Season: 6 Show: 17
Episode Title: "Valor"
Original Air Date: 3/13/01

CBS Site:
Harm and Mac travel to Bahrain to determine if a female Marine found aboard a terrorist boat that attacked a U.S. Naval destroyer was coerced into helping her captors or was a willing participant.

Don't Scroll Down If You Don't Want to Know what Happens.

    A US Navy ship is reloading in the Port of Jebal Ali in the Persian Gulf. The Captain of the ship is radioed that a small ship is approaching. The Captain looks at it and says it is their vegetable delivery. He is told that that delivery came an hour ago. The Captain then radios Captain Rojas and tell him than an unidentified ship is approaching. He gets in another boat with some soldiers and goes to approach the unidentified ship, a little tugboat. Rojas yells at the ship to turn around but it keeps going straight. The Captain orders a warning shot. The soldiers shoot and after they stop people run out on the deck of the unidentified boat with guns and start shooting back. The ship and other boat both return fire and down everyone on the unidentified ship. Rojas boards the unidentified ship and looks under blankets and finds boxes of explosives.  A woman wearing a veil comes out of the bridge of the boat. Rojas tells her to get down and identify herself. She says they have to get off the boat. Rojas tells her to identify herself. She takes off the veil and says she is Sargent Joan Steele, USMC. 
    Tiner is walking Harm into Headquarters, Harm is wearing sweatpants and a T-shirt. Harm asks how did Tiner know where to find him? Tiner says he knows Harm always takes a 5 mile run in the morning along the river. The walk into the Admirals office and Webb and Mac there too. The Admiral asks Harm is he knows about an MP, Joan Steele disappearing in a terrorist raid last month in the Persian Gulf? Harm says yes, no demands were ever made and she is still missing. The Admirals says yesterday a patrol picked up a ship carrying 800lbs of explosives that might have tried to hit the USS Vance. Harm asks if they were trying to reenact the Cole incident. The Admiral says probably, the gunmen onboard were killed but Steele was found aboard. Harm asks why terrorist would bring a hostage. Webb says it's not clear if she was a hostage, she was wearing the local clothing. She says they forced her at gunpoint to come with them and change clothes. Webb says they think that the group that did this could have been part of the local jihad. The Admiral tells Harm and Mac that they're flight leaves in 90minutes. 
    Mic and Rene come out of the elevator and they are bring Harm and Mac their luggage for their trip. Mic says that he'll take care of the minister their supposed to meet today. Mac says she forgot about that. Harriet asks if they picked a wedding date and Mic says May 26. Harm smiles and says the sooner the better. Mac goes to hold the cab driver while Harm goes to change in his office. Mic tells Bud that he will have some free time and asks if he wants to go out with him. Bud says yes. Harriet asks Rene if she wants to go out and Rene says sure. 
    The captain is telling Harm and Mac that ever since the Cole got bombed they have been on high alert. He says that every incoming ship or truck has to give a code to the harbor master to get in. This boat knew the code, and that’s why they got past security. Mac asks if someone with security knowledge could have known the code. The Captain asks if she's talking about Steele. Mac says nods. He says that’s what they are trying to find out. 
    Harm and Mac go to see Steele at the hospital. Steele is saying that she does know about harbor security. Harm asks if she knows how the terrorists got past security? Steele says she told them. Harm and Mac are shocked at look at each other. Harm says you told them this information because she was being threatened. Steele says that’s what she made them believe. Harm says that she should explain. Steele says the men would do anything to sink that destroyer. Mac says that’s all the more reason not to tell them. Steele says it was their duty to stop them. She brought them to the harbor where she knew the US forces were stronger. If she brought them through the main gate they would have ran if tried to be caught. Mac asks if she thought about what would happen if they succeeded? Steele says she knew the picket boats would have stopped them. Steele asks how long she has to stay in the hospital? Mac says it’s up to her doctors. Steele says she would really like to get back to work. Harm asks what the rush is. Steele says because of the terrorists. If she's too shaken up to return to duty, they win. 
    Harm and Mac they go to the Bahrain Admin Support Unit to talk to the man that is in charge of her promotion. He says that Steele is a good person, but when she found out about his decision not to make her an officer she was disappointed. He wanted to see how she performed her duties a little bit longer. Harm asks what were his reservations? He says that she made some bad judgment calls. He asks what have they heard about the night of her abduction. Mac says terrorists were attacking police armory. The Marine says she was driving to the naval base and she was at a red light. She heard an explosion. Fearing the worst she got out of her vehicle and ran to the scene only armed with a sidearm. Harm says that is brave. The Marine says orders are to report back to your unit. When they got there all they found was a holster, she is very lucky to be alive. Mac says she is in the hospital now and is perfectly fine. The Marine says that’s good and they should send her back to him. Harm says that she has admitted to helping the terrorists. The Marine asks what the hell for. Mac says she thought it would be easier to catch them. He says that’s Sergeant Steele and walks away.
    That night Harm and Mac are looking through reports. Mac says that the Admiral called and he wants to know what they have so far. Harm says it's unclear. Mac says she endangered the lives of 300 people. Harm says she spent the last 4 weeks with terrorists. The phone rings and Mac answers it. She writes something down and hangs up. She tells Harm that FBI pulled the fingerprints off of the bomb trigger. Harm asks if they match any of Webbs' terrorists. Mac says 2 unknowns, and one match for Joan Steele.
    Steele says she only had a few minutes. Mac says, what… to help them ensemble the bomb? Harm asks how her fingerprints got on the detonator? Steele says that two days before the attack they left her alone with the bomb, they were all watching Arnold Schwarzenegger movie, rutting for the terrorist, and watching Die Hard 3. Her wrists were tied together but she could still move her hands. The whole bomb wasn't there but most of it was, and she tried to set it off. Harm asks if she tried to kill herself. Steele says the terrorists too. But they caught her in the process and they beat her. She pretended to crack and said she'll help them get into the harbor. 
    Harriet is typing on her computer at headquarters when the Admiral comes up to her. He wants to ask something about Mac's wedding. He asks if he missed the engagement party. Harriet says no, they never had one. The Admiral asks if there usually is one. Harriet says yes, and she would throw one but her apartment is too small and messy right now. The Admiral tells her to ask someone. Harriet says she doesn't want to impose on anyone and the Admiral says it’s all right, they are all family here. Harriet smiles and asks if she can start inviting people and the Admiral says yes. She thanks him and leaves. The Admiral smiles then think and says, thank you for what? (Harriet thinks the Admiral wants to have the party in his house :) 
    Harm is telling Mac asks they are walking that everything they ask her she has a good answer. Mac says she might believe her if she wasn’t so casual about it. Harm asks Mac how hard would it be to find Die Hard 3 in the Persian Gulf? 
    The Admiral asks Tiner if he has a caterer in his Rolodex. Tiner asks if he is throwing a party. The Admiral says apparently, he's hosting an engagement party for Mac. The Admiral says he's never done this before and asks, "Should we decorate?" Tiner says, "We?" The Admiral stares at him and he decides to help. 
    Harm and Mac go to see the man that made the delivery in the beginning of the episode. He couldn't make the delivery himself so his uncle went. Harm asks why he couldn't go and he said he had a appendices. The man says he and his uncle have been doing business with the Navy for 15years. He is not a terrorist. He even got a plaque from the Navy saying how good his services are. He says he has every movie they could ever want. Harm asks if he has movies with Arnold Schwarzenegger or Bruce Willis. The man says every movie they were ever in. Harm takes some movies and tells Mac they will send them back to the lab for prints. The man gets serious and says what prints? Harm says prints that were found on the bomb. The man asks if his customers could be terrorists? Mac says whoever made the bomb rented these movies. The man says that he just rents movies, he doesn't know about what those people do in their lives. Harm says he does, and if he doesn't talk he'll loss his contract with the Navy. The man thinks and finally says that a girl rented them. Mac asks what girl and the man says an American girl that came in with some other men. The last time she came she warned him not to make a delivery. Harm asks where were the men. The man says she came alone. Mac asks points to a back door and asks if that is an exit. The man says yes. 
    Mac tells Steele that she was alone in a video store and didn't even try to escape. Steele says the terrorists were in the car with their guns trained on her and that’s why she never ran out the back door. Mac says she was duty bound to try to escape. Steele says if she did they just would have picked another target and tried to kill more people. Mac asks if she couldn't escape or didn't want to. Steele says both. Mac asks if it has ever occurred to her that she has done something wrong. Harm says Steele was beat and asks if anything else happened to her. Steele says they made some verbal remarks and on of them touched them inappropriately. Harm asks if that was difficult and she says yes, but she tried to keep her head and do the right thing. Mac says not trying to escape and participating in an attack on a US ship isn't the right thing. Harm asks if there is anything else she would like to says and she says no. Harm says sometimes a hostage starts to identify with their abductor. She says she doesn't identify with someone that wants to blow up American ships. Mac asks if she started to like on of the men. Steele says she doesn't like anyone who wants to blow up American ships. Mac says if she makes a full statement now it could go easier. Steele asks, make what easier? Mac says she could face charges. Steele says she will not says she was hypnotized or in love with a terrorist when she wasn't. 
    Harm and Mac talk to Steele's CO again. Mac says she has a pattern of while holding information. Mac says she wants him to order an investigation. The CO says asks if she wants this to go to trial. Mac says yes, and she would prosecute. The CO asks Harm what he thinks. Harm says he thinks that Steele got in over her head and didn't know what to do. The CO says alright, he'll request a hearing.
    The Admiral and Webb are watching a news report on the Cole investigation. The Admiral asks if Webb thinks that Steele is a traitor. He says he doesn't know and asks what Harm and Mac have found out. The Admiral says they are going to have an Article 32 hearing. The Admiral asks what he is doing. Webb says he have people working into the terrorist group(s).
    At the hearing Mac asks a Corporal how long she's known Steele. The Corporal says eight months. Mac asks if they are friends and if she was there when Steele was filling out her application to become and officer. The Corporal says yes to both question and adds that Steele was very excited at the thought of becoming an officer. Mac asks what was Steele's attitude after she was turned down. The Corporal says Steele though the Corps. made a mistake. Mac sits and Harm stands and asks the Corporal if Steele ever told her that all she wanted was to be in combat. The Corporal says all the time, it would show the Corps. that she is a well trained soldier. Harm asks what happened the day she was kidnapped. The Corporal says yes. After they heard the explosion she told her to get back to the base and ran toward the explosion. The Corporal says that Steele may have not been happy, but she was a fine Marine. Harm sites and Mac redirects. Mac asks if Steele would want to be transferred into a combat unit. The Corporal says that that isn't possible because females aren't allowed in combat. Mac says to prove herself she had to find another way.
    Mac then questions the Captain of the US ship. Mac asks if it weren't for the help of Steele, would the terrorists have gotten so close to his ship. He says no, their patrol boats would have intercepted them as soon as they tried entering the harbor. Mac asks could the terrorists have escaped to deep water after being discovered. The Commander says they would have been caught, their boats are faster. Harm goes next and says that the Commander must think that Steele idea to lead the terrorist into the harbor was misguided. The Commander says he thinks even worse of the idea. Harm says it worked though. The Commander says they got lucky. Harm asks is it luck that they had a boat in the water, or because of luck that his people did exactly as they are train. He says no.
    Bud and Mic go to a bar. Bud toasts to Mic but he can tell something is on Mic's mind. He asks him if there is something wrong. Mic says he's great, he even got two new clients today. Bud says that’s great and asks how things at home are going. Mic says great, unless Harriet told you something that he doesn't know about. Bud asks about what. Mic says something about Mac. Sometimes he feels that he doesn't know how she really feels. Bud says he knows he is fine. Bud then asks if this is why he brought him out, to asks about Mac. Mic says no, he wants to know if Bud will be his best man. Bud gets a big smile on his face and says yes. Mic tells Bud not to tell this to anyone yet. Bud says he won't tell a soul.
    At the same time this is going on Harriet is telling Rene that Bud tells her everything, even his obsession with the search for extraterrestrial life. Rene wants to know about Harm. Harriet tells her that she is the best thing in Harms' life.
    Steele is telling Harm that everyday they'd come into her cell and hold a gun to her head and just wait. After about ten minutes she'd hear the empty gun click. They thought she would crack, but she didn't. She thought she could use this to her advantage. Harm asks how. Steele says she would pretend to crack, so they wouldn't catch on to her. Harm sits and Mac then asks her if she could have set up another tragedy. Steele says everyone knew about the Cole, security was high. Mac asks if looking back at this, does she still think she did the right thing. Steele says yes, she had no other choice. If she tried to resist they just would have shot her. Mac asks if they did anything else besides beat her. Steele says that one man spoke English to her. He said he would rape her. Mac asks if he ever did. Steele takes a deep breath and says no. Everyday though he would come into her cell when she was blindfolded, zipping and unzipping his pants. Sometimes he would hold a lighter up to her breast and hold her hands behind her back so when her blouse caught fire she couldn’t put it out. Then he would pour Coca-Cola on her to put it out. He thought it was funny. Mac is taken back by her story and isn't sure what to say next. Just then an MP walks into the courtroom. He hands the judge a letter and the judge reads it. He tells everyone that they will take a short recess. Webb then walks in. Harm and Mac walk out to him and Webb tells them that he needs to talk to Steele. He has a lead on the group that kidnapped her. They are planning another bombing very soon, they just don't know where.
    In the CO's office Webb shows Steele a picture of a man. He asks if she ever saw him. Steele says she doesn't think so. Webb says he was behind the bombing and her kidnapping. He says that they have a man inside their group and he told Webb that the terrorist group will strike within 48hours. Steele asks where and Webb says they don't know. Webb asks if the men talked about their plans around her and Steele says no. Webb is frustrated and asks if anyone talked to her. Steele says one man did, the one that brought her food. But he stopped coming after a couple weeks, she thinks he went to see his mother in the hospital. Webb says that this wasn't in her report. Steele says she didn't think it was important. Mac asks if she talked about their families. Steele says just with him, she tried to find a connection with him, its basic hostage training. Webb asks if she saw him again, he might tell her more things. Harm doesn’t like this idea about putting Steele in danger again. Harm asks if his inside man can find out. Webb says they lost contact with him last night. Steele says she'll do whatever he wants. Webb tells asks the CO that if Steele helps will he drop the charges. Harm tells the CO that this is too dangerous, it will be too suspicious. Webb says that he will put out a story that she ran away. Steele says she made the terrorists think that she was on their side. The CO says that he talked to the judge and the judge said that right now he cannot recommend a trial because there is a lack of evidence. He asks Mac if she is fine with that decision. Mac says yes but Harm says he wants to talk to Steele.
    Steele is walking with Harm and she says she wants to do this. Harm says that this is insane. Steele says she can handle it and Harm says Webbs' insider couldn't even handle it. Steele says she fooled them once before. Harm asks if she did it out of courage or fear. She says if she's scared then why is she willing to take this mission. Harm says to prove to everyone that she isn't scared, and to prove it to herself. Steele says the decision is hers, and she is doing it.
    Bud and Mic are still at the bar and are a little drunk. Mic asks if it is hard to understand woman. Bud says definitely. Mic rhetorically asks if it is hard to understand men. Mic says the things men want are simple, and easily grasped… why can't she (Mac) be that clear. Bud tells Mic that she knows Harriet loves her. But he also knows that sometimes Harriet thinks he is a moron, though she never says it… well maybe once or twice but she tried not to. Maybe what they don't say, maybe we don't want to hear. Mic laughs and asks what is he trying to say. Bud laughs too and says he's not sure. But what he does know is that is two months Sarah MacKenzie will marry Mic Brumby.
    Harriet and Rene are drunk too. Rene says what she worries about is this is the first time she has actually loved a man.
    Back at the bar Bud and Mic are singing.
    It is night and Mac and Harm are walking through the streets. Webb is in an unmarked van tracking Steele's movement, with a beacon that’s under her belt. Steele is sitting down at a restaurant near a phone where the calls to hospital room where the terrorists mother is. Just then a man walks up to her and starts talking. If Steele drops her napkin that means it is the man, but she doesn't. Steele gets up and walks into the back of the restaurant and the man walks away. Webb says she's just standing in the hallway. Harm thinks something is wrong and runs into the restaurant. Webb runs out of the van and runs inside with Harm. They find the belt laying on the floor and Steele missing.
    The CO is asking Mac and Harm if they think she took it off or someone took it off for her. Webb walks in and Harm asks lets ask the man that set this up. Webb says they have every faculty within 200miles on high alert. Webb says either she was searched and they found the belt, or she was scared of being searched and took it off, or she really did go to the other side. The CO says no. Just then there is the sound of a large distant explosion. Mac, Harm, and Webb just look at each other.
    They go to where the explosion is and police have quarantined the area around a big crater. Webb gets off his cell phone and walks over to Harm and Mac. Webb says there are thirty American archeological students from Cornell University were just down the road, the bomb went off prematurely. Harm asks if they know who was in the van. Webb says a Marine a couple miles back said he saw two Arab men and a woman engaged in a struggle. Harm says she set it off, she knew where they were going. Webb says it looks like it. Harm says they used her… and we used her.
    Harm and Mac go back to America and go to Steele's family house. Mac asks what will he tell them. Harm says the truth, they're daughter died a hero.