Oh What A Hell Of A Morning

Posted on Wed May 13th, 2015 @ 12:13pm by Lieutenant Raymond Benson & Master Warrant Officer Monique Bond & Senior Chief Petty Officer Chelsea May

Mission: Breaking New Ground
Location: JAG Offices

* * * JAG Offices * * *

Monique arrived bright and early and, after getting a cup of coffee from the break room, moved on into the outer office she shared with Chelsea. The inner door to Ray’s office was closed. It was never closed, given Ray’s habit of yelling orders through it to her and Chelsea, and of yelling for Julisa. That man apparently never remembered he had a comm he could use. But that was Ray, always going full bore and warp nine. Chelsea had once remarked that she admired people who had so few inhibitions and Monique had to agree. If Ray thought it he said it, unless those listening were opposing counsel. Then he was locked up as tight as a duranium safe. Nothing cowed Ray, as his rant to Admiral Azoulay had proven...with one exception - the XO. It endlessly amused Monique how easily Li could strike fear into Ray’s heart.

“Morning, Mo. What’s up?”

It was Chelsea, arriving to work and it was only now that Monique realized she was still standing in the doorway, staring at Ray’s door. She pointed at it silently.

“Oh.” Chelsea stopped beside her, also looking at the closed door. “That’s not good. Best get the hard hats, it’s going to be one of those days.”

Monique nodded. “Think its too late for us both to call in sick?”

That got a soft laugh from Chelsea as they tiptoed to their desks.

Inside Ray’s Office...

Ray sat at his desk, staring at the opposite wall. He’d passed seeing red at least an hour ago and was now working on black….bordering on murderous rampage. He’d received a message from Gilroy just before he had intended to get to bed, which had changed that plan. Jackson had been moved to the brig and added as a co-conspirator. Jim Holbridge was in a coma in sickbay. Counting the Admirals and Nico, that added up to way too many people with a bearing on this case who’d been sidelined. On top of that, someone on Betazed was using the 900 team for target practice. And now, he couldn’t reach them on any channel which led Ray to suspect something was up and they couldn’t respond...or had purposely cut themselves off. Neither possibility was a good sign.

So, after staring up at his ceiling for a couple of hours, he’d given up, gotten dressed, and arrived at his office. Now he sat, immobile, where he’d been for the last four hours as he processed it all in his mind. He combed through every bit of evidence in the file Tomas has given him, the interrogations so far, all the records Admirals Wegener and Hawke had provided, and finally the reports on Jim and Jackson and the events that led to those reports. Last but not least was Nicolao.

Ray turned it over and over in his head, letting all the bits and pieces mix and mingle, the combination changing and melding into new possibilities. It all came down to one question in his mind: what was the big secret that was being hidden? Someone was going to great lengths to make this case and prevent any proof to the contrary. One man had been almost killed, another drugged and put into a catatonic state, and yet another locked up tight. What was the link between them and the Admirals here? Ray leaned his head back as his thoughts continued to swirl, letting them travel in whatever direction that drew them.

Three hours later...

Ray had still not emerged and Monique was growing concerned. She was up pacing now, unable to concentrate with all the quiet. One thing the work environment here wasn’t was quiet.

“It’s creepy,” she commented.

“Too quiet,” agreed Chelsea.

“Do you think he exploded in there and we just don’t know?” Monique paused in her pacing, resting her hands on Chelsea’s desk. “It’s just unnatural.”

Chelsea’s gaze slid from Monique to Ray’s door, then back. “Maybe I should call security? Or at least scan for life signs?”

“Why? Who’s dead?” The voice was Ray’s and he stood in the doorway to his office, which had opened suddenly, in time to hear Chelsea’s questions.

Both women yelped in surprise.

“Ray!”

“What the...don’t DO that!”

“We thought you were,” Chelsea finally answered.

“Rumours of my demise are greatly exaggerated,” Ray quoted, but he didn’t smile.

Monique recognized the current state - when Ray wasn’t yelling and grew quiet, it meant trouble. Big trouble. She shot Chelsea a look, then gave Ray a hesitant smile. “So what’s on the docket today, Ray?”

He studied his two assistants and when he smiled it was a chilly one. “I am going to get some answers or I will be trial for murdering two of the brass. I may see you two later. If you hear from the away team, page me. If you hear an explosion, head for the escape pods. Later girls.”

With that, he strolled out of the office. Once the doors closed behind him, Chelsea looked up to Monique.

“Whose turn is it?”

“Mine,” Monique answered. “I’ll check in on the hour.”

“Gotcha.” Chelsea watched as Mo hurried out the door to tail Ray. It was going to be hell of a day.

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Lt. Ray Benson
CPO Chelsea May
MWO Monique Bond
The Sound Of Silence