JAG (1995–2005): Season 10, Episode 11 - Automatic for the People - full transcript
An F-14 Tomcat crashes nearby while students watch from a school playground in California. While Harm investigates, he smells a cover-up; he eventually discovers both a second F-14 (previously undisclosed) and a civilian death on the ground (previously unknown); he finally gets some answers about the strange crash and the strange program. Harm negotiates a good settlement for the daughter of the civilian victim; he impresses both a blonde (his assistant in California) and a redhead (the daughter of the victim). Bud's anger-management course degenerates into a fight. Mac beats the general during an annual requal on a pistol range.
¡Ay dios mio! ¿Qué fuí eso?
Whoa!
What the...?
Wow!
We just got word
an F-14 crashed
this morning outside
Lone Pine, California.
Town's an hour and a half drive
from China Lake
Naval Weapons Center.
Or two minutes flying time.
Did the flight crew
punch out, sir?
Pilot failed to eject.
What about the RIO?
Not mentioned
in the flash report.
We have to assume the worst.
Were there any casualties
on the ground, sir?
Plane came down near
Lone Pine Elementary School
on the outskirts of town.
Kids were in the playground
when it happened.
No reported
casualties, thank God.
Well, that's fortunate, sir.
Not to the children
who saw two men
die before their eyes.
All test flights
out of China Lake
have been grounded.
Has the Navy initiated a
Mishap Investigation, General?
Already on the scene.
I want you to get to
China Lake, A-SAP,
conduct a concurrent
JAGMAN investigation.
You're dismissed.
Aye, aye, sir.
If you see Colonel
MacKenzie, send her my way.
Uh, sir, the Colonel
is still in Norfolk
taking depositions
on the Harkin case.
Commander Turner, then.
Commander Turner is, uh,
TAD to Camp Pendleton, General.
Commander Roberts?
I believe Commander
Roberts started
his anger management
classes this morning, sir.
Just how the hell
did Admiral Chegwidden get
anything done around here?
I think he found
it a struggle, sir.
"Do this to me, baby,
touch me there, ho."
Rap lyrics these days.
I screamed at him, tried
to send him to his room.
He told me to shut up.
He's bigger than me now.
I actually felt
for a minute like... like
he was going to hit me.
So, what did you do?
I hit him first.
Ha!
Anyway, I feel like
dirt, hitting my kid like that.
Comments?
Commander Roberts?
No.
Anyone else? Any comments?
What's to comment about?
We're here to talk about
controlling inappropriate rage.
Sounds to me like
the kid had it coming.
We don't know that.
Ah, he speaks.
I speak when I have
something to say.
You tell him, Commander.
Well, yeah, tell me, Commander.
You ever beat your kids?
My children are
none of your business.
Leave him alone, Korsky.
Don't tell me
what to do, Petty Officer.
The rules are, we leave
our rank at the door,
Lieutenant.
Okay, I think it's
time for all of us
to take a deep, deep breath.
Do you ever hit your kids?
No. You must have lost
your temper sometime.
Otherwise, you wouldn't be here.
Look at him,
sitting there, all
calm and superior.
You never get
angry, right, Buddy?
The name is Bud.
And, yes, I do get angry,
but I'm not obnoxious about it.
You must beat the
crap out of your kids.
You probably had
the crap beat out
of you as a kid, huh?
That's how it works.
Look at me when
I'm talking to you.
Don't ignore me.
John, sit down.
Ease up. Get off me.
You're being insubordinate.
He's just trying to make
you mad, Commander.
Don't listen to him. I won't.
Okay, let's all calm
down and take our seats...
I'm talking to you.
You're just as messed
up as the rest of us,
you one-legged gimp. PETTY
OFFICER: You're out of line, sir...
Okay, I'm leaving.
I don't need this.
You're a moron, sir.
Hey, come on. Want some of this?
Come on... Don't touch me...
Hey, come on. You...
No, no. You...
Want a piece of me?
Oh!
Commander Rabb?
Hi. I'm Lieutenant
Cathy Graves, Assistant
to the Project
Development Coordinator.
Right this way, please.
Thank you. I'm
gonna need to speak
to your CO A-SAP, Lieutenant.
Okay. Unfortunately,
that's not possible.
Commander Burrell's
been detached.
He's on leave pending his
PCS orders to-to PAX River.
I'm afraid you're
stuck with me, sir.
All right, Lieutenant.
Look, I'm gonna need
witness statements,
aircraft discrepancy
book, fuel samples,
flight plan from Air Ops,
NATOPS jacket on
the deceased pilot.
The works.
I will see what I can do, sir.
The project's being run for DOD
by a civilian contractor,
Larmoss Industries.
It's highly classified.
This is all the information
I've been given.
A press release?!
The company released
the name of the pilot.
It's Maxwell Gilbert.
He's retired Navy.
I'm expecting a copy
of his personnel
file within the hour.
What about the RIO?
Still waiting on
that information,
as well, sir.
Listen, I'd be happy to
help you in any way I can
in this investigation, sir.
Do you have investigative
experience, Lieutenant?
Well, I don't have
experience, sir.
I have instinct.
I have read every
volume of Colin Wilson's
True Crime Files at least twice.
I can tell you ten ways to
commit a perfect murder.
Method one...
Lieutenant, look, if I need
to have someone whacked,
you'll be my first call.
What was the purpose
of the test, Mr. Weston?
Well, I'd like to tell
you, Commander,
but this is a highly
compartmentalized project.
You understand.
Did you monitor the flight?
Of course.
Well, we'll need
a copy of the tape.
Well, that I can do.
But these are the NATOPS jacket
and personnel file you
requested, Lieutenant.
Thank you, sir.
We can recreate
the entire mission
from the moment the
aircraft was launched.
Go ahead, Harriet.
Mm-hmm.
Up until this point,
the flight was normal.
Well, she's about
20 feet off the deck.
Here the aircraft goes
into an unrestricted climb.
Those are combat maneuvers.
Now he goes into
a hammerhead stall.
Doesn't appear to be any
equipment malfunction.
None. RABB: Maybe
the pilot grayed out
as a result of the high G's,
lost control of the aircraft.
It would explain
why he didn't eject.
That's a reasonable hypothesis.
Were they in radio contact
up until the incident?
Negative. RABB: Well,
why is there no record
of the RIO?
He didn't have one.
The aircraft was
configured to fly solo.
What was the disposition
of the pilot's remains?
The plane had a full load
of jet fuel when it went down.
There wasn't much
of anything left
once we put the fire out.
We believe his
body was vaporized
by the burning jet fuel.
Jet fuel burns at
1,700 degrees
Fahrenheit. To cremate
a body, you need 3,200 degrees
for 30 minutes.
Well, the entire debris field
hasn't been established yet.
Maybe the investigators will
find more evidence, uh, in time.
Commander Maxwell
Gilbert's NATOPS jacket
indicates nothing out
of the ordinary, but,
according to his
personnel records,
he's been working
for Larmoss Industries
for two years, flying
experimental aircraft,
the top-secret kind.
Anything else?
Well, no, that's it.
Uh, there's not a lot
of information here, you know,
due to the classified
nature of his job.
This man is a mystery, sir.
Mysteries...
well, they make me curious.
I'm Commander Rabb.
This is Lieutenant Graves.
I'm with the JAG corps.
I'm a little busy, Commander.
We just pulled together
this Mishap Investigation
Board yesterday.
Well, you mind if we
take a look, Commander?
I'd prefer you didn't, until
we complete our investigation.
Lieutenant, I'm
sure you can think
of a number of
appropriate questions to ask
the Commander.
But sir, he just
said that he would...
Yes, sir.
Oh, and, uh, Lieutenant,
be sure he doesn't
take his eyes off you.
Oh, shouldn't be a problem.
People seem to respond
to me, Commander.
Um, Commander,
let me guess.
I bet your investigation
concentrates on the
control systems
and instrumentation.
Correct.
You're trying to
find a mechanical,
electrical or
hydraulic malfunction
to explain the plane's
erratic behavior.
- We are.
- May I ask you, sir,
do you think it
was a pilot error?
We're not ruling
anything out, Lieutenant.
Now, if you'll excuse me...
Oh, oh, wait. Um...
We understand
that you recovered burned
remains from the crash site.
Affirmative, Lieutenant.
Well, just one more
question, then, Commander.
Are you running a DNA test
on those remains?
That's up to the
local authorities.
Since the aircraft crashed
on civilian property,
they have control over
any remains.
Oh, well,
when will you get those results?
The coroner promised tomorrow.
Okay, well, that
should just about
cover it, Commander.
Thank you for your cooperation.
I hope you two found
what you're looking for.
What did you find, sir?
Well, from what I could tell
and what's left of
the cockpit, I saw
the safety pin was still intact,
and the pilot's ejection
seat was bolted to the frame.
So, he was trapped
inside, he couldn't eject?
So, maybe someone killed
him to try to sabotage the project.
Or settle a beef.
A love triangle gone
horribly wrong, perhaps.
Lieutenant, has anybody
ever told you, you have quite
an active imagination?
Well, does th-that
bother you, sir?
You know, sometimes a
good investigator has to admit
the most obvious choice
is often the right one.
Under... Understood, sir.
Do we know where
Maxwell Gilbert lived?
His file said that he
lived just outside the base.
His parents were deceased.
He had no brothers and sisters.
He was never married.
That makes him
the perfect patsy.
I'm reserving judgment, sir.
If you would, Commander,
just, uh, turn your back.
You don't really
want to see this.
Well, where'd you
learn to do that?
From The Assassins Handbook.
It's only available
in this bookstore
in Oregon.
I'll share mine with you.
Well, doesn't look
very occupied, does it?
No, not unless he
was a neat freak.
Maybe he didn't
have time to settle in.
After two years?
Yeah, that's a good point.
Eating disorder?
Okay, either he
didn't pay his bills,
or he never even lived here.
A nudist, maybe?
Okay, somebody could
have cleaned this place out
after Gilbert died, but...
All right, I'm thinking
it's a cover-up, sir.
I know, I know.
I know. There goes my
pesky imagination, but
look at this.
You got Gilbert's
NATOPS jacket from Weston?
Yes, sir.
Also the background information
covering his two years
at Larmoss Industries.
What are you
thinking, Commander?
That there wasn't a pilot.
Maxwell Gilbert is the
man who never was.
So, then whose remains
did they find at the crash site?
How's the Harkin case coming?
Progressing well, sir.
But I've been notified
that I'm due for my
pistol requalification.
I need to report to Quantico
tomorrow afternoon.
It's been a while since
I hit the pistol range.
Not since I requalified
ten months ago.
Shooting to requalify
is never as much fun
as shooting for the sheer
joy of it, is it, Colonel?
No, sir.
Good luck, Colonel.
Thank you, sir.
See you there.
Can't let you have
all the fun, Colonel.
Or are you afraid of
firing against your boss?
No, General, it's just... I
mean, I know you're busy...
Won't stop me from
seeing you at the range
tomorrow afternoon, though.
And may the best Marine win.
Are we supposed to be here, sir?
It's always easier to apologize
than to ask
permission, Lieutenant.
You know, I had a
boyfriend like that once.
Actually, more than once.
That's when I
decided to get a cat.
I'm not even
going to touch that.
The Safety Center investigators
seem to have done
a pretty thorough job.
That says subterfuge to me, sir.
Oh, really?
Well, Commander,
when has any investigative body
moved this fast on anything?
I don't understand.
What's your hurry?
Just let me go get the keys.
It'll take five minutes.
Thank you. Thank you.
Ma'am?
Is there a problem?
Do you need a lift somewhere?
Oh, no, thank you.
This is my car.
That was my dad's truck.
The police are impounding it.
How long had it been here?
According to the parking tickets
on the windshield,
since at least Monday.
Are you here about
the plane crash?
Yes. I'm Commander Rabb.
This is Lieutenant Graves.
Hi. Megan Ransford.
Nice to meet you. RABB:
Where's your father now?
I haven't seem him in two days.
Does he make it a
habit of taking off?
Ever since I've known him.
My parents got divorced
when I was ten, and he and I
are just now getting to
know each other, so...
But I can tell you
this... He is eccentric.
How so?
Where do I start? Um...
Well, he was a writer
for TV shows in the '80s,
like Simon & Simon.
No. I loved that show.
Do you remember the one
where the bank manager
hired Rick and A.J. to go...?
Lieutenant.
Good Lord.
Sorry, sir.
I'm sorry.
My dad quit writing
when some 26-year-old
MBA decided he was too old.
And then when his
second wife died,
he decided to be a painter.
Do you see the bridge?
He was devoting a
series of paintings to it.
Sunrise, sunset...
Various angles.
Oh, y-you-you don't
think the plane accident
had anything to do
with his disappearance?
No, no, of course not, ma'am.
That's very sweet, Lieutenant,
but not completely candid.
You think we could take a
look at your father's paintings?
His paintings?
Well, it might help us
to determine where he was
when the aircraft went down.
Oh...
Oh, yeah.
Um... follow me?
You wanted to see me, sir?
I don't like loose cannons
in my office, Commander.
People who take
direction from no one
and have respect for nothing.
I assure you, if
I've done something
to displease the General
it was not intentional.
Moreover, I'll be
happy to rectify
whatever problem
I may have caused.
I don't mean you, Commander.
At ease.
Oh.
Thank you, sir.
The individual in question
continues to demonstrate
a lack of self-control
and discipline,
even though he's been given
every chance in the
world to straighten up.
Yes, sir.
In spite of his misdeeds,
my predecessor
seems to have bent over
backwards to keep him on the job.
I'm afraid all that's true, sir.
Now he's turned a simple
anger management
class into a barroom brawl.
Anger management class?
Exactly who are
we talking about, sir?
Lieutenant Commander Roberts.
My apologies, sir.
I assumed you
meant someone else.
He's like a New York cabdriver.
He-He drives down
the street untouched
while accidents
happen all around him.
I want to know if I've got
a habitual troublemaker
on my hands.
I don't think Commander
Roberts falls into
that category, sir.
You don't, huh?
No, sir.
I can't have that kind of
an officer in my command.
I want an impartial,
off-the-record examination
of what happened at that
anger management class.
Can you do that?
Yes, sir. It's an
internal matter.
I want it handled
discreetly, understood?
Completely, sir.
That'll be all.
You're dismissed.
Aye, aye, sir.
Commander.
Who'd you think I
was talking about?
No one, sir.
My mistake.
Uh-huh.
Wow, this is so cool.
You dad lives here?
He rents it.
Beats the hell out of a million
dollar tract home in Encino.
Do trains actually
run through here?
Twice a day... 4:00
p.m. and 2:00 a.m.
Oh, that's so romantic.
Not if you're a light sleeper.
Dad loves Monet.
He loved his habit of returning
to the same time,
same place every day
until he'd captured
the light perfectly.
And Dad's the same way.
Once he finds the right spot...
Oh, this is my father.
Do you know what angle
your father was working
on most recently?
Um, let's see.
He'd finished this one,
so he would've
moved on to this angle.
Which would have placed him
near the crash
site, wouldn't it?
If your father had been
anywhere near the...
- I understand.
- I'm sure this
is really hard for you.
It is.
To be on the safe
side, we'll, uh...
we'll need a DNA sample.
If your father had
a-a brush, or a comb...
Yeah.
I want to know what
happened to that aircraft.
Yeah, but all we have is
the flight simulation, sir,
which is Larmoss
Industrie" version of events.
Well, we have a little
more than that, Lieutenant.
They gave it to us.
What, sir? The flight path.
I, uh heard your anger
management class
has gotten exciting.
Yeah, well, let's just say
that some of the people
there are in the right place.
What exactly happened?
Are you investigating
me, Commander?
Ah, Bud, it's nothing official.
The general just, uh...
Has you checking up on me.
There was a fight,
you were there.
And I'm not blaming you,
but twice in as many months.
It's starting to sound like
you're blaming me, Commander.
Bud, I defended you in court.
I know better than anyone that
you're not a violent man, but...
for a mild-mannered guy you
sure do piss a lot of people off.
Plus, uh...
you've got a
father who's a bully.
Ah, I've gone out of my way
to be everything
that my father isn't
and none of the
things that he is.
What kind of counseling did you
receive after you were wounded?
I was too busy with
the physical therapy.
But I never went through
that whole anger thing
that they talk about
when you lose a limb.
I was lucky.
Maybe that's the problem?
Commander, you know how they say
people see the world
through their own troubles?
I mean,
I know you've had anger issues.
That's fair to say, but I can't
assume you're blameless
because I've had problems
of my own in the past.
I'm just here to find out what
happened in that class, Bud.
Muchisimas gracias. Sí.
Gracias.
Buenos días.
Buenos días.
Um, we'd like to ask you a
few questions, if we could.
We were wondering,
sir, if, about two days
ago, at 8:00 in the morning,
if you happened to see
a military aircraft go by?
Sí.
Could you describe what you saw?
Yes.
The plane came over very low.
It almost hit my truck.
That must've been
very frightening.
It was.
And the second
plane flew even lower.
Second plane?
Did you notice anything
abnormal about either plane?
Pienso que sí.
They were very
low and very fast.
Thank you.
Gracias. De nada.
Larmoss Industries never
mentioned a second aircraft.
What are they hiding?
Well, that's what we're
going to find out, Lieutenant.
Flight Ops Chief said
you were responsible
for fueling the aircraft
that crashed, is that right?
Yes, sir. That's my job.
What about the other one?
I took care of that one, too.
What can you tell me
about these two
aircraft, Mr. Coffle?
I don't think I ought to be
talking about this, Commander.
You're a civilian, right?
Have you signed a
non-disclosure agreement?
Were you briefed
that everything you
see is classified?
No.
Well, then you're off the hook.
Aside from the fact
that they're test planes,
I don't know a
whole hell of a lot.
Well, that's funny,
'cause you strike me
as the sort of guy
who doesn't miss much.
Well, that depends
what I'm looking at.
Did you, uh, notice
anything in particular about
these aircraft, anything
out of the ordinary?
They bring these planes
out about 4:00 a.m.
I'm not even here
when they take off.
But as far as I know, they're
just your standard Tomcats.
Uh, course, they
had different names.
Names? You mean
like a wife or a girlfriend?
I doubt it.
One was named
Oscar. The other, Uzi.
They were stenciled
under the cockpits.
Which one crashed?
Oscar. Uzi came back.
It's funny, naming an airplane
after a submachine gun.
Did you know the
pilot, Maxwell Gilbert?
He the one that died?
Yeah.
No, I don't know
anything about him.
I never even saw him
until he was sitting
up in the cockpit.
You saw him in the cockpit?
Well, I don't know which
one is Maxwell Gilbert,
but there was
someone in the airplane.
I saw someone, yeah.
Both planes? Front
seat and back?
Front seat only.
Well, what'd they look like?
Well, I couldn't tell you.
They were too far out
on the parking ramp.
Thank you for your time.
Sure thing.
Thank you, Mr. Coffle.
Oh, anytime, Lieutenant.
Sorry, sir.
Sorry for what?
Well, there goes your
theory that there was no pilot.
I'm still not so sure.
But you heard Mr. Coffle.
The facts says you're wrong.
Well, we're going to have to
look for some different facts.
Look, Lieutenant, I need
to go back to the office.
I need you to check
with the local coroner
to find out if the
DNA results are back.
Yes, sir.
All right.
I am sorry, Lieutenant.
I know this must be difficult
and painful for you, but, uh,
I do need to know exactly
what happened at that meeting.
Okay.
Anger management...
session. Session.
Yes, my regular anger
management session.
And Mooney was sitting here.
Uh, hold on.
Uh, you see, Petty Officer
Mooney was sitting right here.
Mooney was here.
Got it. Here. Okay?
And Korsky, this is Korsky.
Korsky...
This is Lieutenant
Commander Roberts.
This is Commander Roberts.
Roberts' chair, okay.
Korsky... I was sitting
in this chair right here.
This is where I was
sitting, right here.
Korsky was baiting Roberts.
He was... He was baiting him.
He was beating...
He was baiting him.
Baiting.
Yes, baiting him.
Okay? It... well, it takes
an awful lot to make
Commander Roberts
angry. It must've
been quite a baiting
the Lieutenant
was giving him.
Commander Roberts...
he stood up and
the chair went over.
He knocked the chair over.
The chair went over, yes.
What he did was
he picked it up...
That's all Commander Roberts
did was pick up the chair.
I tried to step in
to break up the fight between
Korsky and Mooney,
okay? Korsky and Mooney.
Right and when I stepped
in, Korsky shoved me.
Korsky shoved you.
He shoved me. Right.
And right over here, Commander,
Commander Roberts
had the chair, boom.
So Commander Roberts had
the chair in his hand because
he was picking it up; he
wasn't using it as a weapon.
Thank you. Yes.
That will help him.
Thank you.
Uh, you know, I see a lot
of guys come through here,
and, um, Commander Roberts
does not need to be here.
Thank you, Lieutenant,
the commander will be
happy to hear that, and
so will our Sea Chief.
But Korsky, if I ever see him
in a dark alley, I'm going to...
I'm gonna You understand me?
Uh, the DNA won't be ready
for another day or two, sir.
I found Oscar.
No way.
Yup.
Uh, an anthropomorphic dummy?
"Oscar is a life-sized mannequin
"who comes in a number
of different service uniforms.
He weighs 165 pounds..."
Which is about
average for a fighter pilot.
That dummy costs
more than a Rolex watch.
And he lives in a
high-impact case,
just like the ones we saw
at the Larmoss hangar.
You were right after all, sir.
An unmanned aircraft.
You know, whoever stenciled
the name Oscar on the plane
has kind of a weird
sense of humor,
but I don't, um, really
see how this helps us.
Well, there were
two planes, Lieutenant.
Two planes on the mission.
There was the target plane,
which was unmanned,
except for our friend Oscar,
and the chase plane, whose
pilot's call sign was "Uzi."
We find Uzi, we find
out what happened.
But how do we know that
Uzi wasn't a dummy, too?
Well, we don't.
But let's say for the
moment he's real.
Okay, well, if someone
with the call sign "Uzi"
works for Larmoss,
I'm not going to have
access to their files.
There's got to be a
record of him somewhere.
He'd need a vehicle
pass to get on the base,
he's got to have
someplace to live.
Maybe he's got a locker
at the fitness center.
Yeah, no, I will do a search.
Good.
Call me the moment
you find out anything.
I'm going to go see
Megan Ransford.
The actual amount
of compensation
would be based on
your father's tax returns.
Financial statements,
loss of potential earnings.
L-Look around you, Commander.
My dad paid $400 a
month to rent this place.
His paintings are good, ma'am.
He must have sold some of them.
Yeah, I don't know.
Maybe at some local art
shows. And-And try Megan.
Megan.
Do you like any of these?
Gosh, they're all good.
I guess if I had to choose one,
uh, that one there.
I painted that one.
Painting was one
of the few things
Dad and I had in common.
One of the only memories
I have of him as a kid.
It's tough growing
up without a dad.
You get used to it.
Anyway, he called me last
year and said he regretted...
well, regretted a lot of things.
So I let him back in my life.
And I was really
working on forgiving him,
but now I guess I'll
never have the chance.
Anyway, the plan was
to go back to Encino
once my soon-to-be ex-husband
had moved out of the house.
I don't know, coming back here
and seeing the
way Dad lived, I...
I'm actually thinking
of chucking my job
and moving out here and
picking up where Dad left off.
It'd be lonely.
I don't really get lonely.
Not to say I don't
enjoy companionship,
but I don't know, it wouldn't
be bad living out here.
Except for the 2:00
a.m. cannonball express.
What about you?
You ever lonely?
Sometimes.
Well, you wouldn't have to be.
That pretty little lieutenant
seems to hang on
your every word.
Never had much
luck with blondes.
Oh, yeah? Your
girl have dark hair?
Well... she's not my girl.
Yet.
But, yeah, she's
a... she's a brunette.
How did we get onto this anyway?
You started it.
You know, I think
I may know a way
to get you a decent settlement,
your father's lack of income
not withstanding.
I'd be satisfied with whatever
you can manage, Harm.
You've been good to me.
You ever think
of chucking it all
and starting over?
You know, new place, new people?
Tried that once. It, uh...
Well, it didn't work out.
Hmm...
Cease fire! Cease fire!
When your weapon is secure,
move back to the ready line.
Not bad.
Better than "not bad," Colonel.
You may move back
to the ready line
and stand by for
the next stage of fire.
You need any
assistance, General?
I'll go another, Gunny.
Can't have another, sir.
This one's for score.
How's it going, sir?
You can see my target, Colonel.
How's it look like it's going?
One more stage of fire.
Okay, "Uzi" is a
Hebrew word, right?
It means "my strength."
Now, I couldn't find any
pilots with that call sign, but I'm
looking at military
flights out of China Lake
and there's a C-130
to Edwards connecting to Germany
this afternoon at 1300.
Now the manifest shows
a Lieutenant Itzhak
Meier, Israeli Air Force.
But does Israel
fly F-14s?
Well, we did train some
of our allies in F-14s.
One of them was Israel.
Right, but why use
an Israeli? I mean,
why not hire a former U.S.
Navy pilot such as yourself?
Well, maybe the Israeli pilot
possesses skills Larmoss needs.
Such as?
I don't know.
When we find him, we'll ask him.
And while there
was an altercation
that resulted in injuries,
I am confident Commander Roberts
did not act in a
malicious manner, sir.
You like Commander
Roberts, don't you?
I respect the commander, sir.
My concern is
that your fondness for
Commander Roberts
has affected your judgment.
With all due respect, sir,
you couldn't be more wrong.
Oh, couldn't I?
Sir, few have sacrificed
to the degree that
Commander Roberts has.
I know you were
shot down in Iraq,
I know you were injured,
but Commander Roberts
did lose a leg, sir.
Which has zero
to do with the fact
that the man has been involved
in two felonious assaults
in the past two months.
With all due respect, sir,
the commander was only defending
his kid brother
in that shoe store.
He and his brother
were only targeted
because they were
wearing uniforms, and
sir, I can't say that under
the same circumstances
I wouldn't have
done the same thing.
Okay. Thank you, Commander.
That'll be all.
Yes, sir.
What do you mean, "delayed"?
For how long?
I must get on this
plane. Here we are, sir.
Shalom.
Shalom. What's this all about?
We need to talk to you
about your friend Oscar.
What'd you score?
382, sir.
Expert. Congratulations.
At ease.
Thank you, General.
Aren't you going
to ask how I did?
I wasn't sure you'd
want to talk about it, sir.
I've always believed owning up
to getting whooped
is the first step
to never letting
it happen again.
Well, if I scored higher, sir,
I'm sure it was
because I got lucky.
Do not patronize me, Colonel.
Face it... we can't help but turn
everything we do into a competition.
It's why Marines make better friends
with each other than with squids.
Maybe I enjoyed
it just a little, sir.
No harm in that, Colonel.
You beat me this time,
but I still shot expert.
Incidentally...
do you have any idea how
much trouble you'd be in right now
if I thought you held
back on me at that range
just to avoid kicking a
General Officer in the backside?
I can imagine, sir.
Don't let yourself
get too comfortable.
Next time, I'm taking
you down, MacKenzie.
With all due respect,
sir, like hell you are.
I can't explain what happened.
The automatic
flight control system
was working normally
when they took off.
The remote control
jet was in the lead.
The autopilot controls were
mounted in the rear seat,
with the dummy in the front
to keep the center
of gravity correct.
Why not just use
sandbags for the weight?
We needed the dummy,
in case anyone saw
the aircraft taking off.
The remote control aircraft
simulated a surface-to-air missile?
Correct.
A Stinger missile can
get up to Mach two...
About 2,400 kilometers an
hour... A few seconds after launch.
We want the capability
to take out a target even
faster than that, if necessary.
The mission required
the drone aircraft to travel
at Mach 2.38 for the test.
To test your laser technology.
Yeah, the Army's Tactical
High-Energy Laser system
nailed a Russian Katyusha SAM
in June of 2000 at White
Sands Missile Range.
Okay, I remember that test.
That weapon was the
size of an 18-wheeler.
Yes, but they used
a-a mid-infrared laser.
It's fine for ground-
based operations.
And now we can now
shoot a SCUD out of the sky
miles before it gets
anywhere near Israel's borders.
An airborne platform
for laser weapons
is something the DOD's been
working on since the 1980s.
We think we've finally
got the solution...
A deuterium fluoride
chemical laser.
We can get a megawatt of power
in a package small enough to fit
in the rear seat of an F-14.
Do you understand
what that means?
Once our tests are completed,
we can build the device
into commercial airliners.
Because sooner or later,
some terrorist will get lucky;
hundreds of people will die.
But not with this
technology on board.
Commander, we
weren't exaggerating
when we said civilian lives
are at stake with this program.
Oh, yeah, you proved
that four days ago
about a hundred
meters from a schoolyard.
So why were you testing
this over a civilian area?
That... was an anomaly.
I'm gonna need to know what happened
after you lost control of the drone.
I was flying a low-altitude
simulation downrange.
Testing the atmospheric
compensation and correction
system for the laser.
I climbed to angels
20 to verify the tracking
could lock on at that altitude.
It did. I acquired the target
before it got to a thousand feet
and kept it right
in the crosshairs
all the way to 40,000.
So the test was successful?
Perfect. We thought we
were making real progress.
The next step,
we'd go operational.
Then you lost control.
The drone started
responding erratically.
It was dropping out of the sky.
I pursued to keep it in sight.
It kept losing altitude, all
the way down to treetop level.
By then you were
approaching the town.
Get down!
Suddenly, it went into
an unrestricted climb.
I realized I'd run
out of options.
Tell Control, destroy the drone.
And then you
decided to cover it up.
By law, we couldn't
reveal the truth.
This is a Special
Access Program.
You don't have the
right to lie to them.
You endangered people's lives.
Look, not only
do I have a right,
I have an obligation to lie.
And so do you... To
protect the program,
which is now in jeopardy.
You can understand why we
took the precautions we did.
Oh, we understand, all right.
It's a race to see
who can develop
high-energy laser
technology first,
and with commercial
applications,
the upside is tremendous.
You weren't trying to protect
the program.
You were trying to
protect your profits.
And the U.S. government
will protect me.
So we're done.
No, not quite.
We still have one piece
of unfinished business.
Commander...
do you think I've
been too hard on you?
No, sir. I deserve it, sir.
Well put.
Thank you, sir.
I had a friend growing
up, Hank Schumacher.
He was three
grades ahead of me...
my ticket to hang
out with the older kids.
Meant a lot to me at the
time, 'cause I was, uh...
small for my age.
When he was drafted into
the Army and left for Vietnam...
the guy was my hero.
I still looked up
to him a year later
when he came back
home in a wheelchair.
One day he, uh, he'd just left
the VA hospital in Lexington.
A group of kids
pushed his chair over...
left him
in the street.
Wasn't long before
the police came,
put him back in his chair.
Didn't matter, though.
The damage had been done.
See, they'd taken
away Hank's dignity.
Men like Hank...
ones who've given that
much to their country...
we owe them a little extra.
You understand what
I'm saying, Commander?
I think so, sir.
Don't take it as a license
to be a menace to society.
Chairs are for sitting.
Shoes?
We won't even talk about shoes.
Yes, sir.
You're dismissed, Commander.
Aye, aye, sir.
DNA conclusively links
Megan Ransford's father
to the crash of your F-14.
Well, if Miss
Ransford wants to file
a Federal Tort Claim,
we're willing to
contribute to a settlement...
With the understanding
that Larmoss Industries
assumes no further liability
and Miss Ransford is
barred from public disclosure
and any action in civil court.
Two million dollars.
Come again?
You heard right.
Okay.
Before we talk numbers,
we should talk split.
What percentage of this settlement
are you expecting from us?
All of it.
The Navy's our
partner in this program.
What did the Navy have
to do with the crash?
Naval aircraft,
Naval property...
Those were factors in the crash?
No, but...
Unless you can demonstrate
proximate cause,
the Navy's not at fault.
The crash happened off base,
in equipment you
were responsible for,
controlled by civilian
engineers you employed.
Have I missed anything?
Look, $2 million
is not going to fly.
Like your aircraft?
We'd be prepared
to go as high as one.
A million dollars
for a man's life?
My last, best offer.
Do we have a deal, Commander?
1.2... that's as
high as I'll go.
Commander.
Harm, please.
Heading home?
Yeah, my work here is done.
Now it's time for
the Lone Ranger
to ride off into the sunset?
Well, I'm actually boarding a
C-17 to Andrews Air Force Base,
but yeah.
Well, if you ever
get tired of it...
This is a settlement check
from Larmoss Industries.
You're one hell of a lawyer.
Well, I have my moments.
I appreciate what you've done,
but I don't feel right
about the money.
Please, just tell
them I don't want it.
I have an idea.
Which is?
The crash site by the school...
build a park for the kids.
Or an arts center.
Teach them to paint and draw.
Dedicate it to your dad.
Give you something
to remember him by.
Well, I never figured
you for a softie.
You know, in some places,
those are fighting words.
Thank you.
I'm just doing my job.
Making people fall
in love with you?
Your little blonde
is clearly smitten.
Oh, the only way she'd
be interested in me
is if I was dead.
I... She's a murder
mystery freak.
Then don't forget about me.
Oh, hey, I was just...
How did Miss Ransford
like her windfall?
She liked it pretty well.
That's great. So, now what?
Now I fly back to D.C.
And, um...
And what will be in your report?
The F-14 crashed
due to material failure
in the flight control system.
No human error.
What about you?
Well, I was thinking that there
might be a place for
me at JAG.
Well...
you never know
what the future holds, huh?
Whoa!
What the...?
Wow!
We just got word
an F-14 crashed
this morning outside
Lone Pine, California.
Town's an hour and a half drive
from China Lake
Naval Weapons Center.
Or two minutes flying time.
Did the flight crew
punch out, sir?
Pilot failed to eject.
What about the RIO?
Not mentioned
in the flash report.
We have to assume the worst.
Were there any casualties
on the ground, sir?
Plane came down near
Lone Pine Elementary School
on the outskirts of town.
Kids were in the playground
when it happened.
No reported
casualties, thank God.
Well, that's fortunate, sir.
Not to the children
who saw two men
die before their eyes.
All test flights
out of China Lake
have been grounded.
Has the Navy initiated a
Mishap Investigation, General?
Already on the scene.
I want you to get to
China Lake, A-SAP,
conduct a concurrent
JAGMAN investigation.
You're dismissed.
Aye, aye, sir.
If you see Colonel
MacKenzie, send her my way.
Uh, sir, the Colonel
is still in Norfolk
taking depositions
on the Harkin case.
Commander Turner, then.
Commander Turner is, uh,
TAD to Camp Pendleton, General.
Commander Roberts?
I believe Commander
Roberts started
his anger management
classes this morning, sir.
Just how the hell
did Admiral Chegwidden get
anything done around here?
I think he found
it a struggle, sir.
"Do this to me, baby,
touch me there, ho."
Rap lyrics these days.
I screamed at him, tried
to send him to his room.
He told me to shut up.
He's bigger than me now.
I actually felt
for a minute like... like
he was going to hit me.
So, what did you do?
I hit him first.
Ha!
Anyway, I feel like
dirt, hitting my kid like that.
Comments?
Commander Roberts?
No.
Anyone else? Any comments?
What's to comment about?
We're here to talk about
controlling inappropriate rage.
Sounds to me like
the kid had it coming.
We don't know that.
Ah, he speaks.
I speak when I have
something to say.
You tell him, Commander.
Well, yeah, tell me, Commander.
You ever beat your kids?
My children are
none of your business.
Leave him alone, Korsky.
Don't tell me
what to do, Petty Officer.
The rules are, we leave
our rank at the door,
Lieutenant.
Okay, I think it's
time for all of us
to take a deep, deep breath.
Do you ever hit your kids?
No. You must have lost
your temper sometime.
Otherwise, you wouldn't be here.
Look at him,
sitting there, all
calm and superior.
You never get
angry, right, Buddy?
The name is Bud.
And, yes, I do get angry,
but I'm not obnoxious about it.
You must beat the
crap out of your kids.
You probably had
the crap beat out
of you as a kid, huh?
That's how it works.
Look at me when
I'm talking to you.
Don't ignore me.
John, sit down.
Ease up. Get off me.
You're being insubordinate.
He's just trying to make
you mad, Commander.
Don't listen to him. I won't.
Okay, let's all calm
down and take our seats...
I'm talking to you.
You're just as messed
up as the rest of us,
you one-legged gimp. PETTY
OFFICER: You're out of line, sir...
Okay, I'm leaving.
I don't need this.
You're a moron, sir.
Hey, come on. Want some of this?
Come on... Don't touch me...
Hey, come on. You...
No, no. You...
Want a piece of me?
Oh!
Commander Rabb?
Hi. I'm Lieutenant
Cathy Graves, Assistant
to the Project
Development Coordinator.
Right this way, please.
Thank you. I'm
gonna need to speak
to your CO A-SAP, Lieutenant.
Okay. Unfortunately,
that's not possible.
Commander Burrell's
been detached.
He's on leave pending his
PCS orders to-to PAX River.
I'm afraid you're
stuck with me, sir.
All right, Lieutenant.
Look, I'm gonna need
witness statements,
aircraft discrepancy
book, fuel samples,
flight plan from Air Ops,
NATOPS jacket on
the deceased pilot.
The works.
I will see what I can do, sir.
The project's being run for DOD
by a civilian contractor,
Larmoss Industries.
It's highly classified.
This is all the information
I've been given.
A press release?!
The company released
the name of the pilot.
It's Maxwell Gilbert.
He's retired Navy.
I'm expecting a copy
of his personnel
file within the hour.
What about the RIO?
Still waiting on
that information,
as well, sir.
Listen, I'd be happy to
help you in any way I can
in this investigation, sir.
Do you have investigative
experience, Lieutenant?
Well, I don't have
experience, sir.
I have instinct.
I have read every
volume of Colin Wilson's
True Crime Files at least twice.
I can tell you ten ways to
commit a perfect murder.
Method one...
Lieutenant, look, if I need
to have someone whacked,
you'll be my first call.
What was the purpose
of the test, Mr. Weston?
Well, I'd like to tell
you, Commander,
but this is a highly
compartmentalized project.
You understand.
Did you monitor the flight?
Of course.
Well, we'll need
a copy of the tape.
Well, that I can do.
But these are the NATOPS jacket
and personnel file you
requested, Lieutenant.
Thank you, sir.
We can recreate
the entire mission
from the moment the
aircraft was launched.
Go ahead, Harriet.
Mm-hmm.
Up until this point,
the flight was normal.
Well, she's about
20 feet off the deck.
Here the aircraft goes
into an unrestricted climb.
Those are combat maneuvers.
Now he goes into
a hammerhead stall.
Doesn't appear to be any
equipment malfunction.
None. RABB: Maybe
the pilot grayed out
as a result of the high G's,
lost control of the aircraft.
It would explain
why he didn't eject.
That's a reasonable hypothesis.
Were they in radio contact
up until the incident?
Negative. RABB: Well,
why is there no record
of the RIO?
He didn't have one.
The aircraft was
configured to fly solo.
What was the disposition
of the pilot's remains?
The plane had a full load
of jet fuel when it went down.
There wasn't much
of anything left
once we put the fire out.
We believe his
body was vaporized
by the burning jet fuel.
Jet fuel burns at
1,700 degrees
Fahrenheit. To cremate
a body, you need 3,200 degrees
for 30 minutes.
Well, the entire debris field
hasn't been established yet.
Maybe the investigators will
find more evidence, uh, in time.
Commander Maxwell
Gilbert's NATOPS jacket
indicates nothing out
of the ordinary, but,
according to his
personnel records,
he's been working
for Larmoss Industries
for two years, flying
experimental aircraft,
the top-secret kind.
Anything else?
Well, no, that's it.
Uh, there's not a lot
of information here, you know,
due to the classified
nature of his job.
This man is a mystery, sir.
Mysteries...
well, they make me curious.
I'm Commander Rabb.
This is Lieutenant Graves.
I'm with the JAG corps.
I'm a little busy, Commander.
We just pulled together
this Mishap Investigation
Board yesterday.
Well, you mind if we
take a look, Commander?
I'd prefer you didn't, until
we complete our investigation.
Lieutenant, I'm
sure you can think
of a number of
appropriate questions to ask
the Commander.
But sir, he just
said that he would...
Yes, sir.
Oh, and, uh, Lieutenant,
be sure he doesn't
take his eyes off you.
Oh, shouldn't be a problem.
People seem to respond
to me, Commander.
Um, Commander,
let me guess.
I bet your investigation
concentrates on the
control systems
and instrumentation.
Correct.
You're trying to
find a mechanical,
electrical or
hydraulic malfunction
to explain the plane's
erratic behavior.
- We are.
- May I ask you, sir,
do you think it
was a pilot error?
We're not ruling
anything out, Lieutenant.
Now, if you'll excuse me...
Oh, oh, wait. Um...
We understand
that you recovered burned
remains from the crash site.
Affirmative, Lieutenant.
Well, just one more
question, then, Commander.
Are you running a DNA test
on those remains?
That's up to the
local authorities.
Since the aircraft crashed
on civilian property,
they have control over
any remains.
Oh, well,
when will you get those results?
The coroner promised tomorrow.
Okay, well, that
should just about
cover it, Commander.
Thank you for your cooperation.
I hope you two found
what you're looking for.
What did you find, sir?
Well, from what I could tell
and what's left of
the cockpit, I saw
the safety pin was still intact,
and the pilot's ejection
seat was bolted to the frame.
So, he was trapped
inside, he couldn't eject?
So, maybe someone killed
him to try to sabotage the project.
Or settle a beef.
A love triangle gone
horribly wrong, perhaps.
Lieutenant, has anybody
ever told you, you have quite
an active imagination?
Well, does th-that
bother you, sir?
You know, sometimes a
good investigator has to admit
the most obvious choice
is often the right one.
Under... Understood, sir.
Do we know where
Maxwell Gilbert lived?
His file said that he
lived just outside the base.
His parents were deceased.
He had no brothers and sisters.
He was never married.
That makes him
the perfect patsy.
I'm reserving judgment, sir.
If you would, Commander,
just, uh, turn your back.
You don't really
want to see this.
Well, where'd you
learn to do that?
From The Assassins Handbook.
It's only available
in this bookstore
in Oregon.
I'll share mine with you.
Well, doesn't look
very occupied, does it?
No, not unless he
was a neat freak.
Maybe he didn't
have time to settle in.
After two years?
Yeah, that's a good point.
Eating disorder?
Okay, either he
didn't pay his bills,
or he never even lived here.
A nudist, maybe?
Okay, somebody could
have cleaned this place out
after Gilbert died, but...
All right, I'm thinking
it's a cover-up, sir.
I know, I know.
I know. There goes my
pesky imagination, but
look at this.
You got Gilbert's
NATOPS jacket from Weston?
Yes, sir.
Also the background information
covering his two years
at Larmoss Industries.
What are you
thinking, Commander?
That there wasn't a pilot.
Maxwell Gilbert is the
man who never was.
So, then whose remains
did they find at the crash site?
How's the Harkin case coming?
Progressing well, sir.
But I've been notified
that I'm due for my
pistol requalification.
I need to report to Quantico
tomorrow afternoon.
It's been a while since
I hit the pistol range.
Not since I requalified
ten months ago.
Shooting to requalify
is never as much fun
as shooting for the sheer
joy of it, is it, Colonel?
No, sir.
Good luck, Colonel.
Thank you, sir.
See you there.
Can't let you have
all the fun, Colonel.
Or are you afraid of
firing against your boss?
No, General, it's just... I
mean, I know you're busy...
Won't stop me from
seeing you at the range
tomorrow afternoon, though.
And may the best Marine win.
Are we supposed to be here, sir?
It's always easier to apologize
than to ask
permission, Lieutenant.
You know, I had a
boyfriend like that once.
Actually, more than once.
That's when I
decided to get a cat.
I'm not even
going to touch that.
The Safety Center investigators
seem to have done
a pretty thorough job.
That says subterfuge to me, sir.
Oh, really?
Well, Commander,
when has any investigative body
moved this fast on anything?
I don't understand.
What's your hurry?
Just let me go get the keys.
It'll take five minutes.
Thank you. Thank you.
Ma'am?
Is there a problem?
Do you need a lift somewhere?
Oh, no, thank you.
This is my car.
That was my dad's truck.
The police are impounding it.
How long had it been here?
According to the parking tickets
on the windshield,
since at least Monday.
Are you here about
the plane crash?
Yes. I'm Commander Rabb.
This is Lieutenant Graves.
Hi. Megan Ransford.
Nice to meet you. RABB:
Where's your father now?
I haven't seem him in two days.
Does he make it a
habit of taking off?
Ever since I've known him.
My parents got divorced
when I was ten, and he and I
are just now getting to
know each other, so...
But I can tell you
this... He is eccentric.
How so?
Where do I start? Um...
Well, he was a writer
for TV shows in the '80s,
like Simon & Simon.
No. I loved that show.
Do you remember the one
where the bank manager
hired Rick and A.J. to go...?
Lieutenant.
Good Lord.
Sorry, sir.
I'm sorry.
My dad quit writing
when some 26-year-old
MBA decided he was too old.
And then when his
second wife died,
he decided to be a painter.
Do you see the bridge?
He was devoting a
series of paintings to it.
Sunrise, sunset...
Various angles.
Oh, y-you-you don't
think the plane accident
had anything to do
with his disappearance?
No, no, of course not, ma'am.
That's very sweet, Lieutenant,
but not completely candid.
You think we could take a
look at your father's paintings?
His paintings?
Well, it might help us
to determine where he was
when the aircraft went down.
Oh...
Oh, yeah.
Um... follow me?
You wanted to see me, sir?
I don't like loose cannons
in my office, Commander.
People who take
direction from no one
and have respect for nothing.
I assure you, if
I've done something
to displease the General
it was not intentional.
Moreover, I'll be
happy to rectify
whatever problem
I may have caused.
I don't mean you, Commander.
At ease.
Oh.
Thank you, sir.
The individual in question
continues to demonstrate
a lack of self-control
and discipline,
even though he's been given
every chance in the
world to straighten up.
Yes, sir.
In spite of his misdeeds,
my predecessor
seems to have bent over
backwards to keep him on the job.
I'm afraid all that's true, sir.
Now he's turned a simple
anger management
class into a barroom brawl.
Anger management class?
Exactly who are
we talking about, sir?
Lieutenant Commander Roberts.
My apologies, sir.
I assumed you
meant someone else.
He's like a New York cabdriver.
He-He drives down
the street untouched
while accidents
happen all around him.
I want to know if I've got
a habitual troublemaker
on my hands.
I don't think Commander
Roberts falls into
that category, sir.
You don't, huh?
No, sir.
I can't have that kind of
an officer in my command.
I want an impartial,
off-the-record examination
of what happened at that
anger management class.
Can you do that?
Yes, sir. It's an
internal matter.
I want it handled
discreetly, understood?
Completely, sir.
That'll be all.
You're dismissed.
Aye, aye, sir.
Commander.
Who'd you think I
was talking about?
No one, sir.
My mistake.
Uh-huh.
Wow, this is so cool.
You dad lives here?
He rents it.
Beats the hell out of a million
dollar tract home in Encino.
Do trains actually
run through here?
Twice a day... 4:00
p.m. and 2:00 a.m.
Oh, that's so romantic.
Not if you're a light sleeper.
Dad loves Monet.
He loved his habit of returning
to the same time,
same place every day
until he'd captured
the light perfectly.
And Dad's the same way.
Once he finds the right spot...
Oh, this is my father.
Do you know what angle
your father was working
on most recently?
Um, let's see.
He'd finished this one,
so he would've
moved on to this angle.
Which would have placed him
near the crash
site, wouldn't it?
If your father had been
anywhere near the...
- I understand.
- I'm sure this
is really hard for you.
It is.
To be on the safe
side, we'll, uh...
we'll need a DNA sample.
If your father had
a-a brush, or a comb...
Yeah.
I want to know what
happened to that aircraft.
Yeah, but all we have is
the flight simulation, sir,
which is Larmoss
Industrie" version of events.
Well, we have a little
more than that, Lieutenant.
They gave it to us.
What, sir? The flight path.
I, uh heard your anger
management class
has gotten exciting.
Yeah, well, let's just say
that some of the people
there are in the right place.
What exactly happened?
Are you investigating
me, Commander?
Ah, Bud, it's nothing official.
The general just, uh...
Has you checking up on me.
There was a fight,
you were there.
And I'm not blaming you,
but twice in as many months.
It's starting to sound like
you're blaming me, Commander.
Bud, I defended you in court.
I know better than anyone that
you're not a violent man, but...
for a mild-mannered guy you
sure do piss a lot of people off.
Plus, uh...
you've got a
father who's a bully.
Ah, I've gone out of my way
to be everything
that my father isn't
and none of the
things that he is.
What kind of counseling did you
receive after you were wounded?
I was too busy with
the physical therapy.
But I never went through
that whole anger thing
that they talk about
when you lose a limb.
I was lucky.
Maybe that's the problem?
Commander, you know how they say
people see the world
through their own troubles?
I mean,
I know you've had anger issues.
That's fair to say, but I can't
assume you're blameless
because I've had problems
of my own in the past.
I'm just here to find out what
happened in that class, Bud.
Muchisimas gracias. Sí.
Gracias.
Buenos días.
Buenos días.
Um, we'd like to ask you a
few questions, if we could.
We were wondering,
sir, if, about two days
ago, at 8:00 in the morning,
if you happened to see
a military aircraft go by?
Sí.
Could you describe what you saw?
Yes.
The plane came over very low.
It almost hit my truck.
That must've been
very frightening.
It was.
And the second
plane flew even lower.
Second plane?
Did you notice anything
abnormal about either plane?
Pienso que sí.
They were very
low and very fast.
Thank you.
Gracias. De nada.
Larmoss Industries never
mentioned a second aircraft.
What are they hiding?
Well, that's what we're
going to find out, Lieutenant.
Flight Ops Chief said
you were responsible
for fueling the aircraft
that crashed, is that right?
Yes, sir. That's my job.
What about the other one?
I took care of that one, too.
What can you tell me
about these two
aircraft, Mr. Coffle?
I don't think I ought to be
talking about this, Commander.
You're a civilian, right?
Have you signed a
non-disclosure agreement?
Were you briefed
that everything you
see is classified?
No.
Well, then you're off the hook.
Aside from the fact
that they're test planes,
I don't know a
whole hell of a lot.
Well, that's funny,
'cause you strike me
as the sort of guy
who doesn't miss much.
Well, that depends
what I'm looking at.
Did you, uh, notice
anything in particular about
these aircraft, anything
out of the ordinary?
They bring these planes
out about 4:00 a.m.
I'm not even here
when they take off.
But as far as I know, they're
just your standard Tomcats.
Uh, course, they
had different names.
Names? You mean
like a wife or a girlfriend?
I doubt it.
One was named
Oscar. The other, Uzi.
They were stenciled
under the cockpits.
Which one crashed?
Oscar. Uzi came back.
It's funny, naming an airplane
after a submachine gun.
Did you know the
pilot, Maxwell Gilbert?
He the one that died?
Yeah.
No, I don't know
anything about him.
I never even saw him
until he was sitting
up in the cockpit.
You saw him in the cockpit?
Well, I don't know which
one is Maxwell Gilbert,
but there was
someone in the airplane.
I saw someone, yeah.
Both planes? Front
seat and back?
Front seat only.
Well, what'd they look like?
Well, I couldn't tell you.
They were too far out
on the parking ramp.
Thank you for your time.
Sure thing.
Thank you, Mr. Coffle.
Oh, anytime, Lieutenant.
Sorry, sir.
Sorry for what?
Well, there goes your
theory that there was no pilot.
I'm still not so sure.
But you heard Mr. Coffle.
The facts says you're wrong.
Well, we're going to have to
look for some different facts.
Look, Lieutenant, I need
to go back to the office.
I need you to check
with the local coroner
to find out if the
DNA results are back.
Yes, sir.
All right.
I am sorry, Lieutenant.
I know this must be difficult
and painful for you, but, uh,
I do need to know exactly
what happened at that meeting.
Okay.
Anger management...
session. Session.
Yes, my regular anger
management session.
And Mooney was sitting here.
Uh, hold on.
Uh, you see, Petty Officer
Mooney was sitting right here.
Mooney was here.
Got it. Here. Okay?
And Korsky, this is Korsky.
Korsky...
This is Lieutenant
Commander Roberts.
This is Commander Roberts.
Roberts' chair, okay.
Korsky... I was sitting
in this chair right here.
This is where I was
sitting, right here.
Korsky was baiting Roberts.
He was... He was baiting him.
He was beating...
He was baiting him.
Baiting.
Yes, baiting him.
Okay? It... well, it takes
an awful lot to make
Commander Roberts
angry. It must've
been quite a baiting
the Lieutenant
was giving him.
Commander Roberts...
he stood up and
the chair went over.
He knocked the chair over.
The chair went over, yes.
What he did was
he picked it up...
That's all Commander Roberts
did was pick up the chair.
I tried to step in
to break up the fight between
Korsky and Mooney,
okay? Korsky and Mooney.
Right and when I stepped
in, Korsky shoved me.
Korsky shoved you.
He shoved me. Right.
And right over here, Commander,
Commander Roberts
had the chair, boom.
So Commander Roberts had
the chair in his hand because
he was picking it up; he
wasn't using it as a weapon.
Thank you. Yes.
That will help him.
Thank you.
Uh, you know, I see a lot
of guys come through here,
and, um, Commander Roberts
does not need to be here.
Thank you, Lieutenant,
the commander will be
happy to hear that, and
so will our Sea Chief.
But Korsky, if I ever see him
in a dark alley, I'm going to...
I'm gonna You understand me?
Uh, the DNA won't be ready
for another day or two, sir.
I found Oscar.
No way.
Yup.
Uh, an anthropomorphic dummy?
"Oscar is a life-sized mannequin
"who comes in a number
of different service uniforms.
He weighs 165 pounds..."
Which is about
average for a fighter pilot.
That dummy costs
more than a Rolex watch.
And he lives in a
high-impact case,
just like the ones we saw
at the Larmoss hangar.
You were right after all, sir.
An unmanned aircraft.
You know, whoever stenciled
the name Oscar on the plane
has kind of a weird
sense of humor,
but I don't, um, really
see how this helps us.
Well, there were
two planes, Lieutenant.
Two planes on the mission.
There was the target plane,
which was unmanned,
except for our friend Oscar,
and the chase plane, whose
pilot's call sign was "Uzi."
We find Uzi, we find
out what happened.
But how do we know that
Uzi wasn't a dummy, too?
Well, we don't.
But let's say for the
moment he's real.
Okay, well, if someone
with the call sign "Uzi"
works for Larmoss,
I'm not going to have
access to their files.
There's got to be a
record of him somewhere.
He'd need a vehicle
pass to get on the base,
he's got to have
someplace to live.
Maybe he's got a locker
at the fitness center.
Yeah, no, I will do a search.
Good.
Call me the moment
you find out anything.
I'm going to go see
Megan Ransford.
The actual amount
of compensation
would be based on
your father's tax returns.
Financial statements,
loss of potential earnings.
L-Look around you, Commander.
My dad paid $400 a
month to rent this place.
His paintings are good, ma'am.
He must have sold some of them.
Yeah, I don't know.
Maybe at some local art
shows. And-And try Megan.
Megan.
Do you like any of these?
Gosh, they're all good.
I guess if I had to choose one,
uh, that one there.
I painted that one.
Painting was one
of the few things
Dad and I had in common.
One of the only memories
I have of him as a kid.
It's tough growing
up without a dad.
You get used to it.
Anyway, he called me last
year and said he regretted...
well, regretted a lot of things.
So I let him back in my life.
And I was really
working on forgiving him,
but now I guess I'll
never have the chance.
Anyway, the plan was
to go back to Encino
once my soon-to-be ex-husband
had moved out of the house.
I don't know, coming back here
and seeing the
way Dad lived, I...
I'm actually thinking
of chucking my job
and moving out here and
picking up where Dad left off.
It'd be lonely.
I don't really get lonely.
Not to say I don't
enjoy companionship,
but I don't know, it wouldn't
be bad living out here.
Except for the 2:00
a.m. cannonball express.
What about you?
You ever lonely?
Sometimes.
Well, you wouldn't have to be.
That pretty little lieutenant
seems to hang on
your every word.
Never had much
luck with blondes.
Oh, yeah? Your
girl have dark hair?
Well... she's not my girl.
Yet.
But, yeah, she's
a... she's a brunette.
How did we get onto this anyway?
You started it.
You know, I think
I may know a way
to get you a decent settlement,
your father's lack of income
not withstanding.
I'd be satisfied with whatever
you can manage, Harm.
You've been good to me.
You ever think
of chucking it all
and starting over?
You know, new place, new people?
Tried that once. It, uh...
Well, it didn't work out.
Hmm...
Cease fire! Cease fire!
When your weapon is secure,
move back to the ready line.
Not bad.
Better than "not bad," Colonel.
You may move back
to the ready line
and stand by for
the next stage of fire.
You need any
assistance, General?
I'll go another, Gunny.
Can't have another, sir.
This one's for score.
How's it going, sir?
You can see my target, Colonel.
How's it look like it's going?
One more stage of fire.
Okay, "Uzi" is a
Hebrew word, right?
It means "my strength."
Now, I couldn't find any
pilots with that call sign, but I'm
looking at military
flights out of China Lake
and there's a C-130
to Edwards connecting to Germany
this afternoon at 1300.
Now the manifest shows
a Lieutenant Itzhak
Meier, Israeli Air Force.
But does Israel
fly F-14s?
Well, we did train some
of our allies in F-14s.
One of them was Israel.
Right, but why use
an Israeli? I mean,
why not hire a former U.S.
Navy pilot such as yourself?
Well, maybe the Israeli pilot
possesses skills Larmoss needs.
Such as?
I don't know.
When we find him, we'll ask him.
And while there
was an altercation
that resulted in injuries,
I am confident Commander Roberts
did not act in a
malicious manner, sir.
You like Commander
Roberts, don't you?
I respect the commander, sir.
My concern is
that your fondness for
Commander Roberts
has affected your judgment.
With all due respect, sir,
you couldn't be more wrong.
Oh, couldn't I?
Sir, few have sacrificed
to the degree that
Commander Roberts has.
I know you were
shot down in Iraq,
I know you were injured,
but Commander Roberts
did lose a leg, sir.
Which has zero
to do with the fact
that the man has been involved
in two felonious assaults
in the past two months.
With all due respect, sir,
the commander was only defending
his kid brother
in that shoe store.
He and his brother
were only targeted
because they were
wearing uniforms, and
sir, I can't say that under
the same circumstances
I wouldn't have
done the same thing.
Okay. Thank you, Commander.
That'll be all.
Yes, sir.
What do you mean, "delayed"?
For how long?
I must get on this
plane. Here we are, sir.
Shalom.
Shalom. What's this all about?
We need to talk to you
about your friend Oscar.
What'd you score?
382, sir.
Expert. Congratulations.
At ease.
Thank you, General.
Aren't you going
to ask how I did?
I wasn't sure you'd
want to talk about it, sir.
I've always believed owning up
to getting whooped
is the first step
to never letting
it happen again.
Well, if I scored higher, sir,
I'm sure it was
because I got lucky.
Do not patronize me, Colonel.
Face it... we can't help but turn
everything we do into a competition.
It's why Marines make better friends
with each other than with squids.
Maybe I enjoyed
it just a little, sir.
No harm in that, Colonel.
You beat me this time,
but I still shot expert.
Incidentally...
do you have any idea how
much trouble you'd be in right now
if I thought you held
back on me at that range
just to avoid kicking a
General Officer in the backside?
I can imagine, sir.
Don't let yourself
get too comfortable.
Next time, I'm taking
you down, MacKenzie.
With all due respect,
sir, like hell you are.
I can't explain what happened.
The automatic
flight control system
was working normally
when they took off.
The remote control
jet was in the lead.
The autopilot controls were
mounted in the rear seat,
with the dummy in the front
to keep the center
of gravity correct.
Why not just use
sandbags for the weight?
We needed the dummy,
in case anyone saw
the aircraft taking off.
The remote control aircraft
simulated a surface-to-air missile?
Correct.
A Stinger missile can
get up to Mach two...
About 2,400 kilometers an
hour... A few seconds after launch.
We want the capability
to take out a target even
faster than that, if necessary.
The mission required
the drone aircraft to travel
at Mach 2.38 for the test.
To test your laser technology.
Yeah, the Army's Tactical
High-Energy Laser system
nailed a Russian Katyusha SAM
in June of 2000 at White
Sands Missile Range.
Okay, I remember that test.
That weapon was the
size of an 18-wheeler.
Yes, but they used
a-a mid-infrared laser.
It's fine for ground-
based operations.
And now we can now
shoot a SCUD out of the sky
miles before it gets
anywhere near Israel's borders.
An airborne platform
for laser weapons
is something the DOD's been
working on since the 1980s.
We think we've finally
got the solution...
A deuterium fluoride
chemical laser.
We can get a megawatt of power
in a package small enough to fit
in the rear seat of an F-14.
Do you understand
what that means?
Once our tests are completed,
we can build the device
into commercial airliners.
Because sooner or later,
some terrorist will get lucky;
hundreds of people will die.
But not with this
technology on board.
Commander, we
weren't exaggerating
when we said civilian lives
are at stake with this program.
Oh, yeah, you proved
that four days ago
about a hundred
meters from a schoolyard.
So why were you testing
this over a civilian area?
That... was an anomaly.
I'm gonna need to know what happened
after you lost control of the drone.
I was flying a low-altitude
simulation downrange.
Testing the atmospheric
compensation and correction
system for the laser.
I climbed to angels
20 to verify the tracking
could lock on at that altitude.
It did. I acquired the target
before it got to a thousand feet
and kept it right
in the crosshairs
all the way to 40,000.
So the test was successful?
Perfect. We thought we
were making real progress.
The next step,
we'd go operational.
Then you lost control.
The drone started
responding erratically.
It was dropping out of the sky.
I pursued to keep it in sight.
It kept losing altitude, all
the way down to treetop level.
By then you were
approaching the town.
Get down!
Suddenly, it went into
an unrestricted climb.
I realized I'd run
out of options.
Tell Control, destroy the drone.
And then you
decided to cover it up.
By law, we couldn't
reveal the truth.
This is a Special
Access Program.
You don't have the
right to lie to them.
You endangered people's lives.
Look, not only
do I have a right,
I have an obligation to lie.
And so do you... To
protect the program,
which is now in jeopardy.
You can understand why we
took the precautions we did.
Oh, we understand, all right.
It's a race to see
who can develop
high-energy laser
technology first,
and with commercial
applications,
the upside is tremendous.
You weren't trying to protect
the program.
You were trying to
protect your profits.
And the U.S. government
will protect me.
So we're done.
No, not quite.
We still have one piece
of unfinished business.
Commander...
do you think I've
been too hard on you?
No, sir. I deserve it, sir.
Well put.
Thank you, sir.
I had a friend growing
up, Hank Schumacher.
He was three
grades ahead of me...
my ticket to hang
out with the older kids.
Meant a lot to me at the
time, 'cause I was, uh...
small for my age.
When he was drafted into
the Army and left for Vietnam...
the guy was my hero.
I still looked up
to him a year later
when he came back
home in a wheelchair.
One day he, uh, he'd just left
the VA hospital in Lexington.
A group of kids
pushed his chair over...
left him
in the street.
Wasn't long before
the police came,
put him back in his chair.
Didn't matter, though.
The damage had been done.
See, they'd taken
away Hank's dignity.
Men like Hank...
ones who've given that
much to their country...
we owe them a little extra.
You understand what
I'm saying, Commander?
I think so, sir.
Don't take it as a license
to be a menace to society.
Chairs are for sitting.
Shoes?
We won't even talk about shoes.
Yes, sir.
You're dismissed, Commander.
Aye, aye, sir.
DNA conclusively links
Megan Ransford's father
to the crash of your F-14.
Well, if Miss
Ransford wants to file
a Federal Tort Claim,
we're willing to
contribute to a settlement...
With the understanding
that Larmoss Industries
assumes no further liability
and Miss Ransford is
barred from public disclosure
and any action in civil court.
Two million dollars.
Come again?
You heard right.
Okay.
Before we talk numbers,
we should talk split.
What percentage of this settlement
are you expecting from us?
All of it.
The Navy's our
partner in this program.
What did the Navy have
to do with the crash?
Naval aircraft,
Naval property...
Those were factors in the crash?
No, but...
Unless you can demonstrate
proximate cause,
the Navy's not at fault.
The crash happened off base,
in equipment you
were responsible for,
controlled by civilian
engineers you employed.
Have I missed anything?
Look, $2 million
is not going to fly.
Like your aircraft?
We'd be prepared
to go as high as one.
A million dollars
for a man's life?
My last, best offer.
Do we have a deal, Commander?
1.2... that's as
high as I'll go.
Commander.
Harm, please.
Heading home?
Yeah, my work here is done.
Now it's time for
the Lone Ranger
to ride off into the sunset?
Well, I'm actually boarding a
C-17 to Andrews Air Force Base,
but yeah.
Well, if you ever
get tired of it...
This is a settlement check
from Larmoss Industries.
You're one hell of a lawyer.
Well, I have my moments.
I appreciate what you've done,
but I don't feel right
about the money.
Please, just tell
them I don't want it.
I have an idea.
Which is?
The crash site by the school...
build a park for the kids.
Or an arts center.
Teach them to paint and draw.
Dedicate it to your dad.
Give you something
to remember him by.
Well, I never figured
you for a softie.
You know, in some places,
those are fighting words.
Thank you.
I'm just doing my job.
Making people fall
in love with you?
Your little blonde
is clearly smitten.
Oh, the only way she'd
be interested in me
is if I was dead.
I... She's a murder
mystery freak.
Then don't forget about me.
Oh, hey, I was just...
How did Miss Ransford
like her windfall?
She liked it pretty well.
That's great. So, now what?
Now I fly back to D.C.
And, um...
And what will be in your report?
The F-14 crashed
due to material failure
in the flight control system.
No human error.
What about you?
Well, I was thinking that there
might be a place for
me at JAG.
Well...
you never know
what the future holds, huh?