palmer's grin flashed. "Nice to see you again. Should have known you'd want a piece of Harm. You can have him, for the right price."
"This isn't about Rabb." He kept his voice low and calm. "You're surrounded. Surrender."
"So I can go back to Leavenworth? I don't think so." Palmer laughed. "It would almost be worth dying to know you've condemned Harm-boy to a life of agony. You do know he's mine? That I turned him into my creature, Clayton? Just like I turned Page, come to think of it. Harm certainly was more amusing in a lot of ways, although there's something about a pretty girl begging for it that's so satisfying." Webb kept quiet, knowing this was just talk. He hoped Page wasn't hearing it. Palmer's eyes were glittering. "Nothing to say, Webb? Tell you what: I'll trade you a night with Harm for one with Page. Not that I want her again, but I know Stone would like to have her again, and Stone's been very helpful to me. What do you say?"
"You know I won't agree to anything like that. And you're smart; you must know that the only way out is for you make a deal with us. Now shut up and come with me quietly, and we'll talk about it."
"Sure thing, Webb. Whatever you say."
Palmer was too amused. What the hell was going on? Webb kept his eyes on him, then Palmer had his gun out and was moving and shooting, getting three before a shot got him. Evans, he was sure, and he thought he'd gotten Palmer as well, although he wasn't sure of that.
Palmer was on the ground, then Page was suddenly there, staring down at the ex-DSD agent. "Webb, back away. I've got this."
"Going to kill me, Page darling?" Palmer was laughing, even though his leg was bleeding. Webb thought there might be a hole in the jacket, too. "Come on, you don't want to do that. You have to have wanted what we gave you again. Or did Clayton here learn how to give you what you need? Maybe some of these guys helped him?" Palmer stopped talking for a moment, and his lips tightened. "Jesus, this hurts."
"Page, we've got him. He's going in."
"No, Webb. This is my call." She raised her gun and pointed it at Palmer. "Go to hell."
"No!" Webb tried to get to her, but she was fast, and then there was a wound in Palmer's chest for sure, the blood red and pumping fast. "Goddammit, Page!"
"He had to die." Her voice was cold. "For what you did to Clayton's friend," she added to Palmer.
"Rabb's going to be heartbroken, Clay." There was something strange in Palmer's eyes. "He can't survive without me now. Get me to a hospital. He needs me, Clayton. Come on." Palmer winced, then fell silent.
"I'll do what I can, Palmer. Hang on." Webb pulled out his phone. It wasn't about leniency or what Rabb needed, he argued to himself. It was about...he didn't know what it was about. But there was no need for Palmer to die.
"You won't make it, Palmer." Why the hell weren't any of the others coming forward? Of course. Page was second in command. She had to have signaled them to stay back. "Rabb will get over you. I did."
"Rabb's weaker than you, Page." Palmer's voice was fading. "Take care of him for me, Clay. He'll have to be yours now. No one else can do it. Keep him in line for me. Keep him happy..."
"All right." Webb was kneeling beside Palmer now. Had Palmer heard him?
"Happy," Palmer whispered, then he was gone.
Webb stared into the now-empty eyes, thinking about what Palmer had said. Palmer had given Rabb to him. You couldn't give another person away. He'd seen what Rabb was now. Palmer was right.
"I told you he had to die." Page reached over to pull down Palmer's eyelids. "And I wasn't going to let you kill him."
Webb turned to look at her. "Disobeying a direct order. Putting yourself in danger. Really helping your career here." He couldn't think about what Palmer had said any longer.
"He pulled a gun, so I'm covered. Tell them what you want; no one's going to care that Palmer's dead. You were the only one who thought he should live." She touched his shoulder, then stood and put her gun away. "Come on, Clay. Time to go on to the next thing."
Webb stayed kneeling for another minute. He'd known he'd have to work with Harmon Rabb, help him to get back to himself, but he hadn't thought he'd have to break it to Harm as well that Palmer was dead. He gritted his teeth. Harm wasn't going to take that well at all. He was going to have to find a way to keep Harm safe while he recovered. All right. He'd need some time, but Page was going to have to handle this.
He stood, brushed off his pants, then went over to Page. "You're in charge." She nodded. "I've got things to do."
"Call if you need help."
He wanted to tell her she'd already done enough, but he knew now she was right. Palmer alive was Palmer ready to break out, tell everyone what he'd done to Rabb, play any card he could to get what he wanted, fuck with Rabb's head even more than he already had. It was better that he was dead.
"It may be a while."
"So? Palmer was right, you know. You're the only one who can do this. Now go do it."
He nodded, then turned away. He'd drive back to Langley. There were some ideas already stirring in his head. He just needed some quiet to work them out.
The End
Posted 7/24/01
