Prologue

Friday 8:30 PM

Amanda’s head hurt-more than hurt, actually-it felt as though someone had driven sharp knives through her skull. Cautiously she tried to open her eyes; only to close them again as the light caused the pain to sharpen in intensity.

What had happened? Amanda tried to think back. She had been ready to leave Station One and then-a jumble of memories and images rushed through her mind:

–”I love you, Lee-tell mother and the boys I’ll be home soon and give Emily a kiss from me.” -

–driving down a darkened road-

–the glow of headlights behind her-so bright that Amanda almost had to close her eyes to shield herself from the glare -the squeal of brakes-

–”I’ve been looking forward to this, Amanda.” -the man’s voice had been deep in tone; she recalled-the accent vaguely familiar-

Why had she left Station One alone? Amanda wondered. She and Lee had come there separately-but they could have left together-why would they have left separately? There must have been a reason, but for the moment, it eluded her.

Who had the voice belonged to?

What had happened on the road? Some sort of accident? Was she in the hospital?

But hospitals had hospital noises-a certain antiseptic smell in the air-somehow this didn’t feel like a hospital. Amanda tensed as she heard a slight creak, followed by the soft padding of footsteps.

“Lee?” she croaked, barely recognizing her own voice. The inside of her mouth felt like a piece of sandpaper. Amanda swallowed, tasting a strange, almost sickly sweetness as she did.

No one answered her, but some sixth sense told her that someone was there, watching. The boys used to do that when they were little, Amanda recalled-they would stand by her bed some mornings, not saying anything, just waiting for her to open her eyes.

‘Open your eyes, Amanda.’

And she did. The pain was still intense but more bearable this time-the light less of a piercing dagger and more of a soft golden glow. A figure stood silently over her, the features obscured and blurry.

“Lee?” Amanda repeated.

“Take it easy.” Not Lee at all, the voice was female. A hand gently smoothed Amanda’s hair. “It’s best if you just rest now-you’ve had a rough time.”

“But I don’t-I don’t remember what happened. Where am I?”

“You had an accident, Mrs. Stetson,” the woman replied. “We brought you here.”

“Where?” Amanda tried to sit up but something seemed to be holding her down. “Am I in a hospital? My husband and family-are they-”

“Shhh…” the woman’s voice soothed. “Rest first-everything will be explained in due time.”

“But I can’t rest now, I can’t-” Amanda cried out as she felt the sharp sting of a needle in her arm. Her last clear memory was of another figure joining the first-the two of them standing over her.

“You did an excellent job, my dear,” another voice said. A man’s voice this time. The figures almost seemed to blur together as the darkness took Amanda Stetson completely.

Act One

4247 Maplewood Drive

Friday 9:00 PM

Amanda.

Lee sat on the sofa in the family room, his head resting on his hands. He shouldn’t be here-he thought to himself-sitting on this sofa. He should be up doing something-making himself useful instead of sitting here feeling so damn helpless-Lee clenched his right hand, pounding his leg hard.

“Did that help?”

Lee looked up at the man who stood in front of him.

“Hello, Billy,” he said tonelessly.

Billy sat beside him. “Where’s Mrs. West?”

“Dotty’s upstairs with Emily,” Lee told him. “She seems to be holding it together- for now, anyway.”

“She’s one strong woman. And the boys?”

“Well they were planning on spending the weekend at a friend’s house, but they’re on the way back now. We haven’t told them anything yet. Is there any news?”

Billy sighed. “Nothing yet-at the moment we’re coordinating with the State Police and the FBI, calling all the hospitals-”

“The morgues?”

“Lee, come on-don’t think that way. Amanda’s only been missing a few hours.”

“A few hours!” Lee snapped. Rising from the sofa, he started to pace back and forth. “And we have no idea of where she could be-who might have her-there’s nothing. Station One is only an hour-and-a-half away from here.”

“You know it’s still possible this may be something simple. An accident-maybe even a breakdown.”

“You really believe that?” Lee looked at his friend. “This is Amanda-she would’ve found a way to get in touch-and if there had been accident the State Police would’ve contacted us by now. This is my fault-I should’ve never left her there to go home alone.”

“She was the ringer this time-you arrived in separate cars, correct?”

“Of course we did.” Lee clenched his fist. “That’s standard procedure. I just thought-I wanted us to leave at the same time.”

“Why?” Billy asked.

Lee sank back down onto the sofa. I’m not exactly sure. A feeling, maybe-I don’t know how else to explain it.” As Lee spoke, his mind returned to the events of that afternoon:

“Amanda, are you sure you’ll be all right?”

Amanda rose from the desk and walked over to him. “Lee, I’ll be just fine-I just have this paperwork to finish up-there’s no reason for you to stay behind and wait.”

“I don’t mind waiting.”

Her arms wrapped around him. “It’s okay, Stetson-I’ll be home before you know it.”

Lee was silent for a moment-holding her body tightly against his own. Suddenly Amanda pulled out of the embrace, her dark eyes searching his.

“What is it?” she asked. “Something’s bothering you.”

Lee didn’t know how to tell Amanda-how to express the cold feeling that had crept over him. What was the expression-as if someone had walked over his grave? Involuntarily he shivered.

“Lee?”

“I’m fine,” he told her. “Really. Just promise me something.”

“Anything.”

“Promise me you’ll be careful? I love you-I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

Amanda smiled-her soft lips pressed gently against his own. “I love you too, Mr. Stetson. Nothing’s going to happen to me.”

But something had happened.

Billy’s voice broke into Lee’s reverie. “You can’t blame yourself.”

Lee laughed shortly, running a hand through his hair. “Can’t I?”

“I have to ask this, Lee.” Billy hesitated for a moment. “Do you have any idea who might be responsible?”

Lee shook his head. “No.”

“Have either you or Amanda received any threatening notes, messages, gifts-strange phone calls?” Billy prodded. “Even something small might be a clue.”

“Haven’t you been listening to me?” Lee rose from the sofa, pacing the length of the room as he spoke. “There hasn’t been anything-no threats, no warnings-nothing. Maybe if there had been I would’ve been able to do something.”

“We’re also looking into your past cases,” Billy informed him. “People who might’ve had a grudge against you or Amanda, people who’ve escaped or been released from prison-the best thing you can do now is wait.”

“No-no-you can’t ask me to wait-not while Amanda is-”

“At least until we know something more,” he said. “Right now you have a young daughter and a family who needs you. Please?”

Lee sank back down onto the sofa. “All right-I’ll wait-for now, anyway. You’ll call me the moment you have any news?”

“As soon as I know something I’ll call you. We’ll find her, Scarecrow-I promise you that.”

After Billy had gone. Lee’s head dropped into his hands once more, his eyes closing tightly as he fought to keep control.

‘Where are you, Amanda?’ he thought to himself. ‘What’s happened to you?’

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11:30 PM

The man stood silently over the woman’s bed, watching her as she slept.

Not one detail escaped his attention-the way her dark lashes stood out in sharp contrast to her pale complexion-how her chest rose and fell with her slow and even breaths. ‘So beautiful.’ He had thought of her so often throughout his confinement-her face, her smile-playing out this moment so many times in his head that it was hard to believe it was actually happening. But it was. The man bent down and leaned close, inhaling her scent. His hand brushed her cheek lightly.

“Soon, liebling,” he whispered. “Very soon.”

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4247 Maplewood Drive

Saturday 2:30 AM

“No,” Lee moaned. His head tossed restlessly on the pillow. “No please-Amanda!”

His wife’s name came out in a shout. Lee sat straight up in bed, his heart racing wildly, his undershirt soaked with sweat. For a moment, he just stared at the familiar objects in the dimly lit bedroom, his breath slowing as he tried to reorient himself. In his mind, he could still see his wife, held in the grip of some faceless monster. Amanda’s face had been stained with tears, dark eyes silently pleading with Lee to save her-rescue her. And Lee had been frozen, unable to move as the monster had grabbed her and-

‘Stop it,’ Lee told himself. ‘It was only a dream-that’s all.’ But that wasn’t all- and it wasn’t a dream. Amanda was gone, and he had no idea who took her, why they took her-nothing at all. In reality, Lee was no closer to helping his wife than he’d been in his nightmare. His gaze fell on the pillow beside him, still marred with a faint indentation of where Amanda’s head rested every night.

He couldn’t just stay here-he had to get up. As if on cue, a loud thin wail came from the baby monitor, filling the room. Emily. Slowly Lee rose from the bed, padding down the hallway towards the nursery.

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By the time Lee reached the nursery Emily was already in full swing-her face was bright red and her little hands were curled into fists, her body shaking with the force of her cries.

“Hey there, sweetheart.” Lee bent over the crib. “What’s the matter, huh? What’s wrong?” He checked his daughter’s diaper; he was very relieved to find that it wasn’t wet or messy. Lee carefully lifted Emily into his arms and walked with her around the nursery, gently rocking her as he hummed. Some nights this worked just fine, but tonight Emily refused to be satisfied. Checking the clock, he saw that it was time for her bottle. Lee carried her downstairs into the kitchen-still holding her as he warmed the bottle from the fridge under the faucet, testing a few drops on the inside of his wrist to make sure it wasn’t too warm. Emily wailed the whole time, her face damp with tears.

“Don’t worry, Emily,” Lee soothed. “Daddy’s going to feed you right now, okay?” He carried her upstairs, down the hallway to the nursery, and sat down in the rocking chair, putting a spit-up cloth over one shoulder. The moon shone through the window while Lee rocked back and forth, looking down at Emily’s face as she drank her bottle. Her eyes were so much like Amanda’s-Lee closed his own eyes briefly, fighting for control. He couldn’t lose it-not now.

“I had a feeling I’d find you in here.”

Lee opened his eyes to see Dotty, standing in the doorway. “I couldn’t sleep,” he told her. “And Emily needed feeding, so-”

“Believe me, I understand,” Dotty entered the nursery, sinking down onto the window-seat. “I couldn’t sleep either.”

“How are the boys?” Lee asked.

Dotty sighed. “Asleep for now-Lord only knows how long that will last-they’re both worried sick.”

“I know.” In his mind Lee could still see the boys’ faces-as he’d told them the news, Phillip’s face pale, his eyes wide with shock; Jamie’s eyes brimming with tears-they had lost their father a couple of months ago. If they lost their mother as well-Lee tried to push those thoughts to the back of his mind.

Emily pushed the bottle away-Lee noticed it was empty. He put the bottle on the nearby table and held Emily against his shoulder, gently bouncing her and patting her back until she finally burped.

“Where could Amanda be?” The questions came out of Dotty in a rush. “Where is my baby? I know that a lot of what you do is need-to-know, but do you have any idea what might have happened?”

“Dotty believe me-if I knew, I’d be out there looking for her myself. Right now, there’s nothing. We’re investigating, but-” Lee’s throat choked up suddenly. Dotty reached over, covering her hand with his.

“Listen to me,” she said. “I have faith in you, Lee Stetson-and if anyone can find Amanda you can. Right now that’s all that’s keeping me going. Just promise me you won’t give up.”

Lee swallowed hard. “I won’t give up. We’ll find her-I know we will.”

He only wished that he could feel as confident as he sounded.

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9:30 AM

It was damp here-very damp and cold. Amanda shivered as it penetrated her skin, little drops of moisture clinging to her as she moved, her feet making no sound.

“Lee?” Amanda strained to make out the figure enshrouded in the mist; moving rapidly towards her. “Where are you?” Her voice sounded very small to her own ears-wrapped up in the thick fog that surrounded her.

“I’m coming Amanda-wait for me-please don’t give up.” The figure was close to her now. Amanda reached out one hand to touch her husband, but the only thing that her fingers encountered was a cold dampness. Slowly the figure began to move away.

“Wait!” Amanda called. “Please don’t go Lee-come back!” She let out her breath in a hiss of frustration as the figure vanished into the distance.

“Please don’t go, Lee,” a voice whispered mockingly. The speaker was invisible-the voice seemed to come from the air itself.

“Who are you?” Amanda called out.

The soft laughter sent a chill through her spine.

“I told you- didn’t I, Amanda? I never forget-and I never forgive. Never.”

With a gasp, Amanda managed to pull herself out of the dream. She opened her eyes. Everything seemed to be a blur at first-the colors and shapes all melding together.

“I wondered when you’d be awake.”

It was a woman’s voice-the same one she remembered from before. There was no pain this time, but the bad taste still flooded her mouth. Amanda’s vision was starting to clear-allowing her to focus on the girl who stood in the doorway. The girl looked young-sixteen, maybe-eighteen at the most. Her hair was white-blond in color, cut into a short pixie style that feathered and framed her face. A Bedside Bluebell? Then Amanda took in the girl’s tight blue jeans, oversized pink sweater, and matching fuzzy slippers.

Definitely not a Bedside Bluebell.

“I thought you might like some breakfast, Mrs. Stetson.” The slippers made a hissing sound as the girl moved across the floor to the bed, and placed a tray on the bedside table. “You weren’t really in any shape to eat much last night.”

“Thanks.” Amanda looked around the room. It certainly wasn’t a hospital-the gleaming dark wood paneling, the ornate furnishings-the large four-poster bed she slept on-cloth straps had been tied to the bedposts and lay loosely on either side of her-that must have been what had restrained her last night when they-memories of feeling a sharp sting in her arm-a needle-flooded through her.

The girl’s gaze followed her own. “Sorry about those. I had to be sure you weren’t going to hurt yourself.”

Amanda looked down at her arm-sure enough; there was the puncture mark of a needle and bruising at the site. “What-where am I? What’s happened?”

“You had an accident, Mrs. Stetson. I told you that last night.”

An accident. A car accident? Amanda shook her head, struggling to clear her mind and untangle her jumbled thoughts. “How do you know my name?”

“It was on your license when I found you,” the girl said. “And since the nearest hospital is fifty miles away I thought it was best to bring you here instead. This place really is in the middle of nowhere, you know.”

“And you are?”

“Oh, didn’t I tell you already? I’m Autumn. Autumn Ernesta Mecklenburg. My teachers used to have so much trouble with that name when I went to school.”

‘I can believe it,’ Amanda thought dryly. Out loud she said, “Do you have a phone? I need to make a call-my family must be worried sick by now.”

“The phones are down. It always happens after a storm. It’s Saturday now-but the repairman should be out here first thing Monday morning.”

“Monday?”

Autumn shrugged. “Like I said, it’s the middle of nowhere.”

Amanda struggled to sit up. She had to get out of here-the thought of Lee, her mother and the boys spending the weekend not knowing where she was fueled her determination. But even as Amanda attempted to swing her feet over onto the floor and stand up her head began to spin, the wood paneled floor swimming underneath her. She tasted bile in her mouth as nausea rose up. Suddenly Autumn was right beside her, pushing her back onto the bed.

“Take it easy-you’ve been through a lot.” The girl propped pillows behind Amanda, placing the tray on her lap. “Eat some breakfast, okay? It’ll help you get your strength back.”

Breakfast. Even with the recent attack of nausea, her stomach was starting to rumble. She picked up the slice of buttered toast, breaking off a piece and popping it into her mouth. “Autumn, can I talk to your father?”

Autumn frowned. “My father?”

“Well it’s really important that I get in touch with my family- and maybe he’d be able to help.”

“I wish he could help too, but he’s not here. I don’t have a father.” As she spoke, Autumn twisted her fingers. “I mean, everyone has one or else we wouldn’t be here-that’s a fact, isn’t it? But I’ve never met mine.”

“Who was the man with you last night?” Amanda asked, taking a sip of orange juice.

“But there was no man with me last night,” Autumn told her. “Just you and me.”

“There wasn’t?” Amanda could’ve sworn that she’d remembered someone- a voice-a familiar accent-

“I’ve been looking forward to this, Amanda-”

“You had an accident-we brought you here-”

Amanda shook her head reflexively. She could be wrong, but she was almost certain that she’d heard a man’s voice-and Autumn had said ‘we’ last night. We brought you here. Hadn’t she? Was it possible that Amanda had only imagined it? Maybe it was-her head still throbbed with pain and nothing seemed very clear right now. She took another sip of the orange juice.

“So you live here all alone?” Amanda asked Autumn.

“Oh, I see what you mean. No, usually my uncle lives here with me, but he’s out of town for the weekend. And he’s not even really my uncle- he adopted me after my mother died-brought me to the States all the way from Berlin.”

“Berlin?” Amanda repeated. She wasn’t sure why that one fact in Autumn’s convoluted story should matter to her, but for some reason it struck a chord.

“Well I don’t really remember Berlin at all-I was only a baby. But he doesn’t mind me calling him uncle, though-he and my mother were very close.”

“And there’s no one else with you?”

“Maids and cooks come and go. But nobody stays very long. It’s the middle-”

“-of nowhere, I know.” The pain in Amanda’s head became worse-it was a battle just to keep her eyes open. She laid her head back onto the pillows.

“-get some more rest, Mrs. Stetson.” Autumn’s voice sounded echoey-like it was coming from a long way away. Amanda tried to hold on to her orange juice even as it started to tilt-but the girl pried it from her fingers. “-have lots of stuff to do-be back when I’m ready.”

Ready for what? Amanda wanted to ask but she didn’t have the energy to form the words. Her eyes closed, carrying her back into the world of darkness.

Act Two

The Agency

Saturday 1:30 PM

“You said you had some news, Billy?” Lee asked as he entered the office.

Billy nodded. “That’s why you were called in, Lee-this wasn’t information that I felt comfortable sharing over the phone or at the house-at least not until we know a little more.”

Something ran down his spine-Lee couldn’t suppress a slight shiver. “What kind of news is this, Billy? Amanda’s not-” he couldn’t bring himself to even think the word, let alone say it.

“No-at least not as far as we know.”

“Any luck on finding out who might’ve taken her?”

“Not yet. But we are going over all of your case files-past and present. If there’s something there we’ll find it. We did find the Wagoneer.”

Feeling suddenly lightheaded, Lee sank down onto the sofa “Where was it?” he asked hoarsely.

“It was parked in a residential driveway in Germantown. The man reported it to the police because it was blocking his car. And before you ask the man checked out clean-at the moment we have no reason to suspect him of anything.”

“And what was in the car?” Lee was almost afraid to hear the answer.

“Very little. No prints apart from yours, Amanda’s and the rest of the family-and right now as far as we can tell there isn’t any blood.”

Lee closed his eyes briefly. “Thank God for that. Any sign of Amanda?”

“No-she and her purse were both gone. The only other thing we found was this.” Billy handed him an object in a plastic bag.

Lee stared at the card-a photograph of a strange golden creature on a background of blue.

“Ring any bells?” Billy asked.

“Nothing.” Lee shook his head. “Nothing at all. Did forensics come up with anything on this?”

“No prints or DNA on the card, but there were some faint indentations on the back of the card-from that we were able to get an address-an apartment in Leesburg.”

Lee stood. “Well what are we waiting for? Let’s check this out.”

Billy shook his head. “Scarecrow, I-”

“Billy with or without your help, I’m going to check this out.”

Billy sighed. “I don’t suppose there’d be any point in telling you to go home and wait for news. All right, Scarecrow-for now we do this your way. Let’s go.”

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2:30 PM

Dappled sunlight peeked through the trees and branches, making patterns along the garden path as they strolled along. Birdsong filled the lavender-scented air and mingled with the music playing in the distance. As Amanda walked, her bare feet sank into the soft soil. Why was she barefoot? She couldn’t quite recall.

“It’s so peaceful here, is it not?” the man asked her.

“Yes,” Amanda agreed. She cast a sidelong glance at her companion, but the sun was in her eyes-she couldn’t quite make out his face.

“What are those doing here?” Amanda pointed at the pickup truck and the Wagoneer, standing in the clearing.

“You never know what people will leave behind,” the man said.

“I understand,” Amanda replied, even though she really didn’t. She could see skid marks on the ground-as if the Wagoneer had swerved, trying to avoid hitting the pickup truck. Something nudged at the edges of Amanda’s memory, but just as quickly it was gone.

“If only we could stay here forever-just us, Amanda-away from the rest of the world.” His hand stroked her cheek. “Wouldn’t you like that?”

“No-” Amanda shook her head. “No, I’m sure that there are people who need me out there-I couldn’t possibly stay here forever.” As she spoke the images filled her head-two boys-an older woman-mother?-a tall man, holding a baby in his arms-the images made Amanda’s heart ache with need.

“I’m sorry,” she told her companion. “But I need to go back home.”

The same hand that had been stroking her cheek now held her chin in a bruising grip. She tried to pull away but the grip was too strong.

“Look at me!” the man demanded.

Amanda looked up and this time she saw-it wasn’t that his face was hidden in shadow-

-it was that he had no face at all.

“Time to pay, Amanda,” the figure said. Strong arms grabbed her from behind, holding her as a sweet-smelling cloth was pressed against her mouth and nose-

“Mrs. Stetson?”

“Mrs. Stetson?” The girl repeated. It was Autumn’s voice. Her hand patted Amanda’s cheek. She opened her eyes to see the girl’s face hovering over her.

“Are you all right?” Autumn asked. “You were talking in your sleep.”

“Fine.” Slowly Amanda pulled herself up to a sitting position, trying to ignore her still-pounding head.

“That’s the sign of a guilty conscience-talking in your sleep,” Autumn said. “At least that’s what the books say.”

“I don’t have a guilty conscience.”

“Everyone’s guilty of something.”

Something in the corner of Amanda’s eye caught her attention-a figure? When she turned to look, however, nothing was there.

“Something wrong?” Autumn asked.

Amanda looked back to Autumn. “No-for a minute I thought I saw something or someone, but I guess I didn’t.”

“That’s understandable.” Autumn plumped up the pillows behind Amanda, supporting her back.

“What is?”

“Seeing things. With what you’ve been through. I wouldn’t be surprised if you did start hallucinating. I mean, the mind can play funny tricks sometimes.”

Funny tricks-the air held a faint scent of lavender, Amanda realized-the same scent that had been in her dream-Amanda’s eyes focused on a bouquet in a crystal vase, sitting on her bedside table. Had it been there before? She was almost certain that it hadn’t. “Where did those come from?”

“Do you like them? I picked them in the garden earlier.”

“They’re- they’re lovely.”

Autumn smiled. “Yes, I thought so too. I love lavender. If you don’t mind, Mrs. Stetson, there are other things I should be doing-I really should-”

“No-wait, please-I just want to-”Amanda rubbed her forehead as the pounding became more insistent. Something-there was something else she wanted to ask, but at the moment she couldn’t think of what it was. “Telephone?”

“Not until Monday, I told you.”

“Yes. Yes you did, I just couldn’t quite-” if she could only clear this mental fog she might be able to- “What about my car?”

“Your car?”

“You said I was in an accident-was my car-was it damaged?”

“No-” Autumn twisted her fingers, not meeting Amanda’s gaze directly. “I-I had it towed here-yes, that’s what I did. It’s right outside.”

“Are you sure?” Amanda tried to lift herself off the bed. “Maybe I should go check-”

Autumn gently pushed her back down. “You really need to rest-you’re all confused-you’re still not well. Here, drink some of this.”

Amanda gulped greedily at the cold water that Autumn put to her lips. There was a slightly bitter taste to it but she was so thirsty that it really didn’t seem that unpleasant. “Thank you.”

“I’ll leave you to rest, then.”

Rest. As Autumn left the room, Amanda leaned back against the pillow. That was it-right now rest was all she really needed. Her lids began to feel heavy- her body relaxed and peaceful-the only sound was the tic-toc of the nearby clock, lulling her back into sleep. As her eyes started to close, Amanda thought she saw a figure, emerging from the shadows. The figure came closer-she tried to speak or move but found herself unable too as the fatigue dragged her back into oblivion.

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Leesburg, VA

3:00 PM

“Ernest was always a really good tenant.” As she spoke, the landlady led Lee and Billy up a narrow staircase. “Real quiet-paid his rent a month in advance and never gave any of the other tenants a hard time.”

“Ernest?” Billy said.

She nodded. “Ernest Mecklenburg-that was the name he gave me.”

Ernest Mecklenburg? Nothing about that name sounded familiar. “What did he look like?” Lee asked.

The landlady looked Lee up and down. “Well he’s tall like you, but a little older. I’m guessing he was maybe in his fifties. Has a mustache and he’s going a little grey at the temples-you know. Lovely wavy hair-very distinguished looking.”

Wavy hair-Lee wasn’t sure why, but that phrase seemed to stick in his head. “Anything else you can tell us?”

“Yes-I almost forgot. He has a faint accent-can’t quite place what it is but I think he must be from somewhere in Europe.”

‘Somewhere in Europe,’ Lee thought to himself. ‘That narrows it down to several million people.’ Nothing about the description was ringing any bells for him-Lee clenched his fists in frustration.

“So what I really want to know.” The landlady leaned closer to Lee and Billy whispering, “is what he’s been accused of. Have I been putting my other tenants in danger?”

Lee and Billy exchanged glances. “Your other tenants were never in danger,” Billy said. “But at this point we can’t go into any specifics-I’m sorry.”

“You mean you can’t tell me anything? Come on-I can keep a secret.”

“Afraid not,” Lee informed her.

The woman’s lips thinned as she stopped at a door bearing a sign which read Apt. 4-B.

“Fine, have it your own way.” She opened the door and the deadbolt. “Let me know if you need anything else.”

Lee pushed open the door.

The first thing to hit him was a wave of heat-the air was warm and stale-no one had been in here for days. Nothing particularly remarkable about the room itself stood out. The ceiling was relatively low and slanting-most likely a converted attic. Lee scanned the room, which consisted of very little apart from a sofa, a coffee table, and a small wooden dining table with matching chairs. No visible clues as far as he could see-and no Amanda.

“Doesn’t look like much,” Billy said, voicing Lee’s thoughts. He pulled two pairs of latex gloves from his pocket, handing one pair to Lee. “You check in here-I’ll check out the bedroom and the bathroom.”

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Whoever this man was, he was definitely a meticulous housekeeper. Lee had gone over every inch of the living room, dining area and kitchen, coming up with nothing more promising than a moldy tomato in the fridge and a dirty plate which had been left to soak in the sink. The cabinets and drawers were completely empty. If there had been anything to find it was gone now.

“Lee?” Billy called. “Come here, I found something-in the bedroom.”

Lee walked down the hallway to the door at the end. Billy stood next to the window, holding a small brown envelope. The expression on his face was grim.

“I found this under the mattress. I think you’d better have a look.”

Lee took the envelope and opened it.

“Oh my God.” It was all he was able to say at first as he flipped through the photographs. Amanda was in each one-eating dinner with friends, gardening, in their bedroom with a towel wrapped around her-Lee closed his eyes, fighting back a wave of nausea. Someone had been watching his wife all this time, stalking her and planning this-

“There are also photos in there from Station One,” Billy told him. “He must have tracked her from there and made his move as soon as she was alone.”

“How?” Lee asked. “The location of Station One is supposed to be a secret-how could this have happened? Some sort of breach in security?”

“I don’t know yet, Lee-but whatever it is we’ll find out.”

Lee ran both hands through his hair. “I should’ve never left her to go home alone-damn it, Billy. I knew something was wrong-all the strange things that kept happening, the accidents-if I’d just stayed there with her I could’ve prevented it.”

“No, all you would’ve done is delay it,” Billy said. “Whoever did this was determined to take Amanda-sooner or later they would’ve found a way.”

“Maybe.” Lee shrugged. “But at the moment we’re no closer to finding who took her or where they’re holding her.”

“We’re doing everything we can right now-something is bound to break soon.”

Soon, Lee thought to himself, unable to shake the growing conviction that they-along with Amanda-were rapidly running out of time.

SMK SMK SMK SMK

8:30 PM

The room was dark-the only light came from the candles, which flickered as they burned, casting strange shadows about the room. An old phonograph played in the corner, filling the room with the haunting strains of Glenn Miller’s ‘Moonlight Serenade’ as they slowly danced.

“Not in a dancing mood, tonight, eh, Amanda?” he murmured, pulling her closer. “Maybe I can help you with that.”

Amanda didn’t respond to him-not that he’d really expected her to. In the candlelight he could see her wide dark eyes, open but unseeing-her feet stumbling slightly across the floor as he whirled her around to the music.

“Do you remember that night as well as I do?” he asked her. “Before you betrayed me-before everything went so horribly wrong? We danced that night as well.” Amanda’s knees were threatening to buckle so he lifted her slightly, supporting most of her weight in his arms.

The music came to an end. Slowly he led Amanda back to the bed and laid her limp form across it. Amanda’s eyes were still slightly open but glazed, lips parted, soft and inviting. He covered her with a blanket and Amanda moaned, stirring slightly.

“Lee-” she murmured. “Lee please-”

“Oh, but Lee can’t help you this time.” The man bent closer. His hand brushed across the side of her neck and traced along her jaw line towards her lips. “This time, no one can.”

Act Three

Sunday, 11:30 AM

Lee’s arms always felt so safe. And as they danced Amanda leaned against him, savoring his warmth and his closeness. A slow tune played in the background. Candlelight flickered as they moved.

“That tune sounds familiar,” she told him.

“It should,” Lee said.

“What is that supposed to mean?” she asked. “I feel like I’m in a puzzle box, but none of the pieces are coming together- nothing fits. I should know what these things mean, it’s right on the edge of my mind and I don’t-”

“Shhh…” Lee rubbed her back, his voice soothing. “Don’t rush it-everything will come to you in time.”

“How do you know that?”

Lee smiled. “Because I know you-that’s how.” Leaning forward he kissed her softly.

“I’m scared, Lee-I’m trying so hard not to be but I can’t help it-I just wish you were here.”

His smile faded. “I will be,” he said. “Don’t give up, Amanda…Never stop fighting.” But even as Lee spoke he was fading, his body growing less substantial. Amanda tried to grasp for him but the only thing she touched was cold and empty air.

“Come back,” Amanda cried. “Please?” But no one answered.

No one was there.

“I don’t understand.”

That voice didn’t belong to her dream. Amanda opened her eyes, looking around the now-familiar bedroom. No one here-had she imagined the voice?

“You told me you wanted revenge. What does any of this have to do with revenge?” The voice came from just outside the room, Amanda realized. It was Autumn’s voice. But who was she speaking to?

“You are a mere child-it is not for you to question my motives.” A man’s voice-there was a slight accent-what kind of accent? Amanda couldn’t be sure, but she guessed it was probably German. Was this Autumn’s uncle?

‘I’ve been waiting for this, Amanda.’

The words kept coming back to her-had it been the same voice-something-there was something hovering on the edge of her memory but just out of reach- Amanda sat up slightly but a wave of dizziness overwhelmed her and she sank back. The pillow was so soft-Amanda could feel her eyes closing, her body wanting to sink back into the softness and not worry about anything at all-

‘No,’ Amanda thought. ‘I have to concentrate.’ Autumn was speaking, clearly agitated now, her voice growing louder.

“The drugs I’ve been giving her, the dancing last night-none of it makes any sense. You have her where you want her and this is all you do.”

Drugs? Amanda felt realization begin to dawn as she listened. The dreams, the fatigue, the mental fuzziness….but who? And more importantly, why?

“I don’t know why you just don’t get rid of her,” Autumn questioned him.

Amanda’s heart was pounding now, so loudly that she was certain they’d be able to hear it in a moment. Her nails dug into her palms.

“All in due time,” the man told her.

“When? She ruined your life; you’ve always told me that. If I didn’t know any better, I’d almost think that you were-”

“You would almost think that I was what?”

“Nothing. I know you’re not-you couldn’t possibly be.” Autumn’s voice trembled slightly as she spoke. “Are you?”

“Nein! No more questions,” the man’s voice was low but the menace was unmistakable. “And no more arguments. From now on we proceed according to plan-my plan. Is that understood?”

“Yes.” Autumn’s voice was so faint that Amanda had to strain to hear it.

“Very good. I want you to give Mrs. Stetson another dose now-we want her to be prepared for the festivities tonight.”

Another dose? She couldn’t let that happen-somehow she had to escape. Amanda pulled herself up slowly, fighting against the dizziness until she was sitting on the edge of the bed. The floor tilted back and forth beneath her and her gut swarmed with nausea.

She heard footsteps, coming towards the door. There was no way she’d make it in time. Slowly Amanda lowered herself down on the bed, back onto the pillow. She closed her eyes, fighting to keep her breathing slow and even. Maybe if Autumn thought she was still out she wouldn’t give her another dose.

The door creaked as it opened. Autumn’s footsteps came closer. Amanda could feel the girl’s breath on her face as she leaned over her. The girl’s fingers brushed against her cheek. Amanda kept her eyes closed and focused on her breathing.

“Still out. You don’t need any more-for the moment.” Another long silence-in reality only a few moments, but to Amanda it seemed to last forever. Finally, she heard the sound of footsteps and the door opening and closing. Amanda waited a few more minutes, making sure the girl was really gone before opening her eyes.

‘We want her to be prepared for the festivities tonight,’ that was what the man had told Autumn. Amanda wasn’t sure what the festivities entailed-she wasn’t sure she wanted to find out. The only thing she did know was that she had to find a way to escape and soon-before it was too late.

SMK SMK SMK SMK

4247 Maplewood Drive

7:30 PM

“I’m glad you called Lee,” Billy said. “I was just getting ready to call you. We ran a background on Ernest Mecklenburg.”

“And?” Lee sat on the family room sofa, the phone balanced on his shoulder and Emily in his arms-finally asleep after an hour of crying. Lee wasn’t sure how much Emily was aware of, but he had the feeling that his daughter was missing her mother as much as everyone else. The smell of chocolate-chip cookies wafted in from the kitchen-Dotty seemed to be dealing with her stress by baking up a storm. “What did you turn up?”

“Very little, unfortunately. The background check turned up almost nothing on Ernest Mecklenburg-no tax records, criminal records, school records, credit history-”

“So it’s an alias. You said almost nothing, Billy. Does that mean you found something?”

“One thing. A man matching our man’s name and description rented a pickup truck from a small company in Reston.”

“Germantown, Leesburg, and now Reston-this guy certainly gets around, doesn’t he? Is there anything else?”

“Not right now. The owner said that the man gave him a PO Box that turned out to be fake and a credit card was reported as stolen-the truck was rented late last Sunday and none of this was discovered until Monday morning-by that time the truck and Ernest were long gone.”

“He must have reported it as stolen to the state police.”

“We’re still looking into that,” Billy said. “We’re also using the description of Ernest to look into your past records-see if it fits anyone that you’ve dealt with in the past. Hang in there, Lee-we’ll find something.”

“I know you will. Talk to you later, Billy-goodbye.” Lee hung up the phone.

“You knew what you were doing, dorkbreath!” Phillip’s voice floated downstairs. “Now the stupid thing doesn’t work because of you.”

“You were the one who tipped over the soda,” Jamie shouted.

“Who put the soda there to begin with?” Phillip’s voice rose even more. “I wouldn’t have knocked it over if you hadn’t pushed my elbow, wormbrain.”

“You know what, you’re full of it!” Jamie yelled louder.

“Boys, stop.” Dotty called out from the kitchen.

“Full of it? I’ll show you who’s full of it,” Phillip said.

Emily stirred in Lee’s arms. Her tiny fists clenched as she started to cry-her high thin wail filling the room.

“Boys!” Lee called out over Emily’s cries. “Come down here-right now!”

Both boys came down the stairs.

“Now what is this about, exactly?” Lee asked.

“Jamie’s soda spilled on my Nintendo controller and now it won’t work,” Phillip muttered. “He knows he’s not supposed to put the soda on the floor but he did it anyway.”

Jamie’s face reddened. “Yeah, but I still wasn’t the one who spilled it.”

Lee rocked Emily gently, trying to calm her. “Well if I remember correctly, Phillip-you were doing the same thing with your soda only a week ago-weren’t you?”

Phillip looked down at his feet as she spoke. “Yeah,” he muttered.

“And your mom has told both of you about putting your sodas on the carpet, hasn’t she?”

Jamie nodded, biting down on his lower lip.

Lee took a deep breath, wishing fervently that Amanda were here-she was so much better at dealing with these things. Emily’s cries had quieted, though-which meant he didn’t have to shout to be heard.

“Look, fellas. We’re all under a lot of stress right now-but taking it out on each other doesn’t make things any better, all right?”

“Sorry, Phillip,” Jamie mumbled.

“Yeah I’m sorry too. I’ll go look at the controller again-maybe if it dries out it’ll still work.” Phillip went back upstairs.

Jamie looked down at the coffee table. “Hey, look at that.” He picked up the card that had been found in Amanda’s car-still in its plastic bag. “That’s a cool picture of a Sirrush.”

Lee fought to keep his voice casual as he looked at his stepson. “A Sirrush?”

“Yeah, it’s sort of like a dragon,” Jamie said. “Most people think it’s mythological but some people think it could’ve actually been real. This one is from that Ishtar Gate-remember when I did my report? You can tell by the blue bricks.”

Ishtar Gate. For a moment all Lee could do was stare. Everything else seemed to fade into the background as the thoughts rushed through his head:

“Have you ever seen the Ishtar Gate in the Pergamomsmuseum?”

Lovely wavy hair…faint accent…Herr Wavy Hair…

“He said he’d remember and come after me-he said he’d hunt me down no matter how long it took…

“If he gets the chance he’ll try to come after me…”

“Oh my God,” Lee whispered as the pieces fell into place.

“Lee?” Jamie asked. “What is it-what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he said. “Can you hand me the phone, sport? I need to make a call.”

SMK SMK SMK SMK

The Agency

9:30 PM

“Ernst Kleinfelter,” Billy said. “There’s a name I never wanted to hear again.”

“You and me both, Billy.”

“So Kleinfelter and Ernest Mecklenburg are one and the same?”

“I think so, yeah.” Lee hit the arm of his chair with a sudden vehemence. “Damn it, Billy, how the hell did he escape? He’s supposed to be in maximum security.”

“The fall of the Berlin Wall,” Billy explained. “Kleinfelter took advantage of the chaos to make his escape. By the time the prison authorities noticed him missing, he was long gone.”

“Why didn’t they tell us? At least warn us that he was heading this way.”

“Lee, until I contacted them just now, they weren’t aware that we needed to be informed-recapturing Kleinfelter’s not exactly high on their list of priorities right now.” Billy paused, taking an envelope from his desk and handing it to Lee. “This was found at Kleinfelter’s apartment by our forensics people-it was hidden under the floorboards.”

“More fun-filled photos?” Lee opened the envelope. The only thing in there was a folded piece of newspaper-the London Gazette-Lee looked at the photo-Amanda with Lord Bromfield. The paper shook as he held it-he realized that his hands were shaking.

“So that’s how he found her. That’s how he found out that her name was King and not Westermann. It’s funny, Billy-when this photo was taken all we were worried about was her reputation. I guess we-I never thought-”

“You couldn’t have known.”

“Amanda told me, though. She had a bad feeling about Kleinfelter-he really spooked her, and when he said that he’d get her for what she’d done-I just wish I’d listened now.” Lee looked up at Billy. “Are we any closer to finding him?”

“Possibly,” Billy told him. “A tip came in today-a pickup truck matching the description of the rental was cited in a minor traffic incident-the plates were different, but by now he’d have changed them. It could be nothing, but it’s worth following up on.”

“Where did this happen?”

“A town on the Virginia-Kentucky border-Rose Hill.”

Lee stood. “Let’s go.”

10:30 PM

The music played-the same music from her dream-the sound filled the room. The tune-something to do with moonlight, wasn’t it?

“Mrs. Stetson.” Autumn’s soft hand patted her cheek. ‘You need to wake up.”

‘Must have fallen asleep,’ Amanda thought-her head throbbed-mouth dry-so very thirsty. Autumn’s hands grabbed Amanda’s own, pulling her into a sitting position. Remembering the role she had to play Amanda relaxed her limbs and let her head fall forward like a puppet whose strings were cut.

“Come on, Mrs. Stetson; don’t disappoint me-it’s almost time for your big night.” Autumn grabbed Amanda’s chin and pulled her head up.

Through half-lidded eyes, Amanda looked around the darkened room, lit only by a candle. The flickering light cast strange shadows on the wall and illuminated the face in front of her. Autumn was smiling-a frightening expression that caused Amanda to shiver involuntarily.

“That’s much better, isn’t it, Amanda-may I call you that? No answer, hmm-so I suppose that makes it a yes, right? Drink some of this-it should help you feel better.”

More drugs-Amanda’s mind was racing-she couldn’t let it happen-as Autumn tilted the glass into her mouth Amanda let the bitter-tasting liquid dribble through her lips, tiny droplets falling down her neck and chest.

“Oh my-look at what a mess you made.” Autumn’s tone was scolding. “Wait here-I’ll be right back.”

Now was her chance. Amanda watched as Autumn left the room. Slowly she rose from the bed, clutching the bedpost for balance. The room tilted slightly but the dizziness had lessened somewhat.

One foot in front of the other-that’s it-move faster-the thoughts repeated themselves in her mind like a mantra as Amanda left the room and went down the corridor-there was a staircase, dark red carpeting contrasting with the wood paneling-looking down she could see the front door. A sudden wave of nausea washed over her and she grabbed the banister, taking deep gulping breaths until the feeling passed. Inch by inch she made her way down the stairs, towards the door.

‘Almost there, Amanda, almost there-’ to her surprise the doorknob turned easily in her hand and Amanda stumbled out into the warm darkness. The mud felt cool against her bare feet-she hadn’t even realized her shoes were gone until just now but it didn’t matter-the thing was to get away from the house as quickly as possible, to find someone who could help her get home, back to Lee and her family-Amanda forced herself to run, her feet pounding into the ground.

The middle of nowhere-that’s what Autumn had called it. What if it really was? What if she ended up walking for miles, never reaching her destination-no, she couldn’t think like that. Help had to be somewhere.

Amanda’s chest burned as she moved, her breath coming in labored gasps-her legs felt like she was running in molasses, moving in slow motion-Amanda’s  foot caught on something-pain shooting through her ankle as she fell, bracing herself with her arms-palms stinging as they hit the ground.

“Very foolish, Amanda,” the man’s voice-the same voice she’d heard before say.

“No!” Amanda gasped. Strong arms wrapped around her, lifting her effortlessly to her feet despite her struggles. Amanda cried out as a needle stung her upper arm.

“You won’t get away from me now,” the man told her. “Never again.”

The last thing Amanda saw was a face-his face-hovering over her own-he was wearing goggles, the dark blank eyes looking down into her own. The man bent down-his lips brushing her own before consciousness left Amanda completely.

Act Four

Rose Hill, Virginia

Monday 6:30 AM

“Amanda.” Lee’s hand brushed her cheek very gently as he spoke. “Come on, sweetheart, you need to open your eyes.”

“Don’t want to,” Amanda whispered. “Please-just want to rest.”

“Nevertheless, you will look at me, Frau King.” The voice had changed, Amanda realized-it wasn’t Lee’s voice at all.

“Who are you?” she asked.

“Don’t you know?” He stroked her hair. Amanda tried to pull away from his touch but she didn’t quite have the strength. “I’m disappointed, Frau King-only it’s Frau Stetson now, isn’t it? Perhaps Frau Steadman? Or is it Frau Westermann?” the man sighed. “So many names, Amanda-I wonder how you keep track of them all.”

Westermann.

The name sent a cold chill through Amanda’s body.

“Will hunt you down…never forget or forgive a betrayal…” his gaze as he looked her up and down, possessing her, marking her as his own…

She remembered now.

Driving along a darkened country road…the radio playing to keep her company…

The truck seemed to appear out of nowhere…Amanda had slammed on her brakes-there had been a squealing sound as the Wagoneer skidded before coming to a halt. Every instinct Amanda possessed told her to keep driving, but she couldn’t. She had to check it out, see if everything was all right…

As Amanda approached the truck, flashlight in hand she could make out a figure sitting in the truck’s cab, slumped over the wheel-

“Hello?” she’d called out. “Sir, ma’am-are you all right?”

No reply-and as Amanda came closer she realized that the figure wasn’t human after all-it was stuffed.

A scarecrow. With a gasp, Amanda had stepped backwards, and that’s when he’d grabbed her, forcing a cloth over her nose and mouth…

“…been waiting for this…”

There had been no accident. This had all been planned, Amanda realized. Planned for her.

She opened her eyes. The figure sitting on the bed was blurry, but unmistakable.

“Kleinfelter,” Amanda whispered. “Ernst Kleinfelter.”

“You see?” Kleinfelter said. “You knew all along.”

Amanda’s vision cleared and she could see him now-he was a little older and graying at the temples, but unmistakably the same man. She tried to sit up, pulling against the restraints that secured her wrists to the bed. Amanda’s head began to throb now, worse than before. She fell back against the pillows.

“I can get you some water, Amanda. Would you like some?”

Amanda shook her head. “No, I’m fine.”

“You’re probably in a certain amount of pain-I let the drugs wear off so that I could speak to you.” Ernst took her hand in his. “I’m sorry this has to be so unpleasant, mein liebling. But after last night we can’t have you escaping again. I’m sure you understand.”

“What is this about?” Amanda fought to keep her voice steady. “Revenge? Is that it?”

Ernst stared at her for a few moments, saying nothing. “It may have started out that way,” he said finally. “All those years in prison, Amanda-it gave me time to think, to plan what I would do to you once I had the chance.” Letting go of her hand, he rose from the bed. “The first thing to was to find you. I still had contacts on the outside, you know. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that Amanda Westermann didn’t even exist. I was about ready to give up when the answer dropped into my lap- it was like an omen from above. A copy of an English tabloid came into my possession-perhaps you’ve heard of it. The London Gazette?”

“Lord Bromfield.” Amanda had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. That was how he had found her. Ernst nodded.

“I discovered the truth about you, Amanda King Stetson- and the depth of your betrayal. You destroyed me.”

He walked over to the phonograph, and placed the needle on the record. Music began to play-the same tune Amanda had been hearing in her dreams-had they been only dreams? She was beginning to suspect that they hadn’t.

“And what about the people you hurt and destroyed?” Amanda asked. “The people you used as mules to smuggle your components. All those people who were arrested because of you. Don’t you think they felt betrayed?”

He waved his hand dismissively. “They were unimportant-insignificant”

“No one is insignificant,” Amanda told him, but Ernst wasn’t listening. He whirled across the room in time to the music, humming softly, holding his arms as though dancing with an invisible partner. Amanda felt bile rising as she watched him-only this time it had nothing to do with drugs and more to do with the fact that Ernst Kleinfelter was completely  and utterly insane.

“Do you remember the tune, Amanda? Moonlight Serenade-it was playing that night in Berlin, the night we danced.”

“I had forgotten.”

Kleinfelter’s smile faded. “Really? I hadn’t. That was my curse-to never forget. And after I escaped I took every opportunity to discover all that I could about you, your family and your relationship with the man they call Scarecrow. Don’t look so surprised, Amanda-my sources were all very thorough.”

“You’ve been watching us,” Amanda whispered as the pieces began to fall into place. The strange feelings she’d had at Station One-the weird accidents-it all began to make sense. “And Autumn?”

“She’s nobody, really, just an American runaway I picked up in Berlin-someone who agreed to help me,” Ernst told her. “Autumn really can be quite charming but I’m afraid that she’s completely unbalanced.”

‘Look who’s talking,’ Amanda thought to herself. Aloud she said. “What do you want? To kill me? Hurt my family?”

“Nothing so crass. What I want is for you to stay here, with me.”

Amanda stared at him in shock. “For how long?”

“Forever, of course.” Ernst sat on the bed, again taking her hand in his. “Stay with me, Amanda-and I’d be willing to forgive-and in time you might even come to care for me as I care for you.”

“Care for you?” Horrified, Amanda yanked her hand from his. “I’m not going to care for you-and I’m not staying here.”

Ernst’s face darkened as he leaned towards her. Amanda tried to back away but the restraints holding her wrists only let her move so far. “It’s very amusing, the way you talk-as though you have a choice in the matter.”

“Ernst-please,” Amanda pleaded. “I have a husband and children-my mother-just let me go home to them. Please?”

Ernst lifted his hand and for a moment Amanda cowered, expecting a blow. Then he lowered his hand, smoothing her cheek briefly.

“I can wait for you, liebling,” Ernst told her. “But until then I have drugs that can make you very docile and cooperative until you are willing to come to me on your own-understand? Sooner or later you will give in. And don’t think about the Scarecrow and that Agency of yours coming to the rescue-they’ll never find you here. ”

Rising from the bed, he left the room. Amanda heard the key turning in the lock. She closed her eyes, feeling tears gathering at her lashes and taking deep breaths to regain some composure.

‘Don’t fall apart now, Amanda,’ she told herself sternly. ‘Not now. There has to be some way out.’

SMK SMK SMK SMK

County Sheriff’s Office

7:30 AM

“Yeah, I remember the accident,” Sheriff Hardy acknowledged. “Nothing major, just a little fender-bender. But you say the vehicle is stolen?”

“That’s right.” Lee glanced out the window of the sheriff’s office. “We also have reason to believe that the person who stole the truck may have been involved in the kidnapping of a federal agent.”

The Sheriff whistled softly. “Pretty serious charges.”

“Yes they are,” Billy affirmed. “Do you have any idea where the owner of this truck might be? We need to speak to him.”

“Well, first of all it’s not a he, it’s a her.” The sheriff leaned back in his chair. “She’s only been here a little while now-young woman bought the old Weber place on the outskirts of town. Autumn Mecklenburg.”

“Mecklenburg?” Lee and Billy exchanged glances.

“She’s a quiet one,” the sheriff told them. “Pretty thing, keeps to herself, mostly-only comes in to town for veterinary supplies and food.”

“Well Mecklenburg is the name of the man that we’re looking for,” Lee said.

“Man? I’ve heard rumors that a man lives there, but no one’s actually seen him.” The sheriff stood. “Think you’ll be needing any backup?”

“No.” Lee rose and extended his hand. “If he sees us coming he might be spooked.

“Thanks for your help, Sheriff Hardy.” Billy also shook his hand.

The sheriff returned their handshakes. “Anytime.”

SMK SMK SMK SMK

8:00 AM

Amanda’s wrists were rubbed raw by the restraints and her attempts to loosen them over the past few hours. The material looked thin but was surprisingly strong-attempts to rip or fray it had proved useless and try as she might, Amanda couldn’t seem to loosen the knots enough to slide her wrists out of them.

It didn’t help that her wrists were beginning to swell.

There was a clicking sound as the lock turned. The door slowly creaked open. Amanda tensed, expecting to see Kleinfelter-but Autumn stood there instead.

“What do you want?”

“He loves you,” Autumn’s voice trembled. Tears filled her blue eyes as she spoke. “He promised he wouldn’t fall in love with you-he lied. How could he lie to me?”

“I’m sorry.” Amanda couldn’t think of anything else to say to the young girl.

Autumn said nothing in reply, just walked over to the bed and began undoing Amanda’s restraints.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m getting you out of here. Once you’re gone it’ll just be us-me and Ernst-the way it was meant to be. Come on.” She helped Amanda to stand. Amanda felt a slight twinge in her ankle as she put weight on it-she must have twisted it in the fall last night.

“Lean on me, Mrs. Stetson,” Autumn told her. “We’ve got to hurry.” Together they managed to get downstairs and out the front door. They were standing in a circular gravel driveway, Amanda realized-everywhere she turned she could see only trees.

“Where do we go from here?”

“Go? We don’t go anywhere.” Autumn pushed Amanda on the ground, pulling a gun from her pocket.

“Autumn what-”

The girl’s blue eyes were unfocused as she aimed the gun, walking forwards. “You have to be gone for good, Amanda-don’t you see that? As long as you live he’ll always want you.” She cocked the pistol. “I just can’t allow that to happen.”

Ignoring the pain in her ankle, Amanda pulled herself to a crouching position, keeping her eyes focused on the weapon the girl held. If she could somehow manage to knock it from her hand-

“Come on,” she told Autumn, trying to buy some time. “You don’t want to do this-you have your whole life in front of you.”

Autumn shook her head. “No-without him I have no life.” She put her finger on the trigger.

“Autumn no!” Ernst ran out the front door. “Don’t do this-please.”

“You don’t understand I’m doing this for us. Goodbye, Mrs. Stetson.”

“Amanda!” The familiar voice came from behind her.

“Lee!” Amanda called back to him.

Temporarily distracted, Autumn turned towards the source of the voice. Amanda took advantage of the distraction to knock the gun from the girl’s hand. At that moment, a shot rang out and Autumn fell to the ground, blue eyes staring sightlessly.

Amanda looked at Ernst, who was walking towards her. “There was no need to do that.”

“One down. If I can’t have you, Amanda-no one will.” Ernst raised his weapon, pulling the trigger-a shot rang out-but not from his gun. Amanda watched as he was flung backwards, a patch of red spreading across his chest. She turned to see Billy and Lee. Billy placed his gun back in its holster.

“Amanda.” Lee’s arms were around her, helping her to stand. She leaned into him as his arms enfolded her. She felt her body trembling in his embrace and realized that he was shaking too.

“Take it easy.” Lee rubbed her back. “It’s over now, you’re safe-it’s all over.”

Amanda’s voice was muffled against her husband’s chest. “He drugged me, Lee-he said that he was never going to let me go-if you hadn’t found me I-”

“But I did find you.” Lee’s arms tightened around her as he spoke, “I promise you, Amanda-I will always find you.”

Tag

4247 Maplewood Drive

“Come on sweetheart,” Amanda urged, putting the bottle to Emily’s mouth. Her daughter fussed a little bit-turning her head to the side-she was not quite used to her mother feeding her this way. Finally, though-she opened her mouth and began to suck.

‘So peaceful,’ Amanda thought, looking down at her daughter’s face. Tears stung her eyes suddenly and she swallowed hard, trying to hold back the sudden rush of emotion.

“Morning, Mrs. Stetson.” Amanda looked up to see her husband standing in the doorway.

“Morning,” she managed to choke out. At the sight of her tears, Lee’s face filled with concern-he crossed the nursery in two strides and knelt down next to her in the rocking chair, brushing the tears from her cheeks.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

Amanda shook her head. “That’s the problem-I really don’t know.”

Lee looked down at Emily. “Dr. Kelford said you’d be able to breastfeed again once the drugs are completely out of your system.”

“Oh Lee, that’s not it. Well it might be part of it-they also said that I might have mood swings too, but I think it’s mostly-it just hit me how close I came to never coming home at all.”

“But you are home.” Lee took one of her hands in his, running his thumb gently over the top of her hands. “You did come home, Amanda. That’s what matters.”

Amanda didn’t meet his gaze. “I also was thinking about what I-what we should do now that we have Emily.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, do we continue the way we always have? Should one of us stay home with the baby? Maybe we should consider leaving the field altogether-maybe go to the State Department or to Station One. What do you think?”

Lee was silent for a moment. “I think that you’ve worked very hard to get where you are. I mean-you started as civilian auxiliary and now you’re a full-fledged agent-that’s quite an accomplishment and you managed to do it while raising two small boys.”

“Lee, Phillip and Jamie were quite a bit older-Emily is still an infant.”

“Your mother said that she’d be more than willing to help us out if needed.”

Despite everything Amanda found herself smiling. “You’re pretty determined about this.”

“Yeah.” Lee looked down at Emily. He touched her tiny hand with one finger. Her tiny fingers wrapped around his own and held on tightly. “Amanda-do you remember that discussion we had at the Cumberland when you were hiding from Jeppard? About why we were doing this?” he paused for a moment. “You said that you wanted to make the world a safer place for your boys.”

Amanda nodded. “You said you were doing it because it was a job that someone had to do and you did it well.”

Lee took a deep breath. “That’s what I said-only now-I think I feel the way you do. I’d like to help make the world a safer place for Emily here. But I can’t do that without my partner-we work best as a team. I wouldn’t want anyone else to watch my back. ”

Amanda blinked back tears-happy tears this time. “We watch each other’s backs.”

“Now I know it’s not going to be easy. I won’t pretend that having Emily doesn’t change things, but I think we can do this as long as we’re together. Okay, partner?”

“Okay,” Amanda repeated, lifting her head to look at him. “I love you, Mr. Stetson.”

“I love you too, Mrs. Stetson.” Lee bent down towards his wife, their lips meeting in a kiss. Emily reached out a small hand, touching their faces with her fingertips.

The End

Weep for the moon, for the moon has no reason to glow now.

Weep for the rose, for the rose has no reason to grow now.

The river won’t flow now,

As I lay me down to weep.

You went away, and the break in my heart isn’t mending.

You went away, and know I know there is no happy ending.

There’s no pretending.

As I lay me down to weep.

When you were mine, the world was mine,

And fate constantly smiled.

Now in its place I have to face,

A pillow of tears, all though the years…

Though you are gone, I still pray that the sun shines above you.

Time marches on, yet I know that I always love you.

I’ll keep dreaming of you.

As I lay me down to weep.

Eddie Heyman ~ Now I Lay Me Down to Weep

Prologue

A flash of lightning streaked the sky briefly illuminating the dark English countryside. The rain came down in solid sheets of water, while sharp claps of thunder rattled the windows of the old cottage.

A young woman stood outside, soaking wet. She stared at her own reflection from the rain-dripped windowpanes. Her white-blond, short-pixie hair, that normally framed her features, was now plastered to her thin face. She gazed at the man sitting in the library, watching his hands ball up and pound the desk in frustration. Then she watched as he got out of his chair, walked over the CD player, and pushed the play button. Although she could not hear the song, she knew what the stereo was playing-that song-that damn song that haunted her in her very dreams. She watched him sit back down and close his eyes-being swept away by the music filling the room. He relaxed and then smiled-she frowned-she knew he was thinking of her. Oh God in heaven-how she hated that woman!

It just wasn’t fair-he belonged to her! He was her benefactor, her savior, her everything. He had taken her in when no one else would. Her whole life she had been told she couldn’t do anything right-that she was worthless. He had changed all that. She stared once more at her reflection and bowed her head in self-pity. Who was she kidding? What did she have to offer him?

A crash of thunder jerked her back to the present. Then letting out a long, slow deep breath, she closed her eyes. A smile crept across her face, and she began to giggle like a schoolgirl thinking of the Shakespeare sonnet. ‘So long as men can breathe and eyes can see.’ Her eyes flashed open and she retrieved the newspaper clipping she had placed in the inside pocket of her jacket to keep it from getting wet. She had found the article after spending hours at the library going through rolls and rolls of microfiche. ‘He’ll be so happy with what I found. I’ll prove to him I’m not worthless and then I’ll make him love me-make him forget all about her.’

Opening the door to the cottage, she shook the rain off herself. Then closing the door, she laughed saying, “Or I will kill you Amanda King.”

Act One

Several months later…

Lee Stetson took his wife’s hand as they walked down the jetway together. Entering the plane, he released Amanda’s hand for a moment while he went to go find their seats. Glancing at his ticket, he placed his carry-on in the stow-away compartment. “Wow, first class, Billy must have really gone all out for us—” He turned around to let his wife sit down first and noticed her a few rows back. He glanced at the tickets and noticed for the first time they were not seated together. He pushed the stewardess call button.

The flight attendant walked over to him, bending down. “What can I do for you, Sir?”

Lee glanced up, reading the flight attendant’s nametag. “Yes, Ms. Mockingbird. There seems to be some mistake with our tickets. My wife isn’t sitting next me.”

“Your wife?” The lady asked confused.

“My wife, she’s sitting three rows back.”

The flight attendant looked over her shoulder and then back to Lee. “I’m sorry, Sir, but you are flying alone, and there is no one sitting there.”

Annoyed, Lee turned around, and saw that the woman was correct—no one was there. “I don’t understand—” he began to say, then panic set in and quickly unbuckling his seat belt, he frantically searched the plane.

“Amanda!” He hollered walking down the aisle, but she was nowhere to be found.

“Sir, I must ask you to take your seat. We’re taking off.” The flight attendant forcibly walked him back to his seat.

“Where’s my wife—what have you done with her? A-MAN-DA!”

Suddenly he felt an arm on his shoulder, shaking him hard. “Lee! Wake up,” the voice said.

“Huh, what?”

“Lee, wake up,” Amanda’s voice came again and he realized he was not on an airplane, but in his own bed. Slowly he opened his eyes, focusing on her.

“You were calling out my name.”

“I’m sorry, Honey. I didn’t mean to wake you.” He rubbed his eyes. “I had one of those weird dreams—that just don’t make any sense.”

Amanda brushed her hair away from her eyes. She propped herself up by her elbow looking at him. “Do you want to tell me about it? Was it a nightmare?”

“No.” He ran his hand through his hair, trying to think. “I can’t remember anything other than we were on an airplane and something—about a bird.”

“A plane and bird dream, huh? Plane dreams are supposed to be a good sign. A journey of some kind. Maybe we’re going on a trip?”

Lee shrugged his shoulders, still confused—like something was just outside his grasp. “Yeah, maybe? I’m sorry, let’s just go back to sleep.”

Amanda nodded. She rolled over onto her side and turned off the light.

A second after the room had darken, the sound of Emily’s cries filled the house. Lee felt Amanda push back the covers, but grabbed her hand instead. “Let me. You did it last time.”

“Thanks, Sweetheart. There’s a bottle in the fridge if she’s hungry.”

Lee watched her rollover again and close eyes. He gently stroked her check with the back of his hand. “Love you, Mrs. Stetson,” he whispered.

“I love you, too,” he heard her mumble.

Placing his feet on the floor, Lee yawned and stretched. He stood up, grabbing his bathrobe from the edge of the bed, and went into the nursery.

Emily was crying; her whole body shook and her face damp with tears. She lifted her hands to her face, trying to put a hand into her mouth. Lee bent over the crib and picked her up. “What’s a matter, Sweetheart?” He patted her back as he walked over to the changing table. He checked her diaper, and noticed she was wet. After changing her, he carried her downstairs. Emily who was resting on Lee’s shoulder had now managed to put her hand in her mouth and began to suck on it vigorously.

Lee opened the refrigerator taking a bottle off the shelf. He ran the bottle under the faucet. He could hear Amanda’s words echoing in his head, “Run it under warm water—not too hot.” After checking the temperature of the milk on his wrist, he sat down on the sofa in the family room to feed his daughter. He looked down at Emily’s face watching her close her eyes as she drank.

SMK SMK SMK SMK

The Agency – Bullpen

Monday 9:00 AM

Lee leaned his head back against the window near the coffee station in the bullpen. Yawning, he pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. The fresh aroma of coffee filled the room. Lee reached over to the coffee pot, pouring some into his mug.

“Ohhh—rough night?” Francine teased. “That’s your third cup already.”

Billy smiled knowingly. “Emily still not sleeping through the night?”

Lee rubbed his free hand over his face. “No, but she’s not waking up as much either. Amanda says she should be sleeping through the night soon.” He then shook his head. “I don’t know how she does it. She gets as much sleep as me and yet she’s coping much better.”

“That’s understandable. She’s been through this twice before.”

“Yeah, but she manages everything so well. Juggling the boys schedules, the new baby, her mother and all, but she’s determined to come back to work. Although, I must admit I miss her up in the Q-Bureau—”

Billy laughed out loud. “We’ve all missed her and I for one look forward to being able to read your reports again.”

“Ha-ha. Oh, I almost forgot. Jamie developed these new shots of Emily. You should see how much she has grown.” Lee put his cup down and took out his wallet. Then he passed the pictures around to Francine, Billy, and a couple of other agents who were standing near the coffee station.

Billy let out another hearty laugh.

“What?” asked Lee.

“You—fatherhood really suits you.”

Francine smiled as she looked at the photograph. “Who would have thought—the great Scarecrow—a happily married man and father. I have to admit it does look good on you.”

“Thanks, Francine.”

“But if you repeat it to anyone I’ll deny it.” She grinned. “Isn’t Amanda supposed to be coming back to work, today?”

“Yes, she had a postpartum appointment with her OB this morning.” He glanced at his watch. “She should be here in the next hour.”

“Good. When she gets here have her come by my office,” Billy told him.

Lee nodded to his section chief. “Will do.”

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Q-Bureau

Lee opened the door to the Q-Bureau and found Amanda sitting at her desk talking on the phone. Crossing his arms, he leaned against the doorframe.

“Yes, Mother…Well, there’s Lee…Give Emily a big kiss from us and we’ll see you at dinner…I love you.” She hung up the telephone and walked over to Lee.

“Hello, Honey.” She put her arms around him giving him a quick peck.

He gestured towards the phone. “So how’s everything at home?”

“Emily’s being as good as gold and has already been fed, changed and is down for her late morning nap,” Amanda said with a hint of regret.

Lee watched her as she lowered her head.

“Hey now, none of that. Emily’s in good hands.”

“I know…it’s just—”

“I understand.” He put his hand under her chin. “Listen, we don’t have anything pressing today. How about we take a long lunch and swing by the house.”

Amanda’s eyes lit up and she hugged him. “Thanks.”

“I’d do anything for my girls.” He smiled. “But first Billy wants us to stop by his office. Are you ready?”

“Yes,” she answered as they left out the door together.

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With his hand at the small of Amanda’s back, Lee led her into Billy’s office. He let her sit first and then took his place by her side in the adjoining chair in front of Billy’s desk.

Billy sat at the edge of his desk, smiling. “Good morning, Amanda.”

“Good morning, Sir.”

“Glad to have you back.”

“It’s good to be back.”

“I understand you saw your own personal doctor as well as Dr. Kelford this morning. Dr. Kelford sent me a report. He says you’re fit to return to field duty.”

“Yes, Sir. And my doctor also said there were no restrictions.”

Lee smiled at her. “Good.”

“Are you ready to get back in the field?”

Locking eyes with Lee, she nodded.

“Great. But I might have a slight problem with scheduling next week and I wanted to go over it with you and Lee first.”

“A problem, Sir?” Amanda leaned forward putting her hands in her lap.

“I was going over the active duty roster for next week and noticed you were supposed to be rotated to Station One.”

Billy watched her slowly nod her head.

“I can of course juggle people around and you can do it later, but I wanted to see what you wanted to do first. It would mean a week away from Emily, so if you don’t want to—”

“Thanks, Sir, but it’s my turn on the rotation schedule. Mother and Lee can take care of Emily. So what role will I be playing?”

“Actually, this time I’d like you to be the ringer.”

“Really?”

“Yes, Francine and I will be instructing, and of course I need you to be evaluating your peers.”

“I understand.”

“Good. Then I need you to report Monday morning to Station One.” He paused for a moment, then looking at both of his agents, he added; “I’ll keep your schedules light the rest of this week.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

“Now Amanda, are you sure you’re going to feel up to it? You are after all just returning from maturity leave.”

“I’ll be fine. I’m actually looking forward to it—it will be a great opportunity to get back into shape.” Amanda patted her belly.

Lee rolled his eyes and shook his head.

Act Two

4247 Maplewood Drive

Sunday 12:00 PM

“I’ll get it,” Dotty hollered after hearing someone knocking. She opened the front door. “Oh, Mr. Melrose. Won’t you come in?”

“Thanks Dotty.” He walked in and glanced around. “Is Lee here? I need to speak to him.”

“Nothing serious, I hope.”

“No.” Billy shook his head and then took off his hat.

“He’s outside on the patio. The boys wanted hamburgers for lunch and although it’s a little early in the season to barbeque, Lee’s starting the grill. Would you like me to take you to him?”

“I know my way.” Billy walked out the back door and stepped out onto the patio.

“Scarecrow.”

“Hey, Billy. What’s up?” Lee shook his supervisor’s hand.

“I need to speak to you and Amanda. Do you have a moment?”

“Sure. Let me get her. She’s upstairs with Emily.”

Lee walked through the house stopping at the bottom of the stairs. “Amanda,” he yelled. “We have company.”

“I’ll be down in a second,” Lee heard her reply.

A moment later, Amanda joined Lee and Billy by the picnic table. “Sir, is something wrong?”

“Always straight to the point, Amanda. And sorry to interrupt your lunch, but I have a little problem.”

“Problem?” Lee put his hand on the back of his neck.

“Nothing earth-shattering, I assure you,” he started to say, “I’m…well…I don’t have an agent to join me at Station One.”

Lee and Amanda exchanged glances.

“What’s wrong with Francine?” Amanda asked.

“I received a phone call from her this morning…it would appear she has chicken pox.”

Lee laughed. “Chicken pox? Isn’t that a childhood disease? Oh, that’s rich.”

“Lee, it’s not funny.” Amanda swatted him on the shoulder. “Chicken pox can be very serious for an adult.” She turned her attention back to Billy. “Go on, Sir.”

“My problem is she’s unavailable to teach and I only have one other agent who currently has a light schedule.”

“Now, wait a minute, Billy—” Lee began to interrupt.

Billy held up his hand as he leaned closer to them. “This is a lot to ask of you—with Amanda already being at Station One, but I’ll need Lee too, since I don’t have Francine. I know this will be hard on both of you, leaving Emily here—but do you think your mother would mind watching her this week?”

Lee and Amanda exchanged looks again having their own private conversation. Amanda answered for them. “I’m sure Mother can handle Emily and the boys can help around the house, too. It shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Thanks, Lee, Amanda. I owe you. I’ll see you both tomorrow morning.” Billy stood up, putting his hat back on.

“Sir, would you like to stay for lunch? We have plenty.”

“Actually, Amanda that would be nice. Thank you.”

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Station One

Monday morning

Lee parked the borrowed Agency sedan in the commons area, near the row of cabins, just inside the camp. Stepping out of the car, he grabbed a large file box and his duffle bag from the backseat. He had just closed the car door, when he saw Beaman coming towards him with a clipboard.

Lee placed the box on the trunk of the car and shook Beaman’s hand. “Hello, Beaman. Is everyone here?”

“Yes, all recruits have checked in and are accounted for, Scarecrow.”

“Good.” Lee grabbed the box again and headed down the path with Beaman following. “What do you think so far?”

“They’re awfully green this year, except of course your wife. You have your work cut of for you. I don’t envy you at all.”

“Careful Beaman, I might advance them all and you could have them as freshman candidates next year.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

Lee laughed. “What can you tell me about them?”

Beaman shoved the clipboard into Lee’s face. “A small group of recruits this year, only ten; five men, four women, and your wife.”

Lee pushed the clipboard away. “A good mix this time around.”

Beaman nodded and placed the clipboard on top of the box. “You’ll find the recruits files in your cabin. You are in cabin four and I placed Amanda in cabin five and I’m off, unless, there’s anything else you need from me, Scarecrow.”

“No, that should be all. Where are you taking off to?”

“I thought I would go visit Francine. Maybe swing by with some Chinese take-out.”

Lee winked. “And Calamine lotion—I’m sure you would even be willing to rub some lotion in those hard to reach places.”

“Why I—” he began, then changed his tune, shaking his head. “You know me too well.” Beaman winked back, and then turning on his heel, he headed down the path, whistling as he walked towards his car.

SMK SMK SMK SMK

Lee stepped into the stage, and walked over to the podium. He nodded to Billy, crossed his arms over his chest, and surveyed the new Agency recruits in attendance. He and Billy were dressed in gray sweat suits with orange and white stripes across the front and Amanda and the other candidates were in the standard blue and gray training sweats. “Good grief, Billy, it looks like some of these recruits aren’t any older than Phillip. They’re getting younger each year, aren’t they?”

Billy smiled at him. “Shall we?”

Lee nodded.

Billy cleared his throat waiting for everyone to take a seat and began his yearly lecture. “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Billy Melrose and this is my assistant, Lee Stetson. We’ll be your instructors this week. We appreciate you being here and your applications at the agency show your willingness to serve your country. The process of being an agent is a long and difficult one. Station One is only the first step in your training which will include physical exercises, surveillance, deductive reasoning, psychological testing and weapons training. Truth is most of you will not pass this initial phase.”

A young woman in the audience raised her hand. Billy looked down at his clipboard, scanning the names. He already knew the question—it was the same question someone always asked at this point. “Yes, Ms. Reinert?”

“What happens if we do move on?” Margaret Reinert asked.

“I’m glad you asked—those of you who do pass will be asked to move on to special advanced training. Any other questions?” he asked glancing around.

“Good. Mr. Stetson will be handing out these notebooks to you. Inside you will find a copy of your class schedule, map of the camp, field manual and other important information.”

Lee walked around room handing out the notebooks to the recruits. Billy continued, “You should also know that among you is an agent posing as a new recruit. This person we call the ringer. He or she is here to observe and grade you.” Everyone turned around in their seats, scoping out the audience, trying to figure out who that might be.

Billy walked off the stage. “Now, let’s take a tour of Station One.”

The trainees followed Lee and Billy down the trail that curved around the camp. The recruits laughed and talked among themselves.

All of a sudden, someone dressed all in black and wearing a facemask, jumped from behind a tree, grabbing one of the recruits, holding a knife to his neck. A couple of women screamed, and everyone else looked startled. The man released his ‘victim’ and removed his mask.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is Scott Morrison,” Billy told everyone. “He teaches the self-defense class and has a black belt in Karate. In addition, he competes in Tae Kwon Do and Kung Fu. Did I forget one, Scott?”

“Yes, kickboxing.”

Billy nodded. “And kickboxing.”

Putting his hands to his side, Scott bowed to the man he had grabbed. “Mr. Sokol, I apologize for grabbing you, but I needed to illustrate a point—in order to survive in this business always expect the unexpected. If I had been a real enemy agent you would now be dead.”

Bryan Sokol looked to the ground, the color of red creeping up his neck.

Scott patted him on the back. “Thanks for being a good sport, Mr. Sokol and don’t worry it throws everyone off the first day.”

Bryan nodded his head.

After the tour, Billy stood in front of the group near the cabins. “Well, that concludes the tour of Station One. You all have a thirty-minute break and then we will meet in front of the flag pole for a five-mile run.”

Everyone in the group groaned.

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Amanda had just completed her second lap around the camp feeling pretty good about her self. Running down the path just past the obstacle course, she thought she heard a noise behind her. She turned around, but no one was there. Hearing and seeing nothing, she continued on her run, when she heard a noise again. “I swear, Lee—” She stopped for a moment and looked around. Bending down to tie her shoe, she verified her small handgun was in her ankle holster. She stood up, fixed her ponytail, stretched her legs, and surveyed the area. With a shrug, she continued down the path.

In a flash, someone caught her from behind, pinning her against a tree.

“Lee,” she screamed and then swatted him on the shoulder. “You nearly scared me to death.”

He looked both ways making sure no one could see them, and grabbing her by the waist he pulled her in capturing her lips.

A moment later, she reluctantly pulled away, catching her breath.

“Lee,” she scolded him, panting. “I’m working.”

“Oh yeah, those sweats you have on work for me.” He winked at her.

She blushed. “If you think I’m cute in this thing, it has been a while.”

He looked into her eyes. “Before Emily was born. Let’s see—it’s only been eight weeks…”

“…five days and seven hours, but who’s counting?” Amanda melted into him. She sighed as his lips met hers again. Then breaking away, she warned, “Someone could see us.”

“Mmm-hmm. You’re right. Still the practical one, I see.” His eyes twinkled at her and he gave her a quick peck. He grabbed her hand. “I’ll run with you this next lap.”

They ran down the trail together unaware of a pair of eyes following them.

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Station One

Later that afternoon

Amanda came out of her cabin door and went down the steps.

“Mrs. King,” she heard her name being called. She turned around to see Lee walking towards her.

“Yes? Ah…Mr. Stetson.”

“May I have a moment with you?”

“Certainly, Sir.”

She followed him around to the other side of the cabin.

He spoke softly. “Did you have a chance to meet any of the recruits?”

“Yes. I’ve meet all of them. As usual, quite a diverse group.”

Lee folded his arms and nodded his head encouraging her to continue. “Any impressions so far?”

“All nine of them appear to be very patriotic, enthusiastic about being here, and want what’s best for the country.”

“Good.” He stepped closer to her. “But none of them hold a candle to you.”

He smiled knowing she was blushing again.

Two recruits came walking down the path, talking to each other. Lee stepped back. They both nodded to them. “Mr. Stetson. Mrs. King.”

“Mr. Villafana. Mr. Sokol,” they answered together.

When both men were gone, Lee asked, “What can you tell me about them?”

“Bryan Sokol is a journalist from D.C. He works for the Washington Blaze as a news reporter and is fluent in Arabic.”

Lee nodded.

“Julio Villafana is an unemployed actor, also living in the D.C. area. He’s supposed to be a master of disguises.”

A young lady around the age of twenty-five headed towards her cabin.

“Margaret Reinert, Sergeant U.S. Army, currently stationed at Ft. Leavenworth. She’s a mechanic.”

“Really?” Lee raised his eyebrow.

“Yes, she was the youngest in her family and has six older brothers, so has always worked around cars and motorcycles.”

An attractive blond came around the corner, almost bumping into Lee. “Oh, I’m sorry, Mr. Stetson. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

“That’s okay, uh—”

“Shelton. Cindi Shelton.” She told him before she sauntered down the path.

“That’s Cindi with an ‘I’,” Amanda teased watching her husband eyes follow her.

Lee smiled sheepishly. “And Ms. Shelton?”

“That’s Mrs. Shelton. She’s married, has a three-year old daughter at home, and is a registered nurse at Children’s Hospital.”

“It’s getting crowded over here.” He leaned in and whispered, “Walk with me.”

Tilting her head, she smiled at him.

Side by side, they walked down past the obstacle course. Lee had his hands behind his back and he kicked up rocks along the path.

Amanda walked up to the balance beam and climbed up. Lee took her hand and held her hand, helping her balance herself.

“I called Dotty after lunch and just wanted you to know everything is great at home.”

“Thanks, Sweetheart.” She came to the end of the beam. Lee held out his arms and helped her down. He hugged her tight.

She sighed heavily.

“Hey, none of that.”

“I know. I’m just missing the boys and Emily.” Amanda paused for a moment before continuing, “I can’t even have a picture of her in my cabin.”

“I know.” Lee released her and took out his wallet, he handed her a picture. “But I can have one in my wallet.”

She smiled looking at their baby. “We made a beautiful little girl together.”

He looked around to see if anyone was watching them, pulled her back to him. Kissing the top of her head, he whispered, “I love you, Mrs. Stetson.”

“I love you, too, Mr. Stetson.”

They both glanced around the area and leaned in for a quick kiss. Lee reluctantly let go of her and they continued walking. A moment later, they both heard a branch snap. He stopped them and then looked in the direction of the noise, his hand on his holster. Neither agent heard another sound. They both breathed a sigh of relief.

“Probably just an animal,” Amanda reasoned.

“Yeah, you’re probably right.” Lee began to relax. “You have self-defense training next. I spoke with Scott; he knows not to be too hard on you.”

“Leeee— ” Amanda began to say, drawing out his name.

“Amanda, you are just returning from maternity leave and I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“I’m not fragile.”

“I didn’t say you were.” He paused. “I worry about you.”

Amanda shook her head. Then touching the zipper on his jacket, she began to play with it. “I know you do. Will I see you at dinner?”

“No, I have a class I need to prepare for tomorrow and I really haven’t had much of a chance to go over the recruit files. I’ll probably just have something brought to my cabin.”

“Then how about I bring you something to eat and meet you at your cabin after dinner.”

“I’d like that.” He winked at her, before heading in the opposite direction.

A woman in the bushes frowned as she watched them. Damn that had been close—too close. They had looked over in her direction, and had almost caught her. She would have to be more careful. Removing the telephoto lens from her camera, she placed it inside her bag. Then she rewound the film. She placed it inside a small plastic canister and put it inside the bag, before heading off towards the woods.

SMK SMK SMK SMK

Afternoon

“Good afternoon, class. If you remember, my name is Scott Morrison and I’ll be your self-defense instructor. We’re going to start this class doing something a little unconventional.” He held up a large paper sack. “Inside this bag are several items you would not normally think of as weapons, but what I want you to do is grab one these items and when I come at you, attack me, using what you have in your hand. An agent needs to think on his or her feet and if unarmed—how to escape quickly. This is called the ‘King Maneuver’.”

Amanda rolled her eyes, slowly shaking her head. Nancy Morgan leaned over and whispered, “Was that named after you?”

Amanda smiled. “Of course not, I could never be that spontaneous.”

“Ms. Morgan. Why don’t you begin?” Scott held out the bag for her.

Nancy reached into the bag grabbing a can of whipped cream.

Amanda groaned inwardly.

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Amanda knocked on Lee’s cabin door a little after seven. “Come in,” she heard him say. She entered the cabin, and walked over to his desk, handing him a plate, covered in tin foil.

“Thanks, Honey. Can you just put it on the table?” He turned his head in that direction. “I’ll eat in a second.”

Amanda walked over to a small table in the center of the room, and placed the plate down. She then sat down looking around the room. It was more spacious than her cabin. Other than the table and two chairs, there was a desk against the window, a trashcan, a dresser and nightstand and a full-size bed. An honest to goodness bed! “Hey, how do you rate? You have a bed and I have to sleep on a cot. That’s not fair.”

“Hey, remember what I said—whoever promised you fair?”

“Nobody,” she mumbled.

He stood up and strolled over to her, taking her hands, he pulled her up. “Of course, I could rectify that—but it would require you to sleep with the teacher.”

“I might consider that.”

He smiled, his dimples deepening.

“What were you working on?”

“Just going over the recruits’ files—putting names with faces.” He sat down, removing the tin foil from the plate, and began to eat his dinner.

“Do you think you can you sneak back here after ‘lights out’?”

Amanda gave him a saucy grin and winked. “I think that can be arranged.”

SMK SMK SMK SMK

Much later that evening

A figure hidden in the bushes, spied Amanda entering Lee’s cabin. Unfolding from her position, she crept up to the cabin, peering through the window. Her dark clothing made her nearly invisible. She watched as Lee led Amanda towards the bed, their lips never parting. They both sat down on the edge of the bed. She watched Lee remove Amanda’s hair clip, freeing her hair. Her long, dark brown hair fell about her shoulders. She had to admit that Amanda was a strikingly beautiful woman. No wonder why he loved her. She watched Lee reach over and turn off the bedside lamp. The figure then drew deeper into the shadows, to her tent above the sloped hillside overlooking the training camp. Although the night was a bit chilly, she dared not light a fire, for risk of being caught. The woman snuggled deep inside her sleeping bag. She thought of Amanda—tall, thin, pretty—yes, any man would desire her. And he had sent her to spy on her. She hated Amanda—she was the reason he didn’t love her. A wicked grin crossed her face. There had to be a way to get rid of her without making him or Lee Stetson suspicious—an accident. She laughed. Yes, an accident would do nicely. But she would have to wait until she picked up some supplies and had the advantage of the cover of darkness to implement her plan. The last thought before she drifted off to sleep was how she was going to get rid of Amanda King.

Act Three

Wednesday morning

The trainees were all sitting around on the outdoor benches observing Billy, who was on stage in front of them standing by a chalkboard. “This next test is an observation test. On this board, there are ten objects. You will be given ten seconds to memorize what you see and then recite back to me—trying to be a specific as possible. Any questions? Good.” Billy nodded to Lee, who flipped the board. “And go.”

Ten seconds later, Lee flipped the board again; the objects now out of sight.

Billy looked down at the podium, scanning the recruit’s names. “Ms. Bonds? What can you remember?”

“Ahhh…let’s see there was a paper clip, a shoe, a gun, some coins, umm a plane ticket, ohh, sorry that’s all I can remember.”

“Okay. Anyone else?”

Margaret Reinert raised her hand.

“Go ahead, Ms. Reinert.”

“There was a fountain pen, a service revolver, a feather duster, a wing nut, six coins, a diamond ring, a shoe—I think for the left foot, an airline ticket—to London, I might add, a paper clip and a hair dryer.”

“Thanks Ms. Reinert—that was perfect.”

The rest of the class looked at her stunned.

During this time, Lee had changed the picture. Next, he displayed for the class for only a second a picture of red and blue marbles.

“Tell me quick, Mr. Connors,” Billy instructed him after the picture was turned, “were there more red or blue marbles?”

“Red.”

“Correct. Now for the next picture.”

The next picture was a line of playing cards.

“Mr. Sokol, looking at these cards what would be the next card in the sequence?”

“The three of hearts.”

“Very good and finally the last picture.”

image of a train on railroad tracks was shown.

“True or false, Mrs. King,” Billy began. “If the train continues going, with all the tracks set as the are, will it return to its starting point?”

Amanda shook her head, not believing she was being asked a question about a train. She hesitated for second, then answered. “False. It’ll hit a dead-end.”

“Excellent. You all did very well—but it’s time for your next class.”

SMK SMK SMK SMK

Lee and Scott Morrison stood outside a large steel building waiting for all the recruits to get there.

“If I could have your attention,” Lee shouted above the crowd once he realized everyone was there. The candidates turned their concentration to him. “Agent Morrison will be calling out your names two at a time. Then you and your partner will be entering this building and you’ll have ten minutes to locate and defuse a bomb.”

“Excuse me a what?” asked one of the recruits.

“A bomb. Don’t worry it’s fake. It’s just harmless smoke and pyrotechnics. Questions?” Seeing no one raise their hand, Lee continued, “Okay. Group one.” He looked over at Scott, giving him the floor.

Scott looked at the clipboard. “First team. Connors and Morgan. On my mark…” he looked at his stopwatch. “And go.”

They all watched the two candidates enter the building.

Amanda stepped closer to Lee, whispering so no one else could hear. “Care to make a friendly wager?”
Lee raised his eyebrow. “Wager?” What kind of wager?”

“I’ll make it simple; loser gets to make the winner’s dinner.”

“Sounds good. What are we betting on?”

“Let’s say predicting the team with the fastest time.” Lee looked at his own clipboard, with Amanda looking over his shoulder. “Ruling you out?”

“Why do you think I’ll cheat?” She gave him an impish grin.

He studied her for a moment. “Yes.”

“Okay, fine. The team with the best time—not including me.”

“Deal.” He winked at her and she smiled back.

“I’m going to say…Shipley and Shelton.”

“The recent college grad nerd and the nurse? No way.”

She shrugged her shoulders. “We could up the ante—if you think I’m wrong.”

He knew she had something up her sleeve. “Naaa.”

“Sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure—but you better be ready to go. You’re next. See you after the exercise.”

SMK SMK SMK SMK

Billy and Lee stood outside the mess hall talking. Lee noticed Amanda coming down the stairs talking with one of the recruits, Denise Bonds.

“Mrs. King,” Lee called out.

Amanda turned to look at him and after acknowledging him, she turned back to her companion. “I’ll see you at our next class.” She then walked over to Lee and Billy.

“Okay. How did you know who would have the best time?”

“Simple deduction, Scarecrow.”

Billy stifled a laugh, covering it with a cough.

“Richard Shipley—the college grad—do you know what he majored in?”

“Yes, physics and mathematics—which means he would know a thing or two about bombs, but that does not necessary mean he would know how to locate one.”

“True. But Cindi Shelton might.”

“How would a nurse know?”

“Cindi is married to a Navy Seal—oh and by the way, Scarecrow, I think we’ll start off with a garden salad, followed by stuffed pork chops and twice baked potatoes and for desert, strawberry cheesecake.” She laughed leaving them behind, on her way to her next class.

SMK SMK SMK SMK

The woman waited until she was sure no one was awake. Stealthily she made her way through the training camp, reaching her destination. She wondered silently why there was no agent on guard. Reaching her destination, she eased herself up the ladder to the platform. She stepped up and removed the rope from the pulley. Taking out a knife she cut into the rope—just enough to fray it, but not enough to cut through. She examined her work and smiled.

SMK SMK SMK SMK

Thursday morning

Lee stood on top of the platform at the obstacle course, handing the candidates the rope they had to grab in order to swing over the open pit. Two men had reached the platform and were waiting their turn. The one turned to the other, “And what about Mrs. King? Is she hot or what?”

“I agree, Harry,” the second man concurred.

“What’s her story?”

“Divorced, mother of two, works for some film company.”

“Divorced, huh?”

“Hey, you two,” Lee scowled. “Are you just going to flap your gums or are you here to train?” He handed the rope to Harry.

A few minutes later, Lee handed the rope to Amanda.

Amanda swung off the platform, when all of a sudden the rope broke. She was falling and there was nothing she could do.

Lee yelled, “AMANDA!”

Act Four

A few hours later

Lee held onto Amanda as he helped her into the cabin.

She leaned against him, allowing him to assist her to the cot. It felt good to sit down.

“Can I get you anything?” He asked concerned.

“No, thanks. Really, I’m okay.”

Lee gently wrapped his arms around her. “Thank God, you’re fine.”

“The field doctor just said I had some bruised ribs.”

He pushed her back looking into her eyes. “Do you have any idea—how terrified I was watching you fall? You nearly scared me half to death.”

“I know. I’m just grateful the rope broke where it did…if it had been over the pit—” she stopped not wanting to finish the sentence. “It could have been a lot worse.”

He pulled her close to him again and took a deep breath. “Well, I think you should go home.”

She shook her head. “I told you—I’m okay. A little sore, but I can finish out the week.”

“A-man-da!”

“Lee, you can’t always protect me—accidents are going to happen.”

“I’m not entirely sure this was just an accident.”

“What are you saying?”

“It’s probably nothing—rope wears down, frays, and finally breaks.” He swallowed hard and then sighed. “You know how I over react with you.”

“Yeah?”

He nodded his head and then smiled sheepishly. “Oh yeah.”

“So, no more telling me to go home?” She told him sternly.

“No.”

“Because I know you—if you had bruised ribs, you wouldn’t be going home. Now why do you expect me to?”

“Okay. Fine—you win.”

“This isn’t a contest, Lee—it’s you and I doing our jobs.”

“I understand.” He sighed again.

“Good.” She pressed her lips together.

“But I do want you to take it easy for the rest of the day.” Lee brushed her face softly with his fingers.

“I have a pretty easy schedule for the rest of the day—all I have left is the driving course.”

“Will you be able to drive with your ribs?”

“Don’t worry about me—I’ll be fine—and I’m a personal friend of the instructor. He’ll go easy on me.”

“Oh yeah, someone I know?”

“Mm-hmm. And although he can be over protective of me—I’m madly in love with the guy.” Leaning forward, she touched his cheek kissing him soundly on the lips.

SMK SMK SMK SMK

‘Damn!’ She thought followed by a series of other curse words. The woman scowled. ‘How could I have been so careless? She should be dead.’

She paced the trail above the camp like a caged animal. She picked up a rock and threw it into the woods. Then she collapsed onto a stump, bringing her knees to her chest; tears streaked her face as she sang softly through her hiccups and tears. “There’s no use pretending, as I lay me down to weep. When you were mine, the world was mine, and fate constantly smiled. Now in its place I have to face, a pillow of tears, all through the years…”

The woman laughed a sinister little laugh. Then threw her hand to her mouth, hoping her voice had not echoed through the camp. What was that motto? If at first you don’t succeed—try, try again. She grinned again, plotting her next move.

SMK SMK SMK SMK

Amanda and Lee walked into the commons area and up to the lunch counter. Lee grabbed a tray and handed it to Amanda.

“Thanks.” Amanda took the tray and walked through the chow line. Lee could see she was moving a little slower than normal.

“Are you all right?” he asked following her.

“Yes, shaken…but fine.” She grabbed a cup of applesauce, putting it on her tray.

“Something funny is going on.”

“Lee, the accelerator stuck. It used to happen on my old station wagon all the time. Leatherneck went over the car. The car had not been tampered with—it was just an accident. And it wasn’t that big of a disaster. Neither you nor I was hurt and neither was anyone else. The hay bales stopped the car.”

He shook his head. “Too many accidents to be a coincidence.”

She looked around, before whispering. “Do you think my cover has been blown?”

He brushed his left hand through his hair and blew out a breath. “I don’t know—but then again I can’t see any of these recruits wanting to take you out.”

They sat down at the table facing each other.

“You spent time with them—any of them you don’t trust?”

She took a bite of her sandwich and shook her head. “I only see a couple of them moving on to advanced training, like Ms. Reinert and Mrs. Shelton, maybe Mr. Villafana, but the rest of them, although not agent material, are nice people. One or two would make good couriers or even civilian auxiliaries.”

“Oh, Mrs. King,” Cindi said walking over to their table. “I’m so glad to see you’re okay. I heard about your car accident. That must have been scary.”

“Yes, it was. Mr. Stetson was kind enough to make sure I was okay and we were just discussing it. Thanks for your concern.”

“Sure, Mrs. King.” She smiled at Amanda and then to Lee before she left.

“I don’t care; until I know what is going on everyone is suspect.”

Amanda rolled her eyes.

“You yourself said you had a bad feeling before you got into the car and I quote—‘I got the feeling we’re being watched,’ end quote.”

“I’ve been having that feeling most of the week.”

“Why didn’t you say something to me before?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “Because I’m sure it’s nothing. The camp is a secret—no one knows where it is…so let’s just get through the day and tomorrow, and then we can go home. Okay?”

SMK SMK SMK SMK

The young woman rocked back and forth on the stump. “Stupid—stupid, stupid,” she repeated.

“What are you up too?” She heard a voice with a German accent say.

“Nothing. I did exactly what you asked of me.” Opening up her camera bag, she handed him the canister of film. “I have been observing her and Stetson.”

“But you haven’t grabbed her yet.”

“She’s never been alone,” she snapped.

He nodded and stroked her cheek. She melted into the sensation, but then her face stung as he slapped her. Tears ran down her face and she put her hand to her cheek.

“I’m cold, I’m hungry, and I want to take a shower,” she cried, looking at a cold can of beans which had been her dinner the night before.

“Okay, Autumn. I’ll let you stay at a hotel this evening, but tomorrow night when she leaves here I want you to grab her, do I make myself clear?”

Autumn nodded her head.

“Good.” He smiled. “Soon you will be mine, Amanda.”

SMK SMK SMK SMK

Station One

Friday Evening

Billy stood up at the podium again. “I would like to thank each and every one of you…you should be proud of your accomplishments while here at Station One. We even have a couple of you we would like to move on for Advanced Training. Those who will be moving on will be informed soon. Now without further ado, I’d like to hand out these certificates. Mr. Stetson if you please.”

Lee took out a box of certificates and handed one to each candidate, giving them a firm handshake and thanks for job well done.

When the ceremony was over, the recruits mingled around the cafeteria partaking of the celebration dinner and cake. They congratulated each other, before heading back home.

Amanda was standing with Lee and Billy. “Well, I’m ready to go home myself—but I have some final paperwork to finish. Thanks, Sir, it was a good camp this year.”

“Yes, it was and I can’t thank you and Lee enough. I think I’m going to take off myself—let Jeannie know I’m still alive. Good night you two.”

“Good night, Sir,” Amanda repeated.

“I’ll follow you to your cabin,” Lee told her.

“I’d like that, but really you should go on home…I’ll be here for awhile longer. Go spend some time with mother, the boys, and Emily,” she encouraged him. “I’ll be home soon.”

“Let me walk with you first and I’ll think about it.” He took her hand and they walked hand-in-hand down the path towards the cabins.

SMK SMK SMK SMK

Later that evening

Amanda maneuvered the Wagoneer down a darkened country road. The radio played in the background, keeping her company. She saw the glow of a car’s headlights behind her. As it moved closer, the headlights were so bright that she almost had to close her eyes to keep from being blinded. A truck seemingly appeared out of nowhere in front of her! She slammed on the brakes. The Jeep skidded on the gravel road, before coming to a halt. The car behind her instantly swerved around her. Her heart was in her throat and she took a moment to catch her breath.

Every instinct Amanda possessed told her that she should keep on driving, but she couldn’t. She had to check it out, see if everyone was all right. Unbuckling her seat belt, she reached under the passenger seat, grabbing a flashlight. She got out of the car, and after shutting the door, she hollered, “Hello.”

Flashlight in hand, she approached the truck. She could make out a figure sitting in the truck’s cab, slumped over the wheel—“Hello?” she called out again. “Sir, Ma’am—are you all right?”

There was no reply—Amanda moved closer when she suddenly realized that the figure wasn’t human after all—it was stuffed. ‘A scarecrow!’ Gasping, Amanda stepped backwards, when all of a sudden, someone grabbed her, forcing a cloth over her nose and mouth…she struggled for a moment.

“…been waiting for this…I told you—you would pay for your betrayal,” she heard the voice say, before her world went black.

To Be Continued In Part II

***

Thanks to the beta time and skills of Tammy; unfailing encouragement from Jennifer C; reminders to “kill my darlings” along with excellent suggestions for expansion and enrichment and a full-on deep beta from the amazing Ayiana; edits and suggestions from Constance; and proofreading, prodding, advice, and listening from Anne. Thanks to Husband for the consult on Tactical Teams and weaponry.

***

The earthy smell of the wet soil wafted up as the dew on the grass at the fence line soaked through his pants. He listened, perfectly still. Gravel crunched in the distance. Banners and flags flapped in the wind. There were no more voices, and he decided those had only been from passersby.

If he was going to get away, now was the time.

He looked around him at the misshapen shadows cast by the streetlights and ducked behind another car. Keeping his head well down, he crept toward the darkest corner, glanced over his shoulder, and began to climb.

Gravel scattered as loud barking headed his way, followed by a shout and more footsteps on the gravel, moving quickly. The noise converged on him as he scaled the chain link fence. The metal of the fence ricocheted off the poles as the dogs flung themselves at it, and he felt a tug at his pant leg accompanied by a determined growl.

A shout sounded above the other noises and the wire cut into his fingers as he pulled, while his weight, gravity, and a growling dog yanked him toward the ground. He kicked out, tugging his leg and shoving his other toe against the wires. For a moment it seemed he was gaining purchase, then a final yank freed his pant leg and his face rebounded into the fence.

The dogs skittered away, barking half-heartedly, and the footsteps stopped, then there was a gunshot and he felt, vaguely, an impact with the gravel before another shot sounded.

Chaos ruled mornings in the Stetson-King household.

“Phillip, don’t forget your bag lunch for the field trip!”

“Amanda, do you have the papers from the dealership?”

“Dorkface, what’d you do with my glasses?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

Only Emily was quiet, brown eyes staring intently into Amanda’s as she nursed.

“Here you go, Mom,” Jamie said, tucking a pillow under Amanda’s elbow then cupping his sister’s head in his hand. “I can’t believe how big she is already.”

“I know. Thank you, sweetheart. Are you heading out?”

“Yeah. Chem test first period so I want to be early.” He leaned forward and kissed her, then bent down and kissed his sister’s forehead. “Bye, Mom. Bye, Grandma.”

Amanda watched him take the stairs from the family room to the door in two steps, leaving the front door open.

“Leaving!” Phillip called just before the front door latched behind him.

Amanda smiled at Emily, stroking a round cheek with one finger. “Which of them are you going to be like, little one? Or are you just going to be yourself?” And how are they going to be when there’s another little brother or sister? All this turmoil for them, and it’s not even over yet.

Hands squeezed her shoulders then brushed down her arm to stroke their daughter’s dark curls, Lee’s gesture unknowingly mimicking Jamie’s. His chin rested on her shoulder and his smooth cheek touched hers, and she turned toward him, kissing his jaw, then the corner of his mouth as he continued to stare at Emily for a moment before turning enough to press his lips tenderly to hers.

“Are you sure you want to pick up the Corvette? I can just do it later if you’d rather stay home.”

“At this point I’d be excited about dropping off and picking up dry cleaning, Lee. Anything to get out of the house. Mother and I are going to walk, so I’ll get some activity out of it. I’m turning soft just sitting around here all day.”

“But you’re soft in all the right places,” he said, kissing her again as his other hand reached down to cup the breast not feeding their daughter. He nipped at her neck and Amanda sighed, tilting her chin up to kiss him more thoroughly.

“Should I take Emily and leave you two alone?” Dotty was leaning against the door frame, arms crossed, eyebrows raised, and wearing a wry smile that quirked her lips.

He smiled against her neck. Amanda reached back, cupped his cheek in her hand and kissed him before pushing him lightly. “Lee, go to work. I’ll see you tonight.”

He leaned over to kiss Emily, whispered, “See you later, Baby-girl,” and kissed Amanda again.

“Take your coffee.” Dotty handed him a travel mug, brushed at his coat, straightened his tie, and kissed his cheek. Amanda grinned as his eyes wandered to her, looking a bit trapped. Dotty took his arm and walked him to the riser stairs, patting his back encouragingly. “We’ll be fine, and the weather’s perfect for a little outing.”

“You just want to be the first one to drive the Corvette, Mother.”

“Well, I would, but your husband had to go and get one of those stick things. First to ride in it though, yes. It’s a lucky thing you finally learned to drive one. You know, your father told me once that, much as he adored us both, he just knew we’d never—”

“Have a good day, sweetheart. I love you.” She blew a kiss, Lee raised his coffee cup, and the door closed behind him.

“Don’t get into any trouble,” Dotty called. She turned, smiling widely. “What time should we pick up the car?”

“Well, I think I’d like to finish feeding Emily, have some breakfast and a shower…we’ll probably be out by nine or nine-thirty. You’ll have plenty of time to read the obituaries.”

“I’ll get you a bagel then run take a shower myself.”

“Thanks, mother. And could I have—”

“Some orange juice? Pouring it right now. Anything for the mother of my only granddaughter.”

Amanda smiled at her daughter, tracing a cheek with one finger. “I think Grandma likes you.”

***

“Stetson!” Billy’s voice ran through the bullpen. “We’ve got a report to go over!”

Lee jogged into the conference room and set down the folder he was carrying. “Sorry, Billy. Too many people and not enough bathrooms.”

Billy’s glower immediately morphed into a smile. “How’s my newest goddaughter?”

“Gorgeous, of course.” Lee felt his face ache slightly as he smiled back. He’d never grinned so much and so broadly in his life, and the muscles were still getting used to it.

“How about the boys and Mrs. West? Are they coping all right with the abduction, their father’s death, and all the aftermath?”

Lee hesitated and felt his brow furrow. The muscles were familiar with this role. “They…. It’s up and down,” he said finally. “Jamie’s always been hard to connect with, but he’s a sweet kid. He seems to be putting all his energy into Emily and hovering over Amanda. Phillip is just angry. He seems to be letting go of the guilt a little—”

“Better than you do?”

“Yeah. Better than I do…or did. Maybe we’ll learn from each other.” He shook his head.

“Maybe you will at that.” Billy settled himself into the chair at the head of the table where several agents had settled while they were talking and Lee sat as well. “All right, people. We just got a report that a body has turned up in the Potomac, and it matches one of ours.”

“Jerry Liang,” Francine contributed. “He’s been in deep cover for eight months, passing information to us regularly, and he missed the last two drops. We were about to trace his steps when the body was found.”

“Francine is going to go through the information he’s brought us and see if there are patterns that will give us a lead. Scarecrow, I want you to check out the informants who’ve been passing the information along.”

“Informants? How many are there?”

“Three. Liang wanted to have a complicated trail. He was convinced he was in danger and–”

“Also a little paranoid,” Francine over-pronounced the word.

Billy rolled his eyes at her, then continued. “The rest of you, trace back Liang’s steps and find out who’s seen him, where he’s spent time, see what leads you can find. Let’s get to it.”

***

“It is a gorgeous day.” Dotty looked around, her sunglasses large under a floppy straw hat she held to her head with one hand.

“It is. Sunny, perfect temperature, breezy. I’m glad we decided to walk.” Amanda peered into the stroller where Emily was kicking her feet and waving her arms under the canopy that shaded her head. “What do you think, little girl? Do you like the fresh air? There are just all kinds of things to see, aren’t there?”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to push?” Dotty asked, edging toward Amanda.

“Not for now. I need the exercise. My clothes may fit, but they’re tight, and just getting ready this morning wore me out a bit. I’m not bouncing back quite like I did almost twenty years ago!”

“Tell me about it,” Dotty chuckled.

“And, anyway, I like watching her. I’m going to have to go back to work soon, and I’m going to miss so much that I had with the boys. Every moment seems precious.”

Dotty glanced at her sideways, reached to put the pacifier into Emily’s mouth, adjusted the tie on her hat.

“Mother. What is it?”

“What? Oh, nothing, darling.”

“You are a terrible liar. Out with it.”

Dotty looked at the sidewalk, around the neighborhood, up at the sky. Amanda looked around as well, enjoying being outdoors. She took in the sweet perfume of the hyacinths blowing past the bright flowerbeds, the dozens of shades of green in the trees’ swaying leaves, the gentle brush of the cool breeze against her face, the feathered clouds against a blue sky, the pink in Emily’s cheeks and feet and hands. All that beauty.

“Amanda,” Dotty fidgeted a bit more, then set a hand on the stroller and, stopping them, looked straight into Amanda’s face. “I don’t think you should go back to work.”

“What? Mother–”

“Hear me out, Amanda. I’m not just…I don’t want…” She pressed her fingertips to her lips, turned to look at Emily, and took a slow, visible breath. “I don’t want the boys to lose both parents to this crazy business you’ve got yourself into. I don’t want Emily to grow up without her parents like Lee did.”

“Oh, Mother,” Amanda said, the tears in her eyes matching Dotty’s. She reached out and they held onto each other, the stress and grief of the past weeks adding desperation to the hug.

Dotty pulled back, still gripping Amanda’s shoulders tightly and looking her squarely in the face. “I’m sorry. I just…I don’t want you to get killed, and no matter how careful you are, and how good you are at what you do…it’s dangerous. You—” Dotty’s voice started to break and she shook her head slightly. “You’re my baby, and you always will be.”

“I love you, too, Mother.”

They snuffled, smiled watery, fond smiles, and reached simultaneously to hand each other a tissue, then laughed.

“Let’s get going and get your husband’s new hot rod,” Dotty said and they continued along the tree-lined sidewalk. “I was thinking of making a pot roast for dinner.”

***

Lee glanced down the hallway as he shifted the last tumbler to turn the knob and slipped through the door, checking the other end of the hallway before closing the door behind him.

The apartment was meticulous. Only a bowl and plate in the sink, no crumbs on the tiny counter, mail neatly stacked in two piles on the coffee table across the room and in front of the threadbare brown couch.

He searched through the mail, the drawers, the bathroom, the television, the magazines, in the refrigerator. Two hours of searching later, he stood in the middle of the bedroom, at a loss. There was nothing taped to the bottom of the drawers, nothing under the mattress, and nothing behind the two photos or frames on the walls.

He sat heavily on the bed, frustration weighing on his shoulders and vibrating in his chest. When other agents were killed it was just a reminder of everyone’s mortality, but especially of his parents’ deaths, of the possibility of following them in leaving his own child behind. The only consolation was in doing his job well, in proving that he could take down the bad guys and potentially keep his colleagues, himself, and his wife that much safer.

Something caught his peripheral vision down and to the right, and he saw that the vent cover near the floor showed a millimeter of gray against the off-white wall and cover. As he knelt to peer into the duct, he saw a notebook and began to turn the already-loosened screw.

Jerry’s list of contacts, observations, information, and locations were written in some kind of code that Lee assumed he had created for himself, so, gathering the papers, he headed back to the Wagoneer to take them to Crypto.

***

“Whew. That’s the most I’ve done since Emily was born.”

Dotty was breathing hard. “Same for me. I’ve got to get more exercise.”

A few salesmen in their white shirts and ties, smiles fixed on their features, walked amongst the cars toward the morning shoppers. As they stepped onto the asphalt, Emily squeaked and Amanda looked down to see her daughter’s face turning red and wrinkling up. “Let’s get inside and get her changed. After that we’ll find that salesman and get the papers signed.”

A clean and dry Emily took a bottle from Dotty while they waited at the salesman’s desk. There were a few odd sounds, a dragging, a few clatters, and while Amanda’s stomach clenched for a moment, instincts saying that something seemed off near the repair bays, she reminded herself that automobile repair was not a quiet thing and shrugged it off.

The tall and broad man in his white shirt and checkered tie soon sat down with a sheaf of papers and began to go over the contracts.

“So you’re taking ownership of a steel blue metallic, 6-speed manual with power seats, air conditioning, CD stereo, performance package–”

“You’ve got it all right on the papers, Mr. Castillo,” Amanda said, smiling as she glanced up at him from paging through the contracts, “and the financing seems to be in order. I think we’re set to get the keys and head out with the car.”

“If you’ll just sign here.” He pointed with a beefy finger. “And here, and initial here and here.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Amanda saw an older woman approach an immaculately dressed man. Her jaw was tight and her movements brusque and urgent. The man who seemed to be a manager stood up abruptly and followed her toward the back. That tickle fluttered at her stomach again. Something didn’t feel right, and she reached out a hand to stroke Emily’s foot. “Mr. Castillo, is there a problem?”

“Oh, no, no. I think there was some confusion in the service area, but it’s nothing to worry about.”

Amanda signed the papers, glancing around between sections. Something felt wrong enough that the hairs on her neck kept twitching. She shook her head. Seeing danger in a car dealership in Arlington…she really had been home bored for too long. Maybe this exaggerated over-vigilance was a desire for work, that addiction to action and excitement Lee kept teasing her she’d caught. Having someone hunting her family hadn’t helped either, she supposed. She shook her head and signed the last section next to where Lee had signed when the order had been placed two weeks before.

“There we go,” Castillo said, signing next to Amanda’s name and initials and tapping the papers on his desk before standing. “I’ll just get the manager to sign off and we can start processing the licensing and title papers. We should be able to get you out of here in about twenty minutes.”

“Did she take the whole bottle, Mother?”

“She did. She’s a good eater.” Dotty was holding Emily up, letting her bounce gently with feet against Dotty’s thighs. “She’s getting strong fast, too. She’s already pushing with her feet.”

“I think Jamie was standing for seconds at a time when he was just two weeks old, and Phillip…it seemed like he would never gain that strength. It’s amazing how things change, isn’t it? Can I take her for a bit?” Amanda took her daughter, hefting her into the air then bringing her back down gently, snuggling her against a shoulder and patting her back where there were pink umbrellas on soft white cotton. The prickling at the back of her neck warred with the warmth that spread through her chest from having her girl nestling against her. “You’re a snuggler like Jamie was,” she said softly, kissing the baby curls.

“You were like that too.” Dotty gave Emily a finger to hold.

Emily’s head came up off of Amanda’s shoulder and she looked around, still moving with the jerkiness of newfound muscles but showing clear strength and determination as she leaned back and pushed, examining the large room full of cars and desks. “And that…that’s Phillip all over, having to see everything.”

“You were like that too.” Dotty grinned. “Always curious.”

“I wish there were someone to tell us stories of what Lee was like as a baby, as a little kid. We’ll never know which of these mannerisms were his until she’s old enough for the colonel to remember.”

Castillo’s big chair squeaked as he sat down. “All right. I think we’ve got you about ready.”

At that moment there was a loud crash and then a pop.

“Mother, get down,” Amanda said, already crouching on the floor against Castillo’s desk, her stomach clenching and muscles tightening out of instinct and the pent-up anxiety she’d been tamping down.

“What was—”

Castillo’s voice came from above them, the sharp and high pitched-edge belying the attempt at allaying fears, “It was just a car backfiring—”

There was a short shriek and another two pops.

“Hit the deck!” came Castillo’s voice from the other side of the wooden desk, muffled now from his large frame folding into the small space.

“Everybody!” a deep and accented voice roared. “If you do exactly as I say, no one will get hurt.”

Amanda’s breath came quickly as she clutched Emily to her chest with one arm, trying to ignore the baby’s squirming and the fussing that was threatening to turn into a squall. She cupped Emily’s head in one trembling hand, her other arm around Dotty’s shoulders to keep her down and against the desk.

***

Lee paced back and forth. Nothing about this felt right. Liang was dead, his papers were coded, and the Crypto guys were still struggling to make any sense of it. They had no idea who Liang’s contacts were, where his drop point was, what kind of information he had been trafficking, or where to go to try and manage the leak.

He ran a hand through his hair. “How long is this going to take, Williams?”

“As long as it takes,” the man muttered, his face two inches from the text in Liang’s notebook.

“I think we might have something here,” said the woman at the computer.

Lee immediately was at her side, looking over her shoulder at the monitor. “What have you got, Gomez?”

“I’m not entirely sure, but the words ‘dashboard,’ ‘glove,’ and the words ‘GM’ keep showing up. I’m not sure yet what it means, but it makes me think I’m on the right track.”

“Good. That’s good. Do we have any records of contacts or drop points that would match with those?”

“Not here in Crypto, Scarecrow. Take it up to Tactics. Bob has those databases.”

“Thanks, Gomez,” Lee said, already out the door.

“Yeah, thanks, Gomez,” Williams echoed. “Anything to get him out of here while we work. That pacing was making me crazy.”

Lee realized on the third pass that they were right about him pacing. Amanda and Billy occasionally commented on it too, but he didn’t know what else to do while he was stuck waiting, not knowing. When he could do something, it was fine. Otherwise it felt like energy was cycling through his body, gaining speed and strength with each round.

Bob Dobson tapped at his terminal and amber letters scrolled past. Finally he leaned back in his chair. “All right, Scarecrow.” He pointed to the screen. “Looks like we have three drop points that have to do with cars. One is in Silver Springs at a taxi stand. Another is at the kiss ‘n’ ride at the Shade Grove Metro station. And the last one looks like it is in the service area at Vogler Brothers Luxury Chevrolet in Arlington.”

“Vogler?” Lee said. “That’s where… Oh, God, Amanda’s at that last one with her mother and the baby.”

“Well, it may have nothing to do with anything?”

“You want to bet on that with her luck, Dobson? Tell Billy I’ve headed over there, will you?” He took off down the hallway. It might be nothing. Might be nothing. He repeated that to himself, but he had a bad feeling about it and lengthened his stride to just short of running.

***

“Lock the doors!” the man shouted, and Castillo climbed out from under his desk, walking to the doors, keys jangling in hand and locking the doors in clockwise sequence.

The only other salesman worked back from the other side of the room, but near the middle, shoved against the glass doors by the display sedan, moving to slip outside.

“Stop!” Amanda called.

Another shot rang out and she ducked protectively over Emily’s head, though not far enough to miss seeing him hit the shiny tile floor, a red stain spreading across the back of his white shirt. His whimpers sounded like those of a wounded animal and could be heard throughout the showroom.

A petite woman with short-cropped brown hair stepped forward from the other side of the sales floor, pistol drawn. “Do as Mikhail says and no one else gets hurt,” she ordered in a deep voice. With one foot, she shoved the salesman’s body away from the door. He cried out sharply and then there was a sharp metallic click as she threw the bolt in the door and broke off the key with a single, sharp yank before pocketing the rest of the ring. “Everyone move toward the back.” She waved her pistol in the general direction of where a blond man stood, the repair coveralls incongruous against the handgun he was training on the people left in the showroom. The group began to shuffle along, looking around at one another with confused frowns on their faces.

“Move it! Faster!”

There was a moan from the salesman, and Amanda heard Dotty’s breath catch on a sob.

“We can’t just leave him there,” Dotty said, looking over her shoulder.

“Mother,” Amanda said quietly. “Do as they say. Just move.”

“But—”

Amanda could barely hear herself over her heart pounding. “Mother. Emily is here. Do what they say. We’ll figure out—”

“Silence!”

She concentrated on breathing, chin still tucked into Emily’s curls while she breathed a steady, “Shh, shush-shush, shh,” and tugged at her mother’s sleeve.

As they reached the corner where Mikhail was standing, he shoved Amanda and Dotty whirled on him, “How dare you treat my daughter and granddaughter—”

Even Dotty was silenced as Mikhail brought his weapon up and pointed it directly at her chest.

***

The call went out on the police scanner as Lee was pulling out of the Agency garage.

“Shooting at Vogler Brothers Chevrolet. Hostage situation suspected. Local units, please respond.”

Lee felt his stomach drop. Over half his family could be in that building. His breath shuddered as the road faded before his eyes, replaced by images of Amanda protesting by a frightened Dotty and a squalling Emily . He jumped at the sounds of shots and smell of gunpowder in his scenario and shook his head to clear it, though not before the image shifted to a bloody one of the women pale on the floor with an unmoving baby.

He gripped the steering wheel more tightly, clenched his teeth, and pressed on the gas pedal, speeding through a yellow light. Out of desperate hope, he dialed home let it ring nearly thirty times before he jabbed at the off button, barely resisting the urge to throw the phone against the far door. If Amanda was on her way home, or stopping to shop and tried to call when she got home, he’d never get the call on pieces of a phone.

Five minutes and four calls later, Lee dialed the Agency and asked Billy to send someone to the house to see if Amanda was there, and to backtrack her steps to the dealership. “You got it, Scarecrow,” Billy said. “We’ll check with the police department for intel, but we can’t tell them this is one of our drop points.”

“I know, Billy, but we both know it’s probably no coincidence Liang was poking around here and ended up dead and then this goes down. Just…I need to know who’s inside, okay?”

“We’ll do what we can. Just…don’t do anything stupid.”

Lee clicked the phone off and slammed it into its cradle.

***

Dotty quivered with anger and her chin came up as she looked him in the eye. Amanda felt she could barely breathe and stood frozen, unable to step between her mother and the gunman, unable to get her daughter away from the weapons and danger, unable to do anything but try to swallow around the lump in her throat and try to hold back her anger and try to wait for more information and an opening. Her instincts said that speaking right now would only antagonize the man towering over her mother.

Mikhail took one step toward Dotty. “You are going to be trouble?” he asked, staring down at her.

Dotty blinked. Swallowed. “I… I…” She licked her lips and blinked several more times.

Mikhail moved slowly and Dotty’s eyes followed the gun, widening as its aim settled squarely on Amanda and Emily. His gaze never moved from her face. “Do I need to remove this trouble?” he asked, the threat rumbling through his voice.

Dotty turned to meet his eyes again, then her shoulders slumped and she looked down quickly, but not before Amanda saw the tears pooling. “No. No. I’m…I’ll…no trouble. Please…” One hand brushed at her eyes and pressed against her lips. “Please don’t,” she whispered.

Mikhail shoved her toward the door he’d indicated and Dotty went without a protest. Amanda followed, still shielding Emily with her body.

“Everyone sit on the floor!” the woman shouted. “No one moves, no one talks.”

They were in the repair and service waiting area, sitting on the floor. With their backs against the walls, vending machines, and sofa, their outstretched legs almost touched. The two canvassed the room and kept the hostages covered by turns, efficiently removing anything that could be used as a weapon, including the ubiquitous little coffee pot with bad coffee.

Dotty sniffed softly, her arm pressed up against Amanda’s. Mr. Castillo, a largely pregnant young woman in a black jumpsuit, and the young Asian girl pressing her heart-shaped face into the jacket front of a man who seemed to be her father all cried, making what seemed valiant efforts to keep the sound of the sobs stifled. No one made eye contact.

Amanda watched. They were pros. They were good. They lapsed into what she was pretty sure was Russian a few times, particularly when the woman was angry. Whether they were KGB or not, they were definitely operatives.

There did not seem to be immediate intention of violence, so she watched, gathered information, and tried to retreat into being an Agent, all the while holding her baby and leaning against her mother. She chanced a look at the other hostages in the room. Their safety, all of them, was going to depend on her.

***

By the time Lee arrived at Vogler’s, the police had cordoned off the area. There were at least ten squad cars and an ambulance there already, their lights flashing in a dizzying display of red and blue reflecting off the new cars and glass and every shiny surface in the area. A half dozen officers were standing near the yellow Police Line tape, managing the gathering crowds. Others talked into their radios.

He parked half a block away and watched the car lot. Through his binoculars, he spotted two decently-hidden snipers, their rifles aimed steadily toward the most southerly door of the main building. Lee watched as a Tac Team wove among the cars, helmeted heads down, rifles held close, one carrying a rescue pack. The muscles between his shoulder blades tensed and his grip tightened. He should be part of that Tac team. He should be involved. The clenching of his gut said he was gearing up for a mission, and yet, two miles from his family’s home, he could not come forward as a Federal Agent, nor did he have jurisdiction. It made him restless and he tightened his muscles into stillness for the wait.

The four men in black had reached the door without incident, and a glint showed in a black-gloved hand just before it reached for the door, turned the lock, and pulled the door open. That officer stopped it with his boot, weapon at the ready and his team leader covering from the other side. The other two worked in tandem, one rolling out the tarp from his pack as the other grabbed the arms of the man lying face down on the floor and moved him onto the tarp. Grabbing the edges and pulling, they retreated. In one motion, the man at the door taped down the deadbolt, retrieved the keys, and covered them as he moved back from the building in unison with the team leader.

Lee let out a breath and frowned in grudging respect. For civilian law enforcement, their Tactical guys were good; the whole retrieval had lasted less than a minute.

A piercing ring came from the Wagoneer and he reached through the window and grabbed the phone. “Amanda?”

“No such luck, Scarecrow. No one was home, and the reports the department is willing to share indicate ten to twelve hostages, including a baby.”

Lee pounded his fist into the top of the Wagoneer. “Dammit!” he shouted.

“Lee? Lee, you have got to stay back. Arlington PD is a good department.”

“I see that. Their Tac Team is excellent. I just don’t trust anyone but myself; if they do it wrong…” He felt his throat tighten and took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair as he blew the air out. “Billy, what am I going to do? That’s my wife and my little girl.” He cringed as his voice almost broke.

“Let them do their jobs, Lee! We’ll see what we can work out, and if it fits our jurisdiction in any way we can claim, I promise you, we’ll be there. But remember, you and Amanda have to live there, and there is more at stake even than your family.”

“I know, Billy. Keep me informed. They’re making a move. I’ve got to go.”

An officer whose white shirt showed his higher rank spoke through bullhorn in the direction of the offices. “This is Lieutenant Blackburn. We just want to talk to talk with you to negotiate the safe release of the hostages. Please answer the phone and discuss your demands.”

***

“Make that baby quiet!” The boots that had been clicking across the concrete floor as the woman paced were stopped directly in front of Amanda.

She felt her chest contract as she instinctively tightened her hold on Emily, whose quiet fussing was turning into hiccuping sobs. She looked up the brown pants to the leather jacket over a white blouse and the close-cropped hair that were behind the handgun pointed at her and her daughter. She nodded once and snuggled Emily closer, rubbing circles on her back and whispering “Shhh,” as she brushed her lips along the baby’s neck. “Shh, sweet girl.”

“Make it quiet!” the woman ordered.

Amanda took deep breaths, trying to relax her shoulders where they were trying to climb into her ears, trying to exude comfort and love and calm. Emily only cried harder, clearly not buying the pretense, and Amanda felt her heart rate jump. She bounced Emily, patting her bottom, trying to muffle the cries in her own neck and she snuggled, and Emily began to turn her red face back and forth, mouth open, bumping against Amanda’s shoulder.

“She’s hungry and I’m going to—”

“Then feed her!” The woman’s voice had risen in pitch.

Amanda felt her stomach drop, felt the free-fall of terror that always took her back to that white room with Addi Birol standing in front of her. She clamped down on the memory, bit her lip, and tried to force air past the tightness in her chest as she tripped over her words. “She won’t eat unless she’s just been changed. The…her diaper bag is by the desk out there.”

The woman turned to the man with his arm around the crying teenaged girl. “You!” She pointed with her gun. “Go out there. Bring back the baby’s bag. If you communicate with the politzia or take more than two minutes, I will shoot her.” She shifted the gun’s aim to the girl, whose quiet sobs stopped abruptly, her eyes widening.

The man shifted away from his daughter, removing her hands from his clothing.

“No, Daddy, don’t go!”

“Christina!” he said sharply. “Be silent. I will be back.” He stood, then let go of her hand and walked through the door with his shoulders squared.

There was not a sound in the room, and it felt like no one was breathing. Amanda continued to pat Emily, her own breath coming raggedly. She had to force her eyes away from the floor—another habit from her time with Birol—to look at Christina. Though still silent, she had tears rolling down her cheeks and was shaking, and Amanda could only think of the boys and their reaction after they’d been kidnapped and Joe had been killed. If she or Mother were not to be…. She refused to follow that line of thought, and similarly short-circuited the mental image of Christina’s face if her father were to die.

When he returned, he gave the diaper bag to the woman with the gun. She grabbed it and threw it in Dotty’s face, then shoved him so he tripped as he sat down by his daughter. She buried her face in his shoulder, still trying to stifle her sobs as they held each other.

“Are you all right, Mother?” Amanda asked, her jaw tight and lips pressed together, eyes not moving from the pistol aimed back at them.

“I’m fine.” Dotty handed her the diaper and wipe, and Amanda changed the wailing baby’s diaper, the scent of urine reaching her nose briefly before Mother took the disposable diaper and wrapped it into a tidy ball. Amanda tugged the hem of her shirt out of her pants and unhooked her nursing bra. The sobs became more staccato as Emily turned her head back and forth, searching for food. Then there was a quick gasp and then the greedy slurping of nursing and Emily looked up, dark eyes fixed on Amanda’s. Her entire body relaxed into Amanda’s chest, her breathing evened, and her hand reached up and twisted into the fabric of Amanda’s shirt. The prickling around her areola that signaled the let-down of her milk was accompanied by a pricking along the backs of her arms and down her back. Those muscles considered relaxing in the let-down of the adrenaline rush, but Amanda held herself back, marshalling her attention and focus.

The woman had smirked and walked away and was conferring with Mikhail. Amanda looked around the room, assessing the hostages and their possible skills and readiness. “Thank you for getting Emily’s bag,” she said softly to Christina’s father. He simply nodded.

She leaned into her mother’s arm, feeling the quaver there, hearing Dotty’s shuddering breaths, and held her daughter to her. As she watched the movements of the two gunmen, she felt her jittery nerves fade into the distance, to the other side of the curtain that was years of Agency work, years of acting now and feeling later. It had been coming to recognize that feeling that had ultimately helped her to understand the Lee she had met seven years ago, the Lee who had locked away all his emotions behind that curtain and stayed on the other side of it, far away from anything that would pull him out of that zone. Amanda had never achieved Lee’s proficiency, but she had learned. She reminded herself that she was the ace in the hole of all the hostages, that she was solely responsible for getting her mother, her daughter, and everyone else out safely. Taking deep breaths, she tucked away her feelings, pulled into herself, assessing, watching, waiting.

A distant voice, distorted by amplification, penetrated the space, and several people gasped as nearly everyone jumped.

“Please answer the phone and…”

The phones in the showroom rang.

The gunmen burst out in an angry stream of argument, gesticulating with their off hands. The woman was still attentive to the hostages, while the man’s face was red and he turned away, fist clenched.

“Mikhail!” The woman’s tone this time was scornful, and she pointed her gun at the group.

Mikhail glared at her, then walked over and grabbed the pregnant woman’s arm, yanking her to her feet. She screamed and the smooth dark skin of her face paled visibly. Several of the others shuffled, leaning forward and the woman’s gun came up.

“Shut up and stay in your places!” she ordered as Mikhail dragged the woman out of the room muttering. Her gaze and gun passed over each of them, face blank, and she stepped through the door and slammed it with a resounding metallic clang.

***

Lee grabbed his binoculars again and saw Lt. Blackburn speaking into a phone. He trained the binoculars on the showroom and saw two guns, one in the hands of a woman on the phone, one aimed at a woman’s head. The woman’s arm seemed to be twisted behind her back and she appeared to be pregnant.

Lee’s throat tightened almost too much to squeak out, “Those bastards.” How could Emily and Amanda be safe if these people threatened pregnant women? Maybe that was the point they were trying to make. Lee gripped the binoculars tightly, thinking of what would happen when he could get his hands on the two criminals. Two or three minutes ticked by before the woman slammed down the phone and the gunmen retreated into the hallway, dragging the woman with them.

Lee was immediately in the Wagoneer, calling Billy. “The negotiator just talked to the gunmen. I need to know what just got said, Billy, as quick as you can.” He hung up before there was even an answer.

***

Amanda listened closely and heard the woman take a couple of steps from the door. She hugged Emily, who was now nursing unconsciously in her sleep, and gently disengaged her. There was a tiny whimper, and she settled back in and Amanda kissed her curls and her round cheek, breathing in her daughter’s scent. She took a deep breath and leaned into Dotty.

“Mother,” Amanda said softly, “will you please take Emily.”

“Of course. Come here, sweet girl.” Dotty shifted Emily onto her own shoulder and tucked the blanket up around her. Emily turned her face into Dotty’s neck but did not fully wake.

Amanda focused on adjusting her clothes, using each hook, each straightened wrinkle, to move more out of mother mode and more into agent mode. She could not afford to think about anyone in the room as someone’s precious child, could not let fear or empathy or concern cause her to hesitate or stop. To do so could any one of them or all of them killed. Agent first, woman second, mother last, she thought.

When she finally looked around the room again she spoke quietly, her voice carefully controlled. “We don’t know how long they’ll be gone, but we need to make some plans. First, we need names. We know the gunman is Mikhail, and in their argument, I’m pretty sure I heard him call her Katje.”

“What are they?” asked a balding man who kept wiping his forehead with a handkerchief. “A bunch of Ruskies?”

“Shhh. I’m not sure. They were speaking Russian to each other, but Mikhail seemed to be muttering to himself in a different language. What’s your name?”

“I’m Gordon Carlson. I’m the finance manager here.” He dabbed at his forehead again, making his double chin move in a way that reminded Amanda of a turkey’s wattles.

The man who had retrieved the diaper bag said, “Wei-yin Moy. This is my daughter Christina. He was doing the financing for us. We were just here to buy a used Buick.”

“I’m Amanda, and this is my mother Dotty. I already know you, Mr. Castillo,” she began.

“Eduardo,” he said.

“Eduardo.” She nodded. “Quickly, the rest of you.”

“I have three boys at home,” Eduardo said.

Amanda shook her head slightly, trying to be gentle but pointing to the next woman. She was older, her gray hair neatly pinned back, and she sat with her knees bent and legs off to the side, a tweed skirt pulled to her knees; everything about her said stereotypical librarian.

“Mary Young. I’m the dealership accountant. I think the young pregnant woman may be Nancy…no…Natalie.”

The big man in coveralls sported bruises around his eye and nose, and just pointed at his breast pocket, grunting, “Joe.”

“Joe, Eduardo said there was a little dispute in the service area. What do you know?”

“I know that Hector didn’t come in to work today. That guy, Mikhail, he was wearing Hector’s coveralls and keeping to himself, poking around all the cars, and when I asked him what the hell he was doing, he punched me. We fought–he’s got a mean left hook–and that attracted attention, and by the time the third person had showed up, he pulled the gun–”

“Shh. They’re coming back.”

The door was yanked open and Natalie was shoved in, tears streaking her face. She almost fell, but Mary caught her and put an arm around her, checking her over as she began crying. “Are you all right, dear?”

Katje’s voice came from the hallway and Mikhail roared, “Shut up! And someone make her shut up, too!” He waved his gun at them again just before he stepped out and slammed the door.

“It’s all my husband’s fault. He just had to test drive a convertible, his ‘last taste of freedom’ before the baby comes and before we buy a practical car, and now he’s out there and I may never see him–” She turned into Mary’s shoulder and cried.

“Natalie?” Amanda said softly. “It is Natalie, right?”

“We should give her some time,” Mary said, patting Natalie’s shoulder and glaring at Amanda. Amanda felt the same guilt, though only in passing, that she always felt with late book returns. Mary had missed her calling.

“We don’t have time.” Amanda felt her jaw clench in time to the pulse she could hear in her ears. “Natalie, you’re our only source of information. We need you to tell us what is out there and what you know about what they want.”

“Can’t you see she’s upset?” Eduardo said.

“Yeah, and who put you in charge?” Gordon demanded, mopping his forehead again with a shaking hand.

Amanda kept her gaze firmly on Natalie, “We need to know what’s out there, what the situation is. Natalie, you can do more for your baby right now than all of the rest of us can if you can just tell us what you saw.”

Natalie slowly nodded, wiping at her face as she leaned back. “There–” She sniffled, gulping air. “There were maybe a dozen police cars.” She blew her nose on the tissue Christina produced from her pocket, offering thanks in the form of a half smile, then continued in a breathy and still-shaking voice. “He grabbed me and he drags me out there…my husband will be so mad if there’s a bruise…and he twists my arm behind me and points…points the gun at my head. Then the women he calls Katje answers the phone and says they won’t step closer, but they will shoot me and my baby.” She paused, breathing deeply and holding a hand to her mouth. “She says they’ll kill me and everyone if the police don’t stay back, and she tells them that getting close enough to take out the guy they shot was a mistake, and she’s going to shoot someone else if they get that close again. Then they dragged me back here. I don’t know how that helps.” She sniffled again and Mary put an arm around her shoulders.

The men made no further objections. Gordon leaned heavily against the soda machine and Eduardo surreptitiously pulled a photo from his pocket and stared at it.

“Your boys?”

“Yeah.” Eduardo pointed. “They’re three, seven, and eight. The oldest looks just like me, and the second just like his mother.”

“Fine-looking young men.”

“Yeah.” Eduardo traced his finger across their faces and swiped at his eyes.

Amanda looked around the room. “Natalie brought us some good news. The police have a good enough Tac Team that they got the salesman who was shot out.”

“You think Manny might be okay?” Eduardo asked.

“I don’t know. But they got him out. And it sounds like the gunmen didn’t know that till they went back out with Natalie, so that makes it even more likely there are only the two of them, and that the police are good at this. The other good news is that Mikhail and Katje are fighting. I don’t think this was their plan, and that means they’re making this up as they go.”

“Doesn’t that make them more dangerous?” Wei-yin said, weaving his fingers into his daughter’s.

“It can. But it also means that if we’re planning at the same time, our chances are better. Natalie, do you know if there was any talk about releasing hostages?”

“I don’t know. But the woman–Katje?–seemed really angry at some of the suggestions on the phone and kept saying no, so, um…I don’t know.” Natalie gasped slightly then stroked a spot on her belly. “He always knows when I’m upset.”

“This one did too.” Amanda touched the smooth skin on Emily’s hand then turned quickly away, deliberately thinking about the situation rather than her baby. “I think our best chances are to wait and cooperate. There is a good force out there working to help us. I still want to keep our eye open–” She stopped, listening, then put a finger to her mouth. “Shh.” The voices beyond the door had risen to audible levels and they were speaking English this time.

“This was your stupid idea! You were supposed to get in, get the data tape, and get out.”

“And there were ten cars to check! I only got through three before that mechanic noticed me!”

“Then you should have left.”

Mikhail’s voice grew even louder. “I cannot do that!”

“This is about you following orders!”

“No! It is about your interference, and about the safety of everyone on that tape!”

Katje’s voice reached a fever-pitch. “We feared you were not to be trusted. Clearly we were correct!”

“If you had never come, there would be no problem,” Mikhail roared back.

“I am in command now. Get the mechanic and find this. You have thirty minutes before we abandon this information and just shut down the compromised operation.”

When Katje pushed the door open, Amanda could see a sneer on the woman’s face as she stood toe-to-toe, looking up at Mikhail. His face was red as he stared down at her, and then he stomped into the room, grabbed Joe’s coveralls, yanked him unceremoniously to his feet, and shoved him out the door.

Katje, propping the door open so she could see into the room and down the hallway in both directions, stood guard, pistol in hand.

Amanda monitored the situation, assessing assets, breathing carefully and avoiding looking into the frightened faces around her—especially Wei-yin with his daughter and Mother with Emily—because to do so would draw her back into the hostage mentality. If she was going to follow her own edict to be the agent first, she could not risk her control of her own fears and emotions crumbling. She could feel in the turning of her stomach that if she saw frightened children and desperate parents, she would become one or other.

She ran scenarios in her head, calculating the pros and cons of each, the likely casualties from each, whether the best plan was just to wait for the police to make their move or if that would end in more blood. If she chose wrong, that blood would be on her hands. She pushed that thought away, weighing options. Agent first, agent first, she repeated to herself.

Continued

Secret! Secret!

There is nothing for which one cannot employ spies.

- Sun Tzu, “The Art of War”

Thursday Morning

Gaithersburg, MD

Carrie King looked about the clutter that Amanda and the boys, not to mention little Emily had brought into her house in the last hour.

She had no problem taking them in, but they certainly did come with some baggage, physical and emotional.

Jamie looked pale and thinner than when she had seen him last.  Though she wasn’t as close to the boys as she might like, Carrie did recognize the boy was having as tough a time dealing with Joe’s death as she was.

She felt a bit guilty, but knowing that he was struggling too somehow made her feel a little bit better.

Phillip on the other hand seemed mad at the world.  Amanda had said that Phillip wasn’t happy about missing school and hiding out.  Which seemed odd to her, what teenage boy didn’t want to skip school?  He had given her an abrupt hello, had dropped his bags just inside the front door and headed out the back.  She could hear the pounding of a basketball on the concrete court.

Amanda was the same as always, she bustled around the house moving all their things into the different bedrooms, then coming back in for more things to move.

Typically Amanda looked as if she had it all together, but today Amanda looked just as clueless as Carrie normally felt.  Again, she wasn’t proud of it, but for some reason that made her feel better.

She sat down in one of the living room chairs and waited for things to calm down.  Since Amanda had called her that afternoon she had been cleaning.  If there was one thing she didn’t want it was for Joe’s ex-wife to think she was a slob.  Their relationship was a strange one.  Carrie felt very close to Amanda on some levels and on others, like what the woman was going through now, she felt way out of her league.

Amanda was a spy. A good spy if what people said was correct.  Carrie was just a housewife.  Though now, with Joe gone, she wasn’t even a wife anymore.

She looked down and her expanding waist line with a wry grin, maybe now she would just be a house.

“Carrie,” Amanda finally sat down in one of the other chairs and studied her.  Emily cooed and made sloppy noises in the little chair on the floor and Carrie couldn’t help staring at her. “I can’t thank you enough for doing this for us. There will likely be a few people coming and going while we try to figure all this out.”

“It’s not a problem Amanda. I am sure that Joe would have done the same thing.  Mi casa es su casa and all that.”  She looked up and smiled at Amanda.  “Phillip doesn’t seem to be taking this well at all, does he?”

“No.” Amanda looked toward the back of the house where her son had fled. She sighed, “I haven’t been as observant about what the boys have been going through since…” Amanda hesitated.

“Joe’s death,” Carrie finished for her. “Amanda you have had a lot on your plate, no one can fault you for being overwhelmed.”

She shook her head. “I fault myself. There are some things I can’t control and others I can.  Talking to my boys and finding out what makes them tick is something I can control.”  She smiled down at little Emily. “And someday talking to this little one to see what makes her tick.  Though I am beginning to doubt she could be more to handle than the boys were.”

“I wouldn’t say that too loud, she is half her father’s daughter you know. You may be tempting fate.”  As if she agreed, Emily grinned widely displaying a charming two dimpled smile.

Amanda laughed lightly. “She does let me know when she is displeased with me.” She shook her head gently and turned her focus back to Carrie.

“So tell me, how are you doing?  Have you filled out all the paperwork I sent you about Joe’s estate?  I know that there is a lot of stuff we have to get through, but I am trying to get through all the legalese as quickly as possible.  Why Joe would name me executor I …”

“Amanda, he trusted you,” Carrie interrupted with a smile, “and so do I. Having you here is nice.” She patted Amanda’s knee and stood up.  ”It gets lonely in the house now with Joe gone. I have all the paperwork filled out, it’s in the office.  I’ll go get those and something for us to snack on.  Then you can check to see that I have everything filled out correctly.”

At her nod Carrie glanced once at the chaos that traveled with Amanda and headed into the office.  The sounds of little Emily’s giggles making her smile as she left the room.

~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~

Thursday Morning

Langley, VA

Amanda King.

That was the name which had been beating steadily in her mind like a mantra for hours now.

Amanda King.

Anna stood watching the agents filing in and out of the CIA.  The building had changed since the last time she had been free to visit.  With a new façade and lots more security it seemed as if business was booming, despite the fall of the Wall.

She was waiting patiently for her contact. Patience was a lesson she had learned the hard way.  She needed information and there was only one person she knew who would find it for her. A man that no one really liked inside the CIA itself, but to those who bought and sold information on the outside, John Scott was a godsend.

Of course he was careful and no one could prove he had ever sold anything, much less given away any information that would harm his country, but he walked a very thin line.

The tall blond man strode out of the new building with purpose, in his hands was the report she had been waiting for.

She followed him across the grounds toward the parking lot.  His figure was nothing to write home about.  Years of sitting behind a desk, filing information, had taken a toll on his body.  From behind him she couldn’t help but notice the love handles hanging over ill-fitting pants and what was once a well rounded bottom now sagged.

Embarrassing, she thought.

As he reached his vehicle, taking his key out of his pocket he paused at the door, she moved up behind him.  She needed no weapon to take him down if necessary, but for safety’s sake she held her small handgun next to her hip.

“Hello John. Heard any good news lately?”

He began to turn around.

“No, just get in the car and unlock the passenger door.  We have a little business to discuss off site.”

“As sweet as ever I see, Anna,”  John said in his raspy voice.

It had always grated on her nerves, but now that she was free it was worse.  How could she have ever paid this man for anything with her body? Disgusting. No information should have been worth that much.

“Just get in the car John.”

“Yes ma’am.” He unlocked the door and slid into the car.

Anna moved swiftly around the car, between it and the car parked in front, keeping her eyes on John.

She hoped he wouldn’t be a problem.  Things were already getting messy.  She did not enjoy messy.  Plus she had other things that were more important than him.

Namely, Amanda King.

~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~

Thursday Morning

The Agency

“Explain to me again why we think it’s this woman?” Francine asked Aimee.  The girl was typing with one hand on the keyboard and drinking a large soda with the other.  Her eyes were glued to the monitor.

“Her face has changed, but there is an 89% chance that she is the one I found on the video tape of the garage.”

“89%?”

“Yes my algorithm took aging into effect, so 90% is about the best I can do. Though she doesn’t meet 90%, she’s really close and she has a good reason to hold a grudge against our Straw Man.”

“Do you have the case file that triggered this Anna Snyder’s arrest pulled already?”

“Well, it’s pulled, but it’s in the boxes with Lee and Amanda.  I don’t have it here.”

“Great.” Francine contemplated just telling Lee to bring it to her, but then thought better of it.  She didn’t want him anywhere near Arlington until they figured out for sure what the threat level was.

“If you want, I have some time this afternoon.  Leatherneck has some guys shutting down the computer network here.  Without my computers I have nothing to do.  Plus that way I get to take PB & J some videos I obtained for them.”  The girl hesitated then added, “in purely legal ways.”

“P B & J?” Francine knew she shouldn’t ask.  Half the time when the girl spoke pop culture gibberish came out of her mouth, but PB &  J to her meant peanut butter and jelly and she was fairly certain that a sandwich couldn’t watch videos.

“Phillip, Baby and Jamie. Oh and I will need a car, I don’t have one.”

“Lovely. In the meantime I will see if I can track down this woman since she was released from prison.  She got a huge settlement; surely she doesn’t live in suburbia.” Francine handed her keys to Aimee.  “Do not mess up my car.”

“You got it Lieutenant Uhura!”

Francine shook her head and watched Aimee, laptop bag swinging from her shoulder trot out of the office.

The girl was mental.

~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~

Thursday Early Afternoon

Gaithersburg, MD

Phillip pounded the ball against the concrete a few times, then shot.  Catching the ball he moved back away from the basket and did it again.

Mind numbing.  That’s what it was, Phillip thought.  Something mind numbing to take away the guilt.

Guilt for going off at his mom. Guilt for lying to Heather as to why he couldn’t take her to prom.  Guilt for not saving his father.

He swallowed and beat the ball into the ground again, then shot.

“Yo Skywalker, you beat that ball into the ground much harder you’ll bust it.”

Phillip caught the ball as it ricocheted off the rim and turned to see Aimee, one of the agents who worked with his Mom and Lee strolling into his dad’s backyard. He frowned, well Carrie’s backyard now.

“Hi.”

“Hi? That’s all I get is a ‘hi’?”  Aimee punched his arm near his shoulder.  Surprisingly it actually stung. “I come bearing gifts and I get a sullen ‘hi’ in return?”

She held up a plastic bag with VHS tapes in it.

“These, my friend, will lend themselves to hours of enjoyment while you are out here in exile.  Dude, you should worship me.”

Phillip couldn’t help but smile.  Aimee was probably five or six years older than him, but he could definitely worship her, and not just for her videos.  Today she was wearing a dark green vest like thing with a skin tight black t-shirt, but that wasn’t what drew his eyes to her outfit.  She had a black leather, or plether maybe, mini skirt, black net stockings, and a pair of knee high boots.  The girl may not have been tall, but she had some incredible legs.

He couldn’t remember seeing her legs before.  Of course, he really had only met a few of the people that his Mom and Lee worked with, so he had only met Aimee in person a few times, he mainly had talked to her on the phone.  She had been sending movies and such to him and Jamie since they had first met her, so he would call and thank her as Mom always required.  He spent much more time with the people his father had worked with, at least the ones that were from out of town, like the Prime Minister.

He stared at Aimee’s legs and fought back the stupid tears.  Anger, you moron, get angry.

He felt the sting of another punch on the arm. “Phillip, I know my legs are interesting, but can we focus here?  Movies, I have movies!”

She swung the bag in front of his face and he shook his head.

He motioned at the back door and turned back to the basket. “Everyone is in the office I think.  Lee has about fifteen boxes of crap in there that they are going through.”

Bounce, bounce, bounce.  Suddenly the ball was flying across the court.

He swung around to Aimee.  “What did you do that for?”

“Kid, I do not like being dismissed.  Do I look like an Ewok to you?” She moved closer to him and raised her face to his.

“Well, I don’t like being called a kid.” He stared down at her.  What the heck?  Couldn’t she see he wanted to be left alone?

“Well, then maybe you shouldn’t act like one.”  She pushed a finger into his shoulder and actually moved him a bit.  “The last two days your family has been working hard to keep you safe and all I see out of you is attitude.  Suck it up and act like the adult you will be.”

He pushed a finger into her shoulder. “I tried to be an adult. I tried to protect our family.  I failed. I don’t want to be an adult.”

They both stared at each other for a few beats until a voice made them both turn.

“Aimee?”  His mom was standing on Carrie’s back porch staring at the two of them.

Great.  Now he was going to have to apologize for Aimee sticking her nose in something that was none of her business.

She picked up her bag of movies off the ground where she had dropped them.  He had no idea when that happened.

“Hello, Mrs. Stetson.”

Phillip blinked in surprise.  The girl was angry. He hadn’t ever heard her call his mom Mrs. Stetson before.

It must have taken her aback as well, because it took a minute for Mom to speak.  She typically just rushed right in with whatever she wanted to say.

“Lee is in the office.  Just go through this door, down the hall to the end.  The door is open.”

“Thank you.”  Aimee turned around and wrinkled her little nose at him, then marched up the porch steps to the door.  “He’s primed and ready for a fight.”  He saw her smile at his mother and walk through the door.

“I’m not ready for a fight,” he said as his mom came down the stairs. “There’s nothing left to fight about.”

He crossed the paved court to get the ball that Aimee had poked out of his hands.  He picked it up and heard a clap behind him.

When he turned around his mother was holding her hands out for a pass.  She looked ridiculous, but he passed it across to her anyway.

She dribbled a couple of times then tossed it, rather off balance, at the hoop.

He picked it up on the bounce.

“Do you really feel that way?”

“What way?” He asked as he dribbled.

“That you failed your father?”  She swiped at the ball.

He swallowed and pulled the ball up for a shot.  “Sometimes.” Rim shot.  The ball bounced off toward the back porch, but he let it go.

“Let’s sit on the steps,”  she said motioning toward the house.

The only way to keep his mother from driving him crazy would be to talk to her.  She was like a dog with a bone when she wanted to say something.  He sighed and followed behind her.

He loved his mother, truly he did, but she could be absolutely exasperating at times. He sat down next to her on the step and stared at the basketball hoop.

“Look, Mom, I am just a little messed up over seeing my father killed, okay?  I didn’t want to bother you with all my excess baggage.  I should have stayed behind and let Lee get the Prime Minister and his son to safety before helping Dad.  Or if I had only realized before we were taken that those guys weren’t just mall shoppers. I don’t know. I just know that my father is dead and I should have done something.”

“Phillip, you are still a kid.  Yes, you are old enough to act like an adult, but I don’t expect you to all the time.  Goodness knows I didn’t at your age.  Our circumstances make it more difficult for you to still be as immature and reckless as your father was, or I was.  We are trying to make life as normal as possible for all three of you.”

“I know Mom.”

“Phillip, I will find a way so that you can go to the Prom.  I promise.”

“It’s no big deal now.  I told Heather last night I wasn’t going to go, so she found some senior dork to take her.”

“In one night?”  His mother looked perplexed.

“She was freaking out that she wouldn’t have a date.” He grinned.  “You should have heard her on the phone.  Near hysteria.  Apparently this guy is the son of a friend of her mother’s.  When her mom heard her yelling at me about not going she told Heather about the guy.  About an hour after I told her, she was set with a replacement.”

“And you’re grinning about this why?”

“The guy is a complete nerd.  Not a cool nerd like Aimee, more a plastic pocket protector type nerd.”

“Oh.”

“Mom,” he took a deep breath. Maybe he could get rid of at least a little guilt. Apologies really sucked. “I am sorry about what I said yesterday.  You are just trying to protect us and I blew it way out of proportion.”

“Phillip, I,” she paused.

Crap, were those tears?  He hated seeing his mother cry.  They made him feel even guiltier. “Mom?” He asked hesitantly, no moisture dropped. Thank goodness.

“Just promise me from now on that you will tell me when something is bothering you or Jamie for that matter.  Heck even Emily when she gets older.  I need to know you all are being taken care of, or I can’t spend any time focusing on the Agency.”

He nodded.  It wouldn’t be easy for him, but he would try.

She sniffed and swiped at her eyes. “Now, go in and apologize to Aimee for poking her.”

“Aw, Mom.” He stood up and trudged into the house.  Sometimes his mom was a real drag.

Act 5

In sum, when in battle,

Use the orthodox to engage.

Use the extraordinary to attain victory.

- Sun Tzu, “The Art of War”

Arlington

Thursday Afternoon

The clothes she had worn to Langley now resided in a bag in the trunk.  Another portion of her revenge was complete.

John had blackmailed her for three long years before she was finally released.  His death was just as necessary as Stetsons.

Of course, she would take Lee and Amanda’s death together now.  Amanda “perfect” King.  Or should she say Stetson now.

It was infuriating.

Her life destroyed, her brothers life ended and he was living a happily ever after.  A charmed existence.

She pulled onto Maplewood drive, noting the surveillance van in front of the small white house.  Cruising by, she could see no one in or around the house.  She didn’t slow the car. Knowing they would be watching her.

She pulled back out onto the highway and headed back toward home.  She had a file to search more thoroughly.  They were too smart to take her to an Agency safe house, so Amanda King had to be staying with someone she or Lee knew.

Anna doubted that Lee had changed so much that he trusted someone enough with his family, so it had to be someone related to Amanda.

She had a two inch thick CIA file to go through in order to find out who was hiding Mrs. Stetson and her baby girl.

Plus she had evidence from a murder to burn.

~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~

Thursday Evening

Gaithersburg, MD

“So basically, we have no idea what happened to her after she was released?” Lee tried to control his temper.  Internal Affairs was in charge of employees arrested by the Agency, but their handling of Anna Snyder’s case was as full of holes as Swiss cheese.

“That’s what I am saying,”  Francine replied as she threw herself down onto the plush sofa.  Lee watched as she sank down into the cushion.  “Dr. Smyth said, and I quote, ‘The case was a huge snafu, Desmond. They paid the chit to go away and so she did.’ I was so perturbed with the man I considered throwing a spitball at him.”

Amanda laughed lightly. “Would that really have helped anything?”

“No,” Francine admitted. “But it certainly would have made me feel good.”

“Aimee, what about aliases?”

The girl was sitting cross legged on the floor, pounding away at her computer.  As usual a cord tethered her to the wall behind her so that she was connected to the Agency.

“Well Straw Man, here’s the deal.  Anna Snyder was not a field agent.  At least not to the same extent as you.  She had only two aliases her entire time at the Agency.  One was Anna Dodd, her mother’s maiden name.  The other Anna Fryer, because it was close to Snyder.  Neither of those names pop up.  I did find an Anya Fryer that I am checking out.  She has an Apartment in Georgetown.”

“Surely she wouldn’t stay that close.” Amanda glanced up at him.  “Would she?”

“I don’t know.  I didn’t really know her then, Amanda.  I was just following orders.  They told me to follow her and report who she met and when.  That’s what I did.”

“So how did they convict her?” Francine asked, ruffling through the papers in front of her.

“That’s what I want to know.  Part of the evidence was classified.  No one could access it except those with clearance.  I wasn’t one of them. Though looking at those now, I don’t see anything in there that’s classified.”

“What about the man that helped gain her release?” Aimee said.

“What do you mean?” Lee asked.

“Well, they just found him, dead in a park about five miles from Langley.”

“Why would she kill a man that helped get her out of prison?” Amanda shook her head in confusion.  “You would think she would be grateful.”

Aimee flicked a few more keys and groaned. “Maybe because he kept her there three years longer than necessary?  Logs at the Prison say that John Scott visited her once a month for the last three years. Conjugal visits. This chick just can’t catch a break.”

Francine stood. “Let me call Beaman and get him to do some research on this Scott character.  Maybe there’s something about him we don’t know.”

Lee glanced down at the stack of papers and something caught his eye.  A birthdate.

“Do you think she holds all of us responsible for her brother’s death?” Lee handed the paper to his wife.

“Why do you ask that?  Wasn’t he killed in the crossfire?” Amanda stared down at it.  “Oh.”  She looked up and met his eyes. “Tomorrow would be her brother’s birthday.”

“She’s wants revenge for her brother’s death,” Lee replied.

Aimee sighed from her place on the floor.  “She is just one big ball of misery, like living with Tribbles in your house.”

“Whatever that is.” Lee shook his head and frowned.  “We need to find her sooner rather than later.  I have a feeling she will be setting a trap for her last strike before tomorrow is out.”

Amanda looked up from the paper in her hand. “I have an idea where we may be able to find her tomorrow and set a trap of our own.”

~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~

Friday morning

Forest Oak Cemetery

Anna stood on a small hillock-dappled sunlight shown down through the leaves, warming her skin as she stared down at the headstones below. Her brother would be 28 years old today.  Maybe he would be a doctor, or a spy himself.  In her mind she could see him, his dark curly mop of hair falling into his eyes as he smiled at her.

Then those same eyes widened in surprise-he stared uncomprehendingly at the bloody wound in his chest-

Anna closed her eyes to try and block out the memory.  She wanted to remember good things today, his first bicycle, his first words.

Kirk had been ten years younger than her.  Her only sibling.  Their parents had been killed when he was only twelve years old.  For six years it had been just the two of them.

Now, because of Scarecrow following her around and misconstruing what he saw, Kirk was dead and she was all alone.

She moved forward with a single flower in hand, toward her brother’s nondescript stone.

“Hold it right there, Anna.”  A female voice made her pause.

Turning to her right she located a tall blond woman holding a semi-automatic aimed at her head.

“Who exactly are you?” Anna asked calmly.  One agent.  She could take just one agent.

“It doesn’t matter who she is, Anna.”

She whirled around, “Stetson?”

There he stood, half-hidden behind a large stone-gun in hand.

“You were supposed to die in that car!”  Anna called out. She could feel her hands shaking.  “Not some kid.  How many kids have died because of you, Scarecrow?”  A shot rang out-ducking behind a headstone, she quickly pulled her gun from the waistband at the small of her back.

“How many Scarecrow?” She screamed.

“It was an accident.  No one was supposed to get hurt. Especially not your brother.  You need to drop the gun and come out Anna.” Stetson’s voice hadn’t moved.

“Don’t you talk about my brother!  You have no right.  You were nosing into my business and Kirk died because of you.”  Anna checked the safety on the gun and rose up to fire towards where Lee had been. But where was the other woman?  Anna crouched back down behind the concrete marker.

“I have no intention of going back to prison. I don’t belong there.  Someone set me up!”

“We know, Anna,” the female’s voice-she sounded closer.  Anna searched for an exit strategy.  She rose and fired a shot in the direction of the woman’s voice.

She moved towards another stone, closer to where she had parked the car.  There were only two of them. If she could just get to the car-

“Ms. Snyder.” A voice boomed from the road beyond the cemetery. “Put the weapon down and come out with your hands up.”

This was not good.

She stood up and searched for Stetson.  She would go down swinging, but only if she took Scarecrow with her.

“Stetson, where are you?”

Two stones away he stood up, with gun raised non-threateningly in his left hand. “I’m right here.  Now put down the weapon.”

“Not in a million years will I surrender to you.”

She raised the gun to fire and heard the snap of gunfire behind her before she could shoot.

A burning sensation filled her and she fell to her knees.

Kirk, she thought, I am so sorry.

She collapsed forward and everything went black.

Tag

No kinship is more intimate than that of a spy.

No reward is more generous than that of a spy.

No affair is more secret than that of a spy.

- Sun Tzu, “The Art of War”

Friday night

4247 Maplewood Drive

“Phillip!” Amanda shouted from the foot of the stairs.  “You need to get going!  The dance is supposed to start in only a half hour.”

“I’m working on it Mom.” From the sound of the echo, he was still in the bathroom.  How that boy could spend so much time on so little hair she would never understand.

She moved back into the family room and sat down in a chair.  She eyed Jamie sitting on the sofa, a grin on his face as he munched on Doritos. “I can’t believe he’s going to go to the dance by himself.  What a dork.”

“Don’t call your brother a dork.”

Lee laughed from his spot on the floor. “He wants to go to the dance in case Holly or Helen or whatever her name is, realizes that she shouldn’t have jumped the gun. Isn’t that right Emily?  You shouldn’t ever underestimate our family.” Emily laid on her back, her feet kicking a mile a minute.

The doorbell rang and Amanda looked over at Lee.  “Were you expecting someone?”

“Not me,” he responded.

“I’ll get it.” Jamie jumped up from his spot on the sofa, strewing Doritos on the cushion.

“Jamie!”

“I’ll get them in a minute Mom,” he said as he opened the door.

There stood Aimee, in a black and red dress and a red flower in her hair.

“Hey Straw Man, Mrs. Straw Man.  I’m here to get Phillip.”

Amanda looked in surprise at Lee.  He shrugged.

“Yeah, yeah.  Phillip said he was going to go alone and then thought maybe I might want to study the creatures known as teenagers.  He called me this afternoon and asked if I would take him. It was an intriguing thought and since I never went to my senior Prom, I figured what the heck. You only live twice.” She smiled through her bright red lipstick.

Amanda contemplated the fact that her son had invited a – How old was Aimee? Twenty three, twenty four years old? -  Well, a much older girl to go to the Prom with him.  She glanced over at Lee, who had an almost smug smirk on his face.

He would think it an accomplishment.

Of course, Aimee did clean up rather nicely, though she could still see the black finger nail polish gracing the tips of her fingers.  At least she wouldn’t have to worry about him leaving the dance with that Heather girl and getting into who knows what sort of trouble.

Amanda smiled as Phillip ran down the stairs.

“Aimee!  You look great.”

“Thanks, kid.” Aimee gave Amanda a wink.

“Don’t call me kid.  Mom, Lee, don’t wait up,” Phillip said as he ushered Aimee quickly out the front door.  “Can I drive your car?” She heard him ask as they walked down the sidewalk.

“It’s not mine, its Francine’s, and no.”

Amanda and Lee made it to the door in time to see Aimee finish sliding the top back on the LeBaron.  Phillip turned back to the house with a huge grin on his face. He saw them at the door and waved as Aimee pulled away from the curb.

“I think I will wait up,” Amanda said. “Just in case.”

The military is a Tao of deception -

Thus when able, manifest inability.

When active, manifest inactivity.

When near, manifest far.

When far, manifest near.

Thus when he seeks advantage, lure him.

When he is in chaos, take him.

When he is substantial, prepare against him.

When he is strong, avoid him.

When he is wrathful, harass him.

Attack where he is unprepared.

Emerge where he does not expect it.

– Sun Tzu, “The Art of War”

Prologue

The sun shone brightly as Anna Snyder studied the brick and ivy building in Georgetown where The Agency was housed.  From her perch above the street on the corner building she could see each and every vehicle as they left the parking area underneath.

There was only one man and one vehicle that she was concerned with however.  That man was who had killed her brother and caused her to spend nine years behind bars.

Lee Stetson.

Anna was labeled a traitor by Scarecrow and in the battle before her arrest her teenage brother had been shot and killed.  She knew her brother’s death was incidental, much like the deaths of the three agents she had shot in defense, but she wasn’t a traitor and spent nine years in prison on a false charge.  Stetson would pay for that error with his life.

She may have been found innocent now, but she was anything but after her time behind bars.

She longed for revenge.  Revenge for her brother’s life.  Revenge for her prison time.  Revenge for ruining her life.

Finally, the silver Corvette she had been waiting for exited the underground garage.  The glass top was on, despite the sunshine and warmth of the day, but she could still see Stetson’s brown hair as pulled out onto the street.

Wait, wait.

Slowly the car made a path down the street, when the car came to a stop at the corner, Anna pushed the red button on the remote detonator and ducked down next to the bricks to protect her.

The screaming sounds of chaos were a symphony behind her as she quickly fled the scene.  Her revenge had begun.

Act 1

Invincibility lies in oneself.

Vincibility lies in the enemy.

- Sun Tzu, “The Art of War”

Wednesday

The Agency

Q-Bureau

Billy Melrose had spent a great deal of his life protecting others.  First his family as a young man, later his wife, but the people he had spent the most time trying to protect were his employees.  In his career at the Agency he had seen far too many good men and women die and because of it, he worked very hard to make sure the numbers of fatalities on his watch were few and far between.

There was nothing worse than telling a stranger that their loved one had passed on.

So when the world gave him the opportunity to relax and enjoy a baby girl with adorable brown curls and wide dark brown eyes he snatched it up and held it tight, which in this case was a good thing. Emily Stetson wiggled endlessly as he held her in his lap and giggled at his attempts at a silly face.

“You are a bright little girl aren’t you?  Just like your mother.”

Emily let out a delighted squeal and giggled as he tickled the bottoms of her stocking clad feet.

“Finally, I found you. So, was that a good scream or a bad one?”  Francine strode into the room with a stack of papers in her arms.  “I can never tell with children.  Typically the louder they get the farther away I run.”  She set her papers onto the edge of the desk and looked over to where Emily was sitting on Billy’s lap. “She is a cute little kid, but doesn’t she have parents who should be doing that?”

“I have a meeting with them both.” He glanced at the clock on the wall behind her. “Five minutes from now. They are downstairs in HR.”

Francine raised her eyebrows in question.  “Why would they be in HR? Amanda not getting her maternity leave checks?”

“No, nothing like that.  They are filling out a bunch of paperwork to add this little one to their insurance.” Billy bounced the baby lightly on his knee and she rewarded him with a dimpled grin.

“That’s even worse.” She motioned to the stack of papers as she sat down in the chair behind Amanda’s desk.  “Those are assignment allocations, they need to be signed.”  Francine picked up a baby toy off the desk. “So when is Amanda coming back to work? It’s not that I dislike Lee or anything, but he’s a bear to work with when she’s not around.”

“I love you too, Francine.”  Lee sauntered in the door with a smile on his face and his eyes on his daughter.  “She looks like she enjoys her Uncle Billy.”

Billy smiled. “She and I have bonded.  You see, we both have to deal with her father on a daily basis.  So we have some sympathy for one another.”

“Ha. Ha.”  Lee sat down and turned to Francine, “so you’re ready for a different partner again huh?”

“You, Scarecrow, are handled best by your wife.  I have no delusions of being able to control you like she does.”

They all three turned at a knock on the doorframe.  A young man looked hesitantly through the door.

“Mr. Melrose, Leatherneck sent me here to get Mr. Stetson’s car.  He has some, what he called “special new toys” to put in it.”

Lee looked at Billy incredulously. “Does that motor head actually think I’ll let a green recruit drive my Corvette?”

“Jeff, how did Leatherneck even know Scarecrow was here?”  Billy put the baby into her little car seat on the floor.  “I didn’t even plan this meeting until about an hour and a half ago.”

Jeff Lester looked back and forth between his boss and a very irritated looking Scarecrow.  Finally Billy watched him swallow the lump in his throat and started to speak, “Well he said that…”

“I told him.” Amanda patted the young man on the shoulder. “It’s okay.  His bark is worse than his bite.  Hello Francine.”  She circled around the desks to pick up Emily in her car seat. “Did you enjoy your time with Mr. Melrose, Emily?”

Billy smiled. “I’m not sure if she did, but I did.  I take it you had a conversation with Leatherneck this morning?”

“Yes, I told him that Lee and I were going to be driving in today separately, but leaving together.  I had a few things I wanted him to add to the Vette.”

Lee looked up at his wife as she motioned him to scoot over, leaving enough room for her and the car seat on the sofa.  He let out a grunt and shifted over. “Exactly what do you want him to add to the car?”

“I wanted him to put in one of those new phone thingies.  You know the ones that you don’t actually have to be holding in order to speak into. That way when I’m talking to you in the car and you’re driving I don’t have to worry about you crashing into something or someone else while you are trying to do more than one thing at a time. And, I may have mentioned I was worried about Emily’s car seat in that back seat.  The seat belts aren’t exactly made for babies.  He’s going to fix that too.  So hand your keys over to the young man there and let him take it to be worked on.”

Lee muttered and held out his keys.  Jeff walked quickly over to take them, but Lee held tight until the boy looked up at him. “Jeff is it?”

“Yes, sir.”

“If so much as a scratch is found on this car when you bring it back to me, I will hold you personally responsible.  Do you understand?”

Jeff’s Adam’s apple visibly bounced as he swallowed hard and he spoke quietly, “Yes, sir.”

Lee let go.  “Tell Leatherneck I expect it back at our house tonight.”

The boy nodded and nearly ran out the door.

Francine burst into laughter.  “See what I mean, she can handle you.  No one else can.”

Lee looked at Amanda who was pulling a diaper out of the diaper bag.  “That’s because I can’t ignore her once the job is complete. She lives with me.”  He reached out for the diaper and knelt down on the floor. “Here let me do it.”

Amanda handed him the diaper and pad, then picked up Emily and handed her down.  “I mainly wanted to come in today and tell you that I should be ready to come back to work fairly soon.  My mother is going to watch Emily when I’m working, as soon as I have used up all my leave time.”

Billy glanced at the stack of papers Francine had placed on his desk.  “Well, we could certainly use you back in action.  There is a ton of open cases now and with you back I can give Francine someone she can manage and get more work done.”

Francine scoffed, “Very funny.”

“If you want I can come up with some transcription tapes or something else you can do at home for a while if you need some extra time to get things settled with little Emily. I…”

Billy was interrupted by the sound of an explosion.  The framed pictures on the wall crashed to the floor and the book case began to sway next to the sofa. Lee threw his body over the top of Emily while Amanda and Francine ducked down from the small pieces of the ceiling fell around them.

As the alarms sounded around them Lee turned to his wife and asked. “What in the hell was that?”

~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~

Francine stared blankly at the destruction around her.  The car Lee had loved was now a fire charred shell and the blast had taken out a few cars parked near where it had been at the time of detonation.

Thankfully, it seemed that no one other than the boy, Jeff, had been seriously hurt in the blast.  Two people walking by had been thrown down by the force of the explosion.  One had a broken arm and the other had hit his head pretty hard, but the EMT assured the man and Francine that he would be fine.  Jeff Lester, on the other hand, wasn’t as lucky.

“Such a waste,” Billy said coming up behind her.  “What’s the status?”

Francine proceeded to give him the updates she had gotten from everyone from the emergency crews and fire department. The Agency’s own emergency teams were checking the structure and damage to the underground facility.  The evacuation had been swift after the alarms had sounded.  Lee and Amanda had taken the baby home as soon as their car had been cleared.

Lee still didn’t even know that the Vette and its young driver had been the victims of the explosion. Or that he was a possible target.

“We have to go tell Lee about this as soon as possible.  Someone wanted him dead. I can’t believe that this was random. He was the target.”

Billy nodded. “I agree.”  He surveyed the scene and turned to her.  “You head over to their house and see what you can get from Scarecrow.  We’re going to have to backtrack all his moves from today and possibly yesterday too.  I know you both finished the Tricurso case yesterday morning.  Find out what he’s done since then and where that car could have been compromised.”

“You’ve got it boss.”

Francine headed to where her car, a brand new jet black LaBaron convertible, was parked in the garage.  Agency security had swept the garage for more explosives, but she wasn’t taking any chances that they had missed something.  She quickly checked the car, inside and out, and then headed to the one place she dreaded more than any other.

The suburbs.

Act 2

Foreknowledge cannot be grasped from ghosts

and spirits,

Cannot be inferred from events,

Cannot be projected from calculation.

It must be grasped from people’s knowledge.

- Sun Tzu, “The Art of War”

Wednesday Afternoon

4247 Maplewood Drive

“Amanda! Where are the new bottle liners?” Lee shouted from downstairs.  After rescheduling Emily’s doctor appointment they had missed in the chaos of getting away from the Agency, Amanda had given control of Emily to her husband.  She had a ton of laundry that was waiting to be finished and since he was currently stuck with her without his car with nothing to do, she was going to take advantage.

“They’re in the right hand side of the cabinet next to the refrigerator, there’s a whole box of them,” she shouted back.  Men!  She had shown him where everything was ten times at least.

If she wasn’t repeating herself ten times to the boys, she was doing it to Lee.  It was like having four children in the house instead of three sometimes.

“Amanda!” He shouted again. “What about more of this mix? The can is empty.”

Amanda gave up wrestling with the basket of Jamie’s clothes she was trying to carry and set it on the edge of the stairs and gave it a push.  The clothes stayed mostly in the basket and she followed them down the stairs, picking up the stragglers and throwing them into the basket at the bottom.

“Amanda?” Lee shouted again.

I’m going to change my name, she thought, if he shouts it one more time.

She picked up the basket from the floor and walked into the kitchen, where Emily was in her seat crying and Lee had his back turned from her searching through every cabinet. Every cabinet that is, except the one containing the baby’s formula apparently.

She dropped the basket and picked up the squalling baby.  “It’s okay Em, Daddy just doesn’t have a memory for domestic things.”  She put her daughter on her shoulder, shoved Lee to one side, opened the cabinet that had Emily’s bottle making accessories in it and grabbed a new can of formula from the back.

She handed it to Lee. “Here Daddy, make your daughter a bottle while I kick this basket into the laundry room.”

~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~

Lee watched as she carried their daughter into the laundry room, kicking the basket a few feet at a time.  How she seemed to handle everything with ease was a mystery of his wife that he would likely never solve.

The door opened behind him and Jamie entered. “Hey Jamie, want to help me make your sister a bottle.”

Jamie smiled slightly and shook his head.  “I think I’ll let you handle that. I’ll be upstairs.”

He started to walk past him, when they heard the front door bell. “I’ll get it, you just get that bottle.” Jamie said.

Lee listened as Jamie opened the front door.

“Hi Francine.”

“Hi Jamie, are Lee and your mom back?”

“Yeah, Lee’s in the kitchen, go on back.”

Lee heard him shut the front and he fumbled with the bottle in his hands.  He wondered why Francine was here rather than handling the situation at the Agency.  He opened the cabinet again, searching for a nipple to put on the bottle.

Daddy work was hard work.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Francine smiled in thanks to the teenager and started toward the back of the house.  Something had her stop and look back at Amanda’s younger son.  There was something different about him.  He looked thinner or something.  Maybe he was just getting taller.  Or maybe it was she looked at Jamie King and was reminded of that young man Jeff who had died in Lee’s place this morning.

I’m getting soft, she thought, getting maudlin and soft.  It was all Amanda’s fault.  She wasn’t like this before Mrs. King showed up.

Francine sighed and continued back to talk to Lee.

~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~

There was something therapeutic about exorcising one’s demons with the blast of an explosion.  Not only did it give her closure, but it also seemed to put a great big exclamation point on it.

Anna climbed the three flights of stairs to her new apartment.  It was a nice one, not far from the Treasury Department.  She had walked away from the explosion and straight home.

Lee Stetson was dead.  She had finally rid the world of the demon that had been haunting her for so long.  He had paid the ultimate price for his mistakes.

It wasn’t that she expected people to be infallible, but when a man destroys everything you held dear because he can’t do his job, that was when someone should have stepped in.

But oh no, not Scarecrow.  Scarecrow got his brains from the great and powerful OZ, there was no way that he could possibly be wrong.  At least that’s how the Agency had treated him so long ago.  She wondered if he was still treated like the golden boy.

Anna took off the jacket, jeans and black t-shirt that she had worn to the bombing.  She stripped down and placed everything, shirt, shoes, under things and all into a brown paper bag.  Her body bare, she lit a fire in the corner fireplace of her apartment.

There were benefits to being wrongly accused of treason.  Money was one of them and it afforded her an apartment with luxuries, like the fireplace.

The small fire began to burn bright and she tossed the bag into the flames.  Cross-legged she sat in front of it, so close that her eyes began to water from the heat.

Attempting to exorcise the demons of the things she had done to survive and the man that had caused her to do them she stoked the fire.

“Burn in hell, Stetson.”

The poker dropped to the floor next to her as tears fell down her cheeks to land on her naked chest, but Anna felt nothing except the burn of the heat against her body.

~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~

Francine stepped into the kitchen and watched Lee trying to mix some sort of concoction into a small baby bottle.  Baby paraphernalia around him, he looked completely out of his element.

“Wouldn’t it be easier just to give the kid some Vitamin D? I could have picked some up on my way here.”

“Very funny, Francine.” Lee motioned, spoon in hand, to the seat next to the island.  “Sit, I’m almost finished.”

Francine could hear Amanda in the next room talking to Emily.  At least she hoped it was Emily since the woman was cooing and clicking like a ninny.  If it were one of the boys she might have to report Amanda unstable for work.

Better get down to it, she thought. “Lee, that explosion today wasn’t inside the building.”

“Well, I knew that Francine.  We saw the fire trucks and ambulances down the street from the Agency when we left. I’m guessing you came here to talk, so talk.”

Francine winced and said, “It was your Corvette that exploded.”

Lee spun around with a wet spoon in hand, flinging some sort of formula at her as he shook it at her. “What do you mean it was my Corvette? What did that kid do? Is he okay?”

“No, he’s dead.”

Amanda walked through the door with Emily’s head on her should. “What do you mean he’s dead? Who’s dead?”  She turned to Lee with fear in her eyes.

Francine shook her head, that woman wore every emotion in her expression. “It was that boy Jeff who took Lee’s car, Amanda.  He started down the street and there was some sort of remote detonation device on it.  Our explosive experts were working on figuring out exactly what it was when I left.  I thought it best to come here personally and let you all know what’s going on.  Someone wants you dead, Scarecrow.”

Lee and Amanda shared one of those silent communication looks that drove her batty.  What kind of weird connection let you talk to someone without saying a word? It was creepy.

“We need to go over where you’ve been since yesterday morning Lee.  To see if we can figure out when your car was compromised.”

Lee nodded and handed the bottle he had started to make over to Amanda.  “Let’s go into the den and get started.”

~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~

Amanda stood in the kitchen dumbstruck for a moment.  Lee was a target.  That boy Jeff who had taken his car was dead.  She was getting so tired of people killing other people.  The world was supposed to be a safer place because of the work they did, but it seemed as if it was just getting worse instead of better.

She started to warm the bottle for Emily and set her back into her baby bouncer. Absently she shook one of the rattles while she waited.

In the den she could hear Lee talking about his last twenty four hours.  She couldn’t make out every word, but then, she really couldn’t focus too much on it.  She just kept shaking the little rattle and staring absently at her daughter.  Thoughts of friends and foes alike that had died since she had started working at the Agency filled her mind.

“Amanda.”

She felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped.  Amanda turned to her mother and gave a half smile.  “Yes?”

Dotty shook her head and set the grocery bag she was carrying onto the counter.  “Woolgathering, were you? I must have said your name three times.  I’ve brought you some things from the store, I was there and I figured…”

She trailed off and Amanda looked up at her.

“What’s the matter dear?” Dotty asked.

“I’m not sure yet.” She motioned further into the house. “Francine and Lee are trying to figure out what is wrong.”

Dotty started taking things out of her bag again. “What do you mean figure it out?  Did something happen?”

“Yes, a young man was killed today driving Lee’s car.  Francine thinks that Lee was the target, that it wasn’t random.”

Carton of eggs in hand, Dotty turned back around.  “That’s horrible!”

“Don’t drop the eggs Mother.”  Amanda shook the cobwebs out of her head and stood up.  The bottle was probably too hot, she took it out of the water and placed it on the counter to cool a bit and began helping Dotty unpack the bag. “I’m not sure what they want to do.”

“Well then.” She took hold of Amanda’s arm and turned her toward the den.  “You go in there and find out what’s going on.  I have Emily and I can feed her just as soon as I finish unpacking these things.”

Amanda started out of the kitchen when Dotty stopped her, “Amanda?”  She turned her head back to her mother.

“Lee will be able to take care of himself, you figure out how to take care of this little one and the boys.”

She nodded and headed into the den.  It was time to go back to work, if only to protect her family rather than the free world.

~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~

“Look Francine, since yesterday I haven’t been anywhere.”  Lee ran a hand through his hair in frustration.  They were getting no where.  ”Amanda brought me a change of clothes this morning and that’s it. The last time I drove the car was yesterday morning from home to the Agency.  We took that Vic for the meet.”

“So we have only about 24 hours to account for,” Amanda said from behind him.  He looked over his shoulder and nodded in agreement.  “Plus we know it most likely happened within the Agency garage.”

Lee needed action, all this talking wasn’t getting them anywhere. “Get security started on collecting the video of the garage for the 36 hours before the detonation,” he told Francine. “I’ll call Aimee and see if she can pull the list of all my recent cases.  I honestly have no idea who…”

“Lee,” Amanda interrupted and he turned to her. “How could someone have gotten into the Agency to plant the bomb on your car?  Most people don’t even know it’s there… even those who do know what the Agency is, of those that do, almost no one knows where it’s located.”

He looked at Francine who had stopped dialing. “It’s an inside job?” She asked incredulously.

The idea was foreign to him as well.  The Agency was a family of sorts. It was a dysfunctional family, but one none the less. “I doubt it.” Lee picked up the phone, “but I guess I have two lists of people for Aimee to track down.”

Act 3

If I do not wish to do battle, I mark a line on the

earth to defend it, and the enemy cannot do

battle with me.

I misdirect him.

- Sun Tzu, “The Art of War”

Amanda opened the front door before Billy could even knock.  He glanced about the room.  It had now become a headquarters of sorts for Lee’s search to discover who had targeted him.  This was becoming a trend.

A bunch of his agents invading Amanda’s home.

Aimee Dozier, in a black “What would Spock do?” t-shirt and cargo pants, sat on the sofa with her feet propped on the coffee table.  Laptop on her legs, she was typing away while occasionally looking at a list lying next to her.

Francine was working her phone.  Sitting, in on the edge of an easy chair, she had paper and notes spread out on the coffee table around Aimee’s feet.  Arguing furiously with whomever she was speaking to, she tapped the click end of her pen incessantly on her leg.

Beaman too had been recruited.  He, and Leatherneck, who had been alternately angry and sorrowful at the death of his young assistant, had hooked up to Amanda’s television and were searching the security tapes for any sign of who had infiltrated the Agency’s garage access.

Billy turned to Amanda who was closing the door behind him.  “Contrary to popular believe we do have an office all these people could be working in.”

Amanda smiled. “They all showed up here.”  She motioned over to where Lee was searching through the stacks of files Beaman had brought from his more recent cases. “I didn’t want Lee to leave the house, since you have protection for us outside now and when we started making calls…” She shrugged. “They all decided to come here and help.”

“It’s not your fault.”  Billy patted her shoulder and followed her towards Lee, “How is your search coming?  Any ideas?”

“None at all in this stack.”  Lee tossed them into a box at his feet.  “There just isn’t anyone that I could see hating me enough to try and kill me.”

“You mentioned the idea that it might be someone that was connected to the Agency.  Any ideas on that?” Billy asked.

Lee shook his head. “No, I was hoping you might.  The more I think about it, the more I wonder why they would go after me.  Unfortunately a lot of people now know the best way to get to me is through my family. If someone hated me enough to want me dead, wouldn’t they want me to suffer?”

“Lee,” Amanda sighed. “We aren’t the ones who are in danger you are.”

“No, he has a point Amanda.”  Billy motioned to the box. “Most all of those people don’t know about Lee or you.  If the person is knowledgeable about the Agency they would know about you and the boys and Emily.”

“If we go under the assumption that this person knows the Agency and they know me, why wouldn’t they go after Amanda and our kids first?”

“What if they were Agency before Mom got there?”  Jamie asked.  Billy hadn’t seen the boy sitting on the steps by the front door, but he turned and smiled.  Here was another bright kid, just like his mother.

Lee slapped his knee. “Jamie, you’re a genius. Aimee, I need you to start checking the current information on anyone who was Agency eight years ago or more that would have worked for or with me.  We need an ex-agent with a grudge that has lasted nearly a decade.”

The girl looked up and popped her gum, “Whatever you say, Strawman.  Thy will be done.” She saluted with some sort of hand signal and started typing vigorously again.

Billy shook his head and turned to Francine, who was off the phone and looking at them expectantly.  “Francine, have someone pull the files on all Agents who have left the Agency from when Lee started until Amanda was involved in his first case.  We are looking for someone who knew Lee, but didn’t know Amanda. Beaman, Leatherneck?”

They stopped the tape.  “Yes, sir?” Beaman asked.

“I need you both to take that video back to the Agency and run some recognition software on the people coming in and out of the garage.  If they are ex-agency their face is on file. I appreciate that you want to help, but you can work better from the office.  It’s been cleared for us to go back in.”

Billy then turned back to Lee and Amanda. “As for you two, I think it’s time we find a safer place for you to be.  I would say a safe house, but if they are Agency, a safe house might not be our best bet.  They may not have known about you before Amanda, but whoever has targeted Lee might know you now.”

“Yes, sir.” Billy watched her eyes move to Jamie, who was still sitting on the step. “Jamie, could you go start packing up some clothes and things to take with you?”

The boy’s face looked pale, but he nodded and started up the stairs.

“So we need a safe place to stay where someone wouldn’t look for us,”  Lee said.

“What about with Carrie?”  Amanda asked. “If she will have us.  She has that whole big house to herself.”  The baby monitor on the coffee table crackled and little Emily stuttered into a full out cry.

“I’ll get her,” Lee said and started up the stairs.

“Carrie would be a good idea, Amanda.”  Billy turned to Francine.  “Get on the phone and make arrangements for a 24 hour watch on Carrie King’s home.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Once everyone is in a safe place, we can smoke this person out.  I can’t stand the thought of an Agent turning on one of their own.”

~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~

Nedlinger’s Bar

Late Wednesday Afternoon

Anna physically had changed a great deal in the nine years she had been incarcerated.  Her hair was now a shade of dark brown as opposed to the blonde of her youth.  Her body was no longer pleasantly rounded, but a svelte, “don’t mess with me” mass of toned muscle.  That’s all before even mentioning that her face now sported a jagged scar along one cheek bone from a particularly nasty cafeteria fight her first year in prison. So, it was no a surprise that no one in Nedlinger’s, a favorite Agency hangout, no longer recognized her.

At one time, she had been a regular at the bar.  It had been a great place for her to meet and mingle with the movers and shakers in the D.C. world of espionage.

She walked in with her head down, just in case.  At least that’s what she told herself.  The scar on her cheek was a visible reminder of what she had endured, but even through its symbolism she was ashamed of it.

A place where she was once regaled as a regular she was now forced to hide in shame.  Not only because of the change in her appearance but also because of the false charges that had indirectly caused them.

That was just one more thing to blame on Lee Stetson.

She shook her head as she sat down at a corner booth where she could sit against the wall.  She refused to have her back exposed, another life lesson from the happy confines of jail.

A bar maid approached the table. “What can I get you ma’am?”

She ordered a drink, sat back and attempted to relax.

The sounds of the conversations floated around her.  She focused on the sound of her breathing, attempting to reach a state of Zen.

Anna had accomplished the one goal she had set for herself.  Now it was time to move on and begin again.

“Here’s your drink ma’am.”  The drink was placed in front of her and she looked up to offer the server a smile.

“Thank you.” Anna ignored the girl’s reaction to her face.  She could do that, Anna told herself, because it didn’t matter anymore what people thought of her.  There was no one who could damage her calm.

She picked up the drink and took a sip.  Wondering what tidbits she could pick up from the patrons of Nedlinger’s that might help her make her new start.  There were always secrets to be bought or sold around D.C., she could use her skills from the past to help her start anew.

The conversations swirled around her until one whispered one caught her attention.

“That’s right, the kid was taking it to the shop.  He was so young, only 23-years-old.”

“Stetson had no idea he was a target? Man talk about a guy getting lucky.”

“Yeah, Stetson was lucky neither he nor his family were hurt.  Can you imagine if Amanda and their baby were in the car instead? It’s lucky for them, but not Jeff Lester.”

“Poor kid.  I guess we all know what we are getting into when we sign up.  Even for the motor pool.”

Anna’s hand tightened on the glass.

Scarecrow hadn’t been in the Corvette.  He was still alive.  He was alive and while she was suffering in prison he had started a family.

The glass shattered and the shards pierced her skin.  Anna’s breathing labored and she watched the blood seep down the back of her hands.

She had a new goal now.  Lee’s Amanda.

~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~SMK~~

“Thank goodness you’re finally home.  We have to get packed up quickly.”  Amanda smiled at Phillip as he shuffled through the backdoor and threw his backpack and gym bag on the floor.

“Packed up for what?”  Phillip asked as he opened the refrigerator door.  He stared inside and Amanda bit her tongue on telling him to close the door if he was just going to stare inside it.

“There was an incident today.  Someone tried to kill Lee.  They blew up his Corvette and we want to make sure everyone stays safe.  So we’re going into hiding for a while until the person is found.”

“What do you mean, we’re going into hiding?”  He finally closed the refrigerator and turned to her.  “If Lee is the one in danger, why isn’t he going into hiding?  What does it have to do with me?”

“Lee is part of this family.  If someone wants to hurt him, it’s likely they will track us down as well.  That’s just the way it is now.  I know it’s not ideal but…”

“Of course it’s not ideal,” he said sarcastically. “It’s not anywhere close to ideal.  Lee can take care of us; there’s no need to go into hiding. It’s not the first time someone was after one of you.  I have things going on with school and my life. I don’t want to go into hiding. Especially if you have no idea how long a while is.”

Amanda went and picked up his two bags and handed them to him. “I know you have things going on, but we can’t protect all of you if you aren’t with us.  Just take those upstairs and fill them with what you will need for a few days.  If you have to miss some school events, you’ll just have to get over it.”

“Get over it?  Mom you have no idea.  Friday is Prom. Two days until Prom and you think I’m going to just up and leave you’re sadly mistaken.”  Phillip threw the bags back down on the floor where he had left them.

“Phillip, I understand you’re upset.” Amanda placed her hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it off.

“Being part of this family sucks! I hate it. I hate you.  You have your new husband, your new baby and protecting them is all that matters.  Dad is dead and you don’t even care.  Jamie is depressed but you don’t even notice.  He has nightmares almost every night, but you don’t care.  All you care about is Lee and Emily.  Now you are even ruining my life.  I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying here and you can blow it out your ear if you think I am going to miss prom.  My life is anything but normal thanks to you and Lee.  It’ll be a cold day in hell before I change my plans for you people again.”

He marched through the front door and slammed it shut.

Amanda stood frozen.  Shell-shocked she stared at the door where he had left.  How do you cope with your first born son saying that he hates you and your family?  She felt physically sick.

A chair, she needed a chair to sit down.

Dazed she walked into the den to find the sofa and sat down on the edge.

She could faintly hear the giggles of her daughter on the baby monitor on the coffee table, but she couldn’t see it.  The tears were filling her eyes.

Phillip thought she didn’t care that Joe was gone.  He thought that she didn’t care that she had flipped their life upside down.  He thought…

“Mom?”

Amanda looked up to see Jamie standing in the doorway pale and glassy eyed as well. Maybe Phillip was right, looking at her son now she could see he had lost weight, but until today she hadn’t paid enough attention to see it.

“Yes, hun.”  She quickly wiped her eyes.

“He didn’t mean it.” A tear rolled down Jamie’s cheek.  “And the nightmares aren’t so bad. I can deal with them just fine.”

“Oh, Jamie, honey.  Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You were already so worried about Emily and Lee and Carrie and everything was so messed up.”  He shrugged helplessly and swiped at his eyes.  “I didn’t want to make something else for you to worry about.”

Amanda patted the sofa next her and after he sat down she put her arm around his thin frame and pulled him close.  She felt his arm come around her back and he ducked his head onto her shoulder.

“Phillip is angry, but not at you.” He mumbled into her sweater.  “He’s angry that dad’s gone.  He’s angry that he couldn’t do anything to stop it.  He’s angry that we were captured in the first place. I think he believes the whole thing was his fault. Like he should have known and protected all of us.”

Amanda bit her lip so that she wouldn’t burst into full blown sobs in front of her son.  How could she have been so blind to what her boys were going through?  More than a month had gone by and she hadn’t known how miserable her sons were. They had acted so stoic and grown up that she chose to believe perception was the truth.

“I wish that you two would have come and talked to me or Lee for that matter.  I am never ever too busy with Emily to be here for you guys.”  She glanced up at the door where Phillip had stormed through.  “Now, Phillip is so bitter and angry. I don’t know how to fix that.”

She took her free hand and brushed back Jamie hair from his forehead.  “Do you want to tell me about the nightmares?  Maybe if we can talk through them together we can find a way to keep them from coming back.”

She felt his shoulders move in a shrug and his other arm wrapped around her middle.  “I feel like such a baby, but Mom, I was so scared.  It’s like I can’t get the thought of the man in the warehouse with the knife and then dad lying there…” Amanda felt him shaking and pulled him fully into her arms.

For the first time since his father’s death Jamie let go and sobbed in her arms.

Amanda rested her head on the top of his and cried silent tears of her own.

Continued

If I do not wish to do battle, I mark a line on the earth to defend it,

and the enemy cannot do battle with me.

I misdirect him.

- Sun Tzu, “The Art of War”

Tune in Friday May 7th at 8pm ET to find out how the Stetsons cope.

Prologue

It was a quiet Sunday afternoon on Maplewood Drive. As dusk approached, the neighborhood looked peaceful in the soft twilight.

Inside 4247 things were different. The sound of a baby’s cry echoed lustily down the stairs from the nursery.

“Phillip, Jamie-could one of you check on your sister, please?” Amanda yelled as she pulled sodden clothes out of the broken washer.

Lee came in with a wrench in his hand. “OK-Let’s see what’s clogging this hose.” He meant to get it off by hook or by crook.

“Lee, maybe we need to call a repairman…”

“Nonsense! I can pull this hose off and see what’s clogging it. No big deal.” He applied the wrench to the hose coupling.

Upstairs Phillip and Jamie scuffled in the doorway to the nursery.

“Hey doofus, get out of my way!”

“No way wormbrain-I got here first!”

Meanwhile Emily wailed away.

Act One

The back door opened and Dotty stepped into the family room, and paused to assess the chaos. Voices carried from the laundry room.

“Sweetheart-watch out you don’t-”

“Ow! A-man-da! Get out of my way…”

“Lee, I’m just trying to empty the washer-I’ll be out of your way soon enough-can’t you wait until I’m done?”

Dotty peeked into the laundry room-and quickly ducked out again. ‘Too many people in there. Let them deal with it.’ She listened to the sound of her granddaughter crying. ‘She’s just bored and looking for attention.’ Dotty chuckled and made her way upstairs. She stopped at the sight of Phillip and Jamie wrestling in the doorway to the nursery.

“You two get back to your room! Can’t you hear your sister? What’s the matter with you two?” She grabbed each boy by the collar and propelled them in the direction of their room. “Finish your homework, boys! Tomorrow is a school day.”

Dotty then went into the nursery and picked Emily up. She checked-sure enough her diaper needed changing. She efficiently changed the now quiet baby and carried her downstairs. She surveyed the remains of dinner. She placed Emily in her basket and started clearing the table.

Amanda emerged from the laundry room and observed her mother. “Mother-you don’t have to do that!”

“Darling, someone needs to help tame the chaos.”

“Stupid rotten hose! I’ve got you now!” Lee’s voice drifted in from the laundry room.

“I see Lee is trying his hand at fixing the washer.” Dotty commented dryly.

Amanda rolled her eyes, but said nothing.

The two women quickly cleaned up the kitchen and got the rest of the downstairs in order. In the years Dotty had lived with Amanda and her boys, they had developed an efficient rapport in cleaning up.

Lee finally emerged from the laundry room with a dripping hose in one hand, and a tiny stocking in the other. “Here.” He handed the sock to his wife. “This was in the hose. Once I make sure there are no more in there, I can put it back together, and you’re good to go again.”

“Oh, thanks Lee. How Emily’s sock ended up in the drain hose is a mystery.”

“Maybe we should just get a new washer and dryer-heavy-duty extra-large capacity. How one small person can make the laundry in this house double is beyond me.” He shook his head at the concept.

Amanda kissed her husband and shrugged. “That’s what it’s like with a baby. Even with disposable diapers, she still makes a lot of extra laundry.”

Lee collapsed on the couch after leaving the hose on the island in the kitchen. “I’m bushed-and it isn’t even 8 o’clock yet.”

Amanda sat next to Lee and brushed the hair from his forehead. “That’s another thing with a new baby-nobody gets a lot of sleep.”

“Except the baby.” Dotty brought the basket with a now-sleeping Emily to the end of the couch.

Lee shook his head. “She won’t sleep in her room-but she’ll sleep in the middle of everything.”

“She’s like her daddy-she wants to be in the middle of the action.” Amanda smiled and kissed her handsome husband.

The boys bounded downstairs to join the rest of the family.

Jamie was holding a notebook. “Lee? You’ve been all over. Have you ever been to Berlin?”

“Yes I have-many times.” He confirmed.

“Great. Have you ever seen the Ishtar Gate in the-” he hesitated before he pronounced the unfamiliar name, “Pergamomsmuseum?”

Lee shook his head. “That’s one place I’ve never been, Jamie. Sorry.”

“I’ve seen it Jamie, what do you want to know about it?” Amanda added.

“You saw it?” Jamie sounded incredulous.

“And not Lee?” Dotty was intrigued.

Lee and Amanda exchanged a glance.

“Yeah.” She admitted. “I was working a case without Lee that time.”

Lee made a face. “Interpol was running that one.”

“You worked with Interpol? Cool, mom.” Phillip exclaimed.

“What were you doing with Interpol?” Jamie asked.

“Yes, Amanda. I’d be interested in hearing that myself. And exactly when was this?” Dotty sounded as if she was not going to be put off.

Lee and Amanda had a silent conversation.

Lee shrugged. “It wasn’t a matter of national security-just smuggling.”

“Lee, you didn’t want me to do it in the first place!”

“That’s only because you’re a magnet for trouble. And you were supposedly working with me.”

“Well you left me alone, and I wasn’t doing anything else. They asked me to help and Billy authorized it.”

“Mom-if it was Interpol and not a matter of national security-can you tell us about it?” Jamie asked shyly.

Lee and Amanda looked surprised-then they nodded. “Why not?” Lee encouraged. “Might as well-the case is closed.”

Amanda nodded. “OK-I’ll tell you guys-but you can’t tell anyone else. OK?”

“Yeah mom.” “Sure.” “Of course darling.” Phillip, Jamie, and Dotty all agreed quickly. They settled in to listen and Amanda began her tale.

“It was August 1985-we were in West Berlin…”

+++++++++++++++

“Lee, hurry up! They’re only serving breakfast for a few more minutes.” Amanda called through the bathroom door of their hotel room.

Lee opened the door, wearing a bathrobe and toweling his hair dry. He was still unshaven. “Amanda, I don’t want breakfast-we have coffee here in the room, that’s enough.”

“You know breakfast is the most important meal of the day-and I’m hungry!”

“Well, I’m not! So quit bugging me about it!” Lee turned and shut himself back in the bathroom.

“Fine-I’m going downstairs to get some breakfast. I’ll just charge it to the room, OK?”

She waited for a reply-and when all she heard was the sound of the water running-she shook her head and left the room for the hotel restaurant downstairs.

‘He’s just not very considerate when it comes to food. I’ve gotta eat-and he should too,’ She punched the button for the elevator a bit too hard. ‘He dragged me with him all the way to Berlin-so far it’s been a nice trip-we picked up the packages in Paris and Bern and we’ve only got one package to go-but he is so rude sometimes! Still! We’ve been working together almost two years now and he still can be so rude… All I want is a decent breakfast-nothing fancy-but would he think of that? Oh no! “I don’t eat breakfast Amanda-I just have coffee-why isn’t that enough for you?” I swear-that man would sooner take a bullet than eat a proper breakfast!’

Amanda arrived in the restaurant-it was crowded and the maitre’d ushered her to the last vacant table. The waiter brought coffee and took her order.

She sat drinking her coffee and thinking about her partner. ‘He still tries to make me stay in the car. Well, this time it’s “stay in the room, Amanda.” I was fine when we got the package in Paris. OK-so I dropped the envelope during the trade in Bern-but I picked it up, and nobody saw the money inside so it was all worked out. Lee just blew up at me! And now he won’t let me help with this package in Berlin. He said to go do tourist stuff-how can I do tourist stuff by myself? We’re supposed to be married-it will look weird if he’s off doing his business and I’m left behind doing tourist stuff by myself.’

“Entschuldigen sie mir bitte, wird dieser Platz eingenommen?”

“Huh-what did you say?” Amanda was taken aback at the interruption of her thoughts.

“Ah-English.”

“Oh, American, actually.”

“Forgive me, I was asking if this seat was taken.” At Amanda’s blank look, he continued. “I was hoping to get breakfast and all the other tables are filled. Would it be an inconvenience to you if we shared a table?” He spoke in clipped precise English with a slight German accent. The man was tall and handsome with wavy brown hair and a small moustache. He was dressed in a suit and carried a leather buckle-down briefcase.

“No, I’m alone-well I’m not here alone. My husband is upstairs but he never eats breakfast so I’m down here alone eating breakfast by myself…” Her ramble ran down. “You’re welcome to share the table with me.” She said quietly but sincerely.

“Danke schon gnadige Frau.” He bowed and took Amanda’s hand and kissed it. “I am Ernst Kleinfelter.”

She smiled at his courtesy. “Thank you-I’m Amanda Westermann.”

“Frau Westermann, I am pleased to meet you.” Herr Kleinfelter sat across from Amanda and the waiter came and took his order. Shortly thereafter, the waiter returned with a pot of hot chocolate. “So Frau Westermann, are you seeing the sights here in Berlin?”

“No-well, not yet. We arrived late last night and we went right to bed.” Amanda blushed at the argument they had gotten into about the hotel accommodations-or lack of them. All that was available was one room with one queen-sized bed. Nothing else. Finally, she had put on her nightgown and gotten into bed. She had been so worn out that she had just fallen asleep and never noticed when Lee got into bed next to her. But she certainly had noticed Lee’s arm over her waist when she woke up in the morning. She managed to get out of bed and escape into the bathroom without waking her partner. Or maybe it was just easier for him to pretend he was still sleeping…

Herr Kleinfelter nodded. “I see. Well, what were you planning on seeing then?”

“I have a guidebook here.” She produced the book. “But I hadn’t decided yet.”

“What does your husband want to see?”

“Oh, he won’t be coming with me-he has business-he’ll be busy most of the day-so I guess I’m on my own.” Amanda tried to sound upbeat about the whole thing.

“Ah sehr schade! Berlin is such an exciting city! Possibly the most exciting city in Europe. It is a shame you must explore it alone.”

“Amanda!” Lee strode up to the table.

“Lee-sweetheart.” Amanda rose and pecked Lee on the cheek to play their cover. She turned and indicated her breakfast companion. “This is Herr Kleinfelter-the restaurant was crowded so he asked if he could share a table.”

Herr Kleinfelter stood. “Herr Westermann-I have been having a conversation with your charming wife-she is most gracious to let me share her table this morning.”

“Ah yeah-pleased to meet you Herr Kleinfelter.” Lee shook hands with the man as he sized him up. “Amanda-could I have a word with you for a minute?”

“Sure sweetheart.”

Lee drew her off out of earshot of Herr Kleinfelter. “I’ve gotta leave now if I’m going to make my contact.” He spoke in a quiet voice in her ear.

“I still think I should come with you and watch your back.” She whispered back.

Lee minimally shook his head. “Amanda-it’s better for both of us if you just stay here and see the sights. I’ll be back after lunch. We can talk more then.” He drew her close and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. He said in a normal voice, “Have a nice day, darling. I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too, sweetheart!” Amanda replied as she fussed with Lee’s tie and smoothed his shirt.

He smiled at her and left. She returned to the table.

“Your husband is a lucky man, Frau Westermann.”

“Thank you Herr Kleinfelter.”

He continued. “You are a very patient and understanding wife. Most women would be upset to be brought to Europe and then left to fend for themselves while their husband worked.”

She toyed with her food briefly before answering. “Well, for him it’s a working vacation-and we do have our evenings together…” She hoped her excuse didn’t sound as lame to him as it did to her.

They ate in silence for a few minutes.

“Frau Westermann-please do not think me forward-but I am here on business also. And I am free most of the day. I am awaiting a client’s return and he will not be available until this evening. Would you allow me to accompany you on your sightseeing?” He looked sweet and sincere.

“That’s very sweet-but surely you have something else you could be doing.”

“Actually I am at liberty all day-I should explain. I represent a technical firm-Deutche Techniche Herstellung-we make precision machine components for sophisticated electronic devices. It is a very specialized market. I am here to meet with a possible buyer-but he will not be available until the evening. I have the entire day to myself. So you see-I am just as much at loose ends as you are.”

“Oh-well if it isn’t an imposition…” She thought a moment. “I guess it would be nice to have some company while I’m sightseeing.”

As Amanda and Ernst Kleinfelter talked and finished their meal, a man a few tables down spoke quietly into a concealed microphone on his lapel behind the cover of a newspaper. “Target is sitting with an unknown-she’s a guest at the hotel-married it would seem-but the husband is away for the day on business.”

He heard the reply in a concealed earpiece. “Keep the subject under surveillance-do not contact-follow him discreetly. Any information we can get on the woman we will relay to you.”

“Acknowledged. Lindermann out.” He turned the page of his newspaper and quietly kept a close eye on the pair.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“Wow, mom. You were under surveillance?” Phillip sounded excited.

“It wasn’t me-it was Ernst Kleinfelter.”

“Let mom tell her story, doofus!”

“Jamie, don’t call your brother names.” Amanda chided. “Now where was I? Oh yeah. We had just finished breakfast…”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“Well Frau Westermann, what would you like to see? A museum or historical architecture or perhaps some shopping?”

“Maybe a museum first-then some shopping. I haven’t had much chance to do any shopping and I promised mother and the boys I’d bring back presents.”

“Ah, such a nice family you have. How long have you been married, Frau Westermann?”

“Lee and I have only been married for two years-my first husband, Joe-well we divorced a few years ago. The boys are his, but Lee’s a great stepfather.” Amanda finished brightly. ‘Hopefully I can coordinate with Lee before Herr Kleinfelter asks him,’ she thought wryly.

“I see, and your new husband is off working today. I think we shall go to Museum Island first-then I know a quaint street with many interesting shops.”

“Do you live in Germany, Herr Kleinfelter?”

“Sadly, I have no real home. I travel so much-there is an apartment in Bern I use from time to time-but mostly I travel-hunting down clients and selling our precision machinery.”

“It sounds complicated.”

“As I said, it is a highly specialized market-and I have many competitors-so I must be diligent and offer my clients the best machinery for their needs at the best price.”

“It sounds like you make a lot of sales.”

He nodded briefly. “I am successful more often than not-and on occasion when I meet up with a rival-well this is a business not for the timid or hesitant. I have a reputation for being somewhat ruthless in dealing with rivals. Some have been known to drop out of the business altogether after tangling with me.”

“I’ve always heard sales could be pretty cutthroat.”

He smiled a tight little smile. “You have no idea, Frau Westermann.”

They finished their breakfast and Herr Kleinfelter insisted on paying for Amanda’s breakfast. Eventually she allowed him, and they left in a taxi for Museum Island.

They saw the famous Ishtar Gate, and looked at more sculpture and paintings for a few hours. Then they took another taxi to a quaint shopping district well off the tourist routes. Herr Kleinfelter had endless patience and seemed to be enjoying helping Amanda choose gifts for Dotty and the boys. She even got Lee a new wallet-she had noticed his was worn. ‘Probably something he’d never replace himself-so I’ll help him out. And it helps our cover, too.’ She rationalized.

They took the parcels and returned to the hotel in a taxi. Amanda turned to her new friend at the elevator. “Thank you so much for showing me around-those shops were really wonderful-and not a word about them in the guidebook.”

“It was entirely my pleasure. Please-if your husband does not return in time-would you do me the honor of having dinner with me? My appointment is later and I will have time for a leisurely dinner.”

She smiled at him. “Thank you so much, but Lee will be back.”

“In case he is not-my room is 416-feel free to call if your plans change.”

“Thank you, but I don’t think so. I really had a nice day.”

He kissed her hand and Amanda went up to their room.

Once in the room, Amanda stowed the gifts in her luggage and placed the new wallet on the bedstand on Lee’s side of the bed. ‘I hope he likes it-he surely does need a new wallet.’

She sat reading a book and waited for her partner’s return. While waiting for Lee Amanda’s thoughts strayed to her new friend, Herr Ernst Kleinfelter. He seemed nice-he was handsome with impeccable manners. He was a perfect gentleman, always courteous and considerate of her and her ‘married’ status. She had a good time, but she had the feeling something was off.

‘I understand sharing the table at breakfast-that’s a European custom when things are crowded. And he was so nice to show me around Museum Island. And the shopping. And he invited me to dinner if Lee doesn’t return in time. So why do I think he’s not all he seems?’

She sat and thought deeply about it for a while. ‘He reminds me of someone-not in looks-but more in his manner and actions. Now who could it be?’

She thought some more. ‘Not somebody I know through the PTA, or a relative, or a friend, or someone at the Agency-Agency! That’s it! He reminds me of Alan Squires-The Artful Dodger. Oh my gosh! I wonder if he’s trying to set me up for something? I’ll have to be careful and just not see him anymore. I’d better mention this to Lee.’ She sighed. ‘He’ll be upset, but I didn’t do or say anything, so nothing bad happened.’

In the lobby, the man who had been tailing Ernst Kleinfelter and Amanda sat in the lobby and read another paper. He spoke quietly to the man sitting next to him. “She went up to her room-I got the number-602. Kleinfelter is in 416-he told her that.”

“Good work-you think he’ll try to use her as the mule?”

“Probably-he hasn’t made any other contacts today, and he only arrived in Berlin last night. His MO is to befriend a tourist and get her to make the drop for him-that way he’s never connected directly to the transaction.”

“We need to nail this guy, Gunther. He’s the top dealer in shady nuclear technology-and in the years we have been aware of him we haven’t yet managed to get anything solid to be able to land him in jail. We know he sells to Pakistan and Iran and-God help us-even North Korea.”

“We’ll get the Inspector to contact the woman. Maybe he can get her to cooperate and help us out.”

“I’ll go up and contact him-you stay here and keep an eye out for Kleinfelter. I want to know who he’s meeting-where and when.”

“Will do.”

Once Amanda had figured out who Herr Kleinfelter reminded her of, she had felt a lot better, and she settled back into reading her book.

Shortly thereafter, the door to the room opened, and Lee came in. “You’re here! Good.”

It wasn’t much of a greeting, but she took it for what it was worth. “Yes, I’m here. How did your exchange go?”

Lee sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “It didn’t exactly go down as I had planned.”

“Are you all right?” She scanned him for telltale bullet holes or bruises.

“Yeah-but I’ve got to get over to East Berlin-this has turned out to be bigger than we thought it would be. I’ll be over there a couple of days-hopefully no longer.”

“Why do I think I get to stay behind. Again.” She tried not to sound too petulant.

“A-man-da! We’re talking about East Berlin-Communist Germany-it’s too dangerous. Besides, you’re my cover. As far as you know, I’m off on business. Just spend another couple of days sightseeing. How was Herr Wavy Hair anyhow?”

“That’s Herr Kleinfelter-and he was a perfect gentleman. We went to Museum Island and then he took me to a street of delightful shops and I was able to get gifts for mother and the boys. Here.” She reached over and handed him the wallet she had purchased for him. “I got you a new wallet-yours is practically worn out.”

“What?” Lee pulled out his wallet and looked at it-it was pretty shabby. He shook his head. It was just like Amanda to notice those things. He took the new wallet-it was the same style and color as his old one, but this one was nicer and looked like it might hold up better. “Thanks-I guess I need a new wallet at that.” He smiled sheepishly at her.

“Yeah, and besides-buying you a gift helped me keep up our cover.”

Lee smiled at her rationalization. “I appreciate your ‘wifely devotion,’ dear.” He bent down and kissed her hand, holding her gaze and lingering a bit longer than he had intended.

Amanda was lost in his hazel eyes-then she started. “Oh, and we’ve been married for two years, after my divorce from Joe.”

“Did I steal you away from him?” Lee asked with an amused smirk.

“Lee, be serious. I just wanted you to know what I told him in case we run into him again.”

“OK, OK.” He stepped away. “I’ll leave early tomorrow-and hopefully be back before dinner the day after.”

“And I just spend the next two days sightseeing.” Amanda sounded disgruntled.

“Yes.” Lee was firm. “It looks more natural that way.”

“I still think I should be there to watch your back.”

“And I think it’s too dangerous. If you’re here and something happens to me, I can get word to you and you can contact Billy. Or you can be the distraught wife if you have to go to the embassy.”

“I think it stinks, but I’ll do it. I’m a professional.”

Lee shook his head. “You’re still an amateur, Amanda. A civilian auxiliary.” At her angry look, he continued. “But you’re my partner and this time this is the best scenario. Trust me. Please?”

He gave her that look that made her give in every time. But she didn’t have to make it easy for him. “Trust me, he says.” She shook her head. Then she took a deep breath. “Lee, there’s something I think you need to know about Herr Kleinfelter-”

She was interrupted by a sharp knock at the door.

Lee shot Amanda a sharp look. “Are you expecting anyone? Your German boyfriend, perhaps?”

“Lee-he is not my boyfriend and I didn’t tell him our room number. He doesn’t even know what floor we’re on.”

Lee drew his weapon and stood behind the door-he motioned for Amanda to open it. She opened the door and saw Inspector Volkenauer from the Tegernsee counterfeiting case. “Inspector Volkenauer-what are you doing here?”

“Frau King-what are you doing here?”

“Inspector Volkenauer?” Lee emerged from behind the door holstering his weapon.

End Act One

Act Two

After the re-introductions, Lee and Amanda sat with Inspector Volkenauer in their hotel room.

The Inspector recovered quickly. “This makes our problem at once easier and also more complicated.”

Lee was wary. “I thought you were with the German police in Munich.”

He nodded. “I am attached to Interpol-I go where the job dictates. Because of the delicate nature of Frau King’s crime last year-counterfeiting-I was called in.”

Lee nodded. “I see. So what are you working on now, Inspector?”

“We have been tracking an international arms broker for several years now. Ernst Kleinfelter sells electronic components, which can be used in refining uranium or manufacturing nuclear devices. Not fissionable materials you understand-but the equipment to refine uranium and so forth. Technically it is illegal to sell these machines to anyone not authorized to deal in fissionable materials, but we all know there are several countries who are actively trying to build bombs and they will go to any lengths to obtain this specialized equipment.”

“Oh.” Amanda sounded a bit dismayed. “I guess that’s what he meant by a specialized market that he sells to.” She looked taken aback. “He seemed so nice-but he also reminded me of-” She shot a glance at Lee. “Someone I met before.” She finished lamely.

Lee stared at her and shook his head. He realized she had censored herself, and determined to find out what she really meant later. “How do you do it, Amanda? I leave you alone for a minute and you get involved in illicit nuclear arms trading?”

“Now wait a minute! How was I to know he was an illicit nuclear arms trader-all he did was ask to share a table at breakfast. There wasn’t any other table available. It would have been rude to refuse!”

“Oh Amanda-don’t you get it? He probably waited around all morning for the perfect contact to work his deal, and he saw you and picked you out of the crowd by instinct.”

“Yeah? Well you did the same thing two years ago buster-and that seemed to have worked out pretty good for you, Buster!”

“Some days, I wonder Amanda. I really wonder.”

Inspector Volkenauer tried to diplomatically intervene. “Excuse me, but I am wondering-you are here for a case Herr Stetson?”

Lee and Amanda were surprised by the Inspector’s interruption. They exchanged a look and Lee replied. “Yeah-I am.”

“And Frau King is assisting you-again?”

Lee and Amanda had a silent conversation. Lee replied. “Yeah-she’s my cover-but I’ve gotta go away for a couple of days. I need her here in Berlin-West Berlin.” He corrected at Amanda’s look. “And she’s supposed to spend the next two days sightseeing.”

The Inspector nodded slowly. “So I presume you would not mind if she assisted us with Ernst Kleinfelter while she’s sightseeing.”

Lee looked wary. “I don’t know it’s not up to me.” At Amanda’s eager look, he quickly added. “Or Amanda’s either. I’ve gotta contact our boss and run it by him. If you give me a number, I can contact you when we have word.”

“Very well.” The Inspector seemed satisfied.

“But I wouldn’t count on it, Inspector.” Lee didn’t want the man to jump to any conclusions.

“I will contact my superiors as well. It is now 2:30PM-6:30 am in DC, no?” The Inspector checked his watch.

“Yeah, I have to wait an hour or so-then I’ll call Billy.” Lee temporized.

“Very well.” The Inspector stood. “I await your reply after you have contacted your superior Herr Stetson. Good luck with your business. If Interpol can help-please don’t hesitate to contact us.”

Lee shook the man’s hand. “Thanks.”

Inspector Volkenauer kissed Amanda’s hand, and left.

Lee looked at his partner. “How do you do it, Amanda?”

“Lee…” She really didn’t want to have this argument again.

“OK, OK.” He threw up his hands and checked his watch. “It’s 6:30am in DC. We’ll wait an hour and then call Billy-and he can decide.”

Amanda nodded in agreement. “That’s fair.”

“Good. I’m gonna take a shower.” Lee turned to go into the bathroom.

“Are we having dinner together tonight?”

He turned back and stepped toward her with a teasing grin on his face. “Of course, darling. I’m your husband, remember?” He took her hand and kissed it as he held her gaze. Suddenly the rest of the world faded away and it was just the two of them-alone in a hotel room with only one bed. They were lost in the moment-then they both broke eye contact-realizing things had gotten a bit uncomfortable for both of them.

“You’d better take that shower.” “We’ll dress for dinner.” They spoke simultaneously.

“Sure.” “OK.”

Lee escaped into the bathroom to take his shower and Amanda picked up her book and resumed reading.

A little over an hour later, Lee called Billy from the phone in their room while Amanda sat on the bed and listened.

“Hey, Billy.”

“Scarecrow-is everything OK? Report!” Billy knew an early call meant things weren’t going exactly as planned.

“Yeah-we’re OK-but there’s a snag.” At Amanda’s sharp look, he amended. “Two snags, actually.”

“Does this have anything to do with the top priority request I have from Interpol sitting on my desk for the loan of one of my agents?”

“Damn Billy, they work fast…” Lee trailed off.

“Yes. Now please tell me why Interpol wants the loan of Agent Amanda King for an operation concerning an international nuclear arms dealer.”

“Agent Amanda King?” Lee was incredulous. At Amanda’s pleased surprised look, he continued with a small crease in his forehead as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “It seems Amanda was contacted by this guy-Ernst Kleinfelter-as a possible mule for his latest arms deal.”

“I see. Didn’t something similar happen almost two years ago with you, Stetson?” Billy chided.

“Billy! That was different, and you know it!”

After a brief smile, Billy continued. “What is your status, Scarecrow?”

“I have to go next door for a couple of days-it seems I have a couple more packages to pick up than we had originally planned on.”

“I see-will Amanda accompany you?” Privately Billy hoped not. He didn’t think Amanda was ready to operate behind the Iron Curtain.

“No-she’ll be staying here seeing the sights.” Lee answered in a wary tone. He suddenly had the sick feeling Billy was going to agree to Interpol’s request.

Billy let out a breath. “I concur-keep her there-it will be safer for her and she can be backup if you need it.”

“Yeah-that’s what I thought, too.”

“Is she willing to work with Interpol?”

“Ah-why don’t you talk to her about it?” He handed the phone to Amanda. “Here-remember the line’s not clean.”

She nodded to Lee and took the phone. “Hello sir.”

“Hello Amanda. I trust everything’s going well over there.”

“Oh yes. We got the first two packages.” At Lee’s look, she temporized. “With a little glitch-but in the end everything went OK.”

Billy chuckled silently-he would look forward to their report of the ‘little glitch.’ “That’s good. Now, are you willing to help Interpol with apprehending Kleinfelter?”

“Yes sir, but only if it’s all right with you. Lee said you’d make that decision.” She shot Lee a look and he shot her one right back. Suddenly Lee began to realize he had been royally set up-by Volkenauer, Amanda, and possibly also Billy.

Billy shook his head as he pictured Lee’s reaction to her statement. Obviously, Interpol wanted her badly-Volkenauer had pulled quite a few strings to get this top priority request on his desk this early. They must think Amanda was their best and possibly only chance of nailing this guy. And allowing the loan would put Interpol in the Agency’s debt. And being owed a favor was always better than owing favors. “I see, Amanda. Well ordinarily I would hesitate, but you’ve worked with Inspector Volkenauer before on the counterfeiting case in Tegernsee.”

“Yes sir.”

“And that turned out well. So as you’re willing to cooperate-I think allowing this inter-agency loan of your services would be in everyone’s best interests.”

“Thank you sir. I appreciate the opportunity to do something useful here. I feel a bit uncomfortable just sightseeing all day.”

“You’re Lee’s cover and backup-and even though you feel you aren’t doing anything important, you really are.”

“I understand, but I’d feel better if I was actually doing something-so I guess I’ll be working with Inspector Volkenauer while Lee goes-next door.”

“Yes, and I know you’ll do the Agency proud, Amanda.”

“I’ll do my best, sir.”

“You always do-and I appreciate that. Now give me back to Scarecrow.”

“Yes sir. Thank you, sir.” She handed the phone back to her partner. “Here Lee, he wants to talk to you.”

“Billy, are you sure-”

Billy cut him off. “Scarecrow-you said you’d let me decide and I’ve decided. She works with Interpol for the next two days.”

“Yeah, fine.” Lee sounded disgruntled as he ran his hand through his hair.

“Do you need anything else from me for your trip?”

“No Billy, I’ve got it under control.”

“OK then-I’ve got a unit to run over here so if there’s nothing more…”

“No Billy-see you.”

“Melrose out.”

Lee hung up the phone and turned to face his partner. “Well ‘partner’-it seems you’re officially on loan to Interpol for the next two days.”

“Thank you, Lee. I know it will be OK. Really.”

He shook his head. “I’ll call Inspector Volkenauer, then I’ll take a quick nap before we need to dress for dinner. He’ll probably want to brief you-so you can do that while I’m napping, OK?”

“Yeah-that sounds good.”

“Frau King, come in please.” Inspector Volkenauer ushered her into the suite Interpol had rented to conduct surveillance on Ernst Kleinfelter.

“Thank you, Inspector.”

Two other men stood as Amanda entered-she recognized one as a man she had noticed at breakfast-and the other had been around in the shops while she searched for her gifts. “Hello.” Amanda greeted the two other Interpol agents.

“Frau King, allow me to introduce agents Gunther Lindermann and Max Gebel.”

“How do you do?” Amanda replied politely. “You were both following us earlier today.”

“You see, gentlemen? She is a trained agent-she spotted both of you.” The Inspector seemed proud of Amanda’s expertise.

Amanda wisely didn’t correct the Inspector’s assumption. “How can I help you gentlemen?”

They all sat around a table and passed Amanda a dossier with pictures.

The Inspector spoke. “Ernst Kleinfelter is here to meet with a Pakistani who is secretly representing his government-shopping for illicit nuclear electronics. Pakistan has been trying to get the bomb for decades. We do not know how close they are-but we certainly do not want them to get this equipment.”

Lindermann spoke next. “He uses a mule for the transfer of the funds and paperwork. Usually he befriends a tourist and has her pass the material-that way he is never directly implicated. And if something goes wrong-the tourist is arrested and Kleinfelter gets away before we can connect him to the transaction.”

Amanda nodded. “So you want me to spend the next couple of days ’sightseeing’ with him.”

“If you would.” The Inspector resumed. “He is meeting tonight with the Pakistani-and we expect the exchange to take place two days hence. That is his pattern.”

“I can do that. Lee and I will be having dinner together tonight in the hotel’s dining room.”

“And that is good-it cements your cover as the wife of a businessman. And as your husband will be away on business the next two days-we hope he’ll contact you at breakfast again tomorrow.” Amanda nodded. The Inspector continued. “And he will offer to spend the next two days with you while your husband is away again.”

“Sounds pretty good. Do you want me to wear a wire?”

Gebel replied. “No-but you will have an electronic tracking device on your person.” He handed her a gold bracelet made up of interlaced hearts. “Please wear this for the next two days. That way, if you get out of our sight we can still track you reliably.”

She put the bracelet on her right wrist. “Sure-I appreciate that you’ll be keeping track of me.”

The Inspector nodded. “I will be here tracking you and running the operation. Herr Kleinfelter knows me so he cannot be allowed to see me. I will call your room or have one of my men contact you if I need to talk to you.”

“I’ll go back to our room and read this-then we’ll go to dinner.”

“We will keep track of you-you need not contact us after this unless something goes wrong-which it will not.” The Inspector smiled reassuringly.

“No, I know you’ll take good care of me. I just hope we can get Kleinfelter-I don’t want my boys to grow up in a world with any more nuclear weapons.”

“Nor do we. Thank you, Frau King-we appreciate your cooperation in this operation.”

“I’m happy to help, Inspector. Good evening.”

That evening Lee and Amanda were dining in the Hotel’s formal dining room. They had dressed for dinner, and they were relaxing and enjoying each other’s company.

As they were finishing their meal, Ernst Kleinfelter approached their table. “Herr Westermann, Frau Westermann-good evening.” He greeted them with a small bow.

“Good evening, Herr Kleinfelter.” Amanda replied with a smile.

“I am glad to see you are enjoying each others’ company this evening.”

“Yes.” Lee replied as he took Amanda’s hand and kissed it while he gazed into her eyes. She smiled warmly back.

Herr Kleinfelter seemed pleased at Lee’s attentions to his wife. “I will not disturb you any longer. Have a good evening.”

“You too, Herr Kleinfelter.” Amanda replied.

After their dinner, Lee and Amanda went next door to the ballroom attached to the hotel. Lee held Amanda close as they danced the night away. As the evening grew late, Lee whispered in her ear. “We need to get back to the room. I’ve gotta be up early tomorrow-and you have your own assignment as well.”

Amanda nodded. They finished the dance and when the music ended, they left the dance floor and went back up to their room.

Back in the room, they talked after they got ready for bed.

“Amanda, you just be careful-Kleinfelter is one nasty guy-he’s murdered several competitors over the years.”

She was surprised. “Lee! You read my file!”

“I looked at it. You’re my partner and I just wanted to see what you’ve gotten yourself into. Be careful.”

She was taken aback-after all his arguing Lee seemed to be taking this international operation in stride. “You be careful too, Lee. I still think I should be there watching your back, but I understand.” She paused, then continued. “Lee-I thought something was off about Herr Kleinfelter. I didn’t have time to talk to you about it-the Inspector showed up-but he reminded me of Alan Squires-The Artful Dodger.”

Lee looked surprised. “So you made the guy before Volkenauer showed up?”

“Yes. I figured he might try something, and I had already decided to avoid him. But then the Inspector showed up and asked me to help.”

Lee let out a breath. “Amanda-Billy probably didn’t explain it fully-but these inter-agency trades are like international favors-in this case Interpol is asking the Agency to do them a favor-to loan you to them for an operation. This is just like an Agency operation-please be careful. And if anything happens to you-I’ll have Volkenauer’s head on a platter.”

She smiled at Lee’s protectiveness. “There are two other men who will be following us at all times-and I’ll be wearing this-she held up her right wrist with the gold bracelet-it has a tracking device in it. Inspector Volkenauer will be monitoring the operation at all times. They will take good care of me, Lee. They want to catch Kleinfelter and I’m their best chance of doing that. I’m more worried about you all alone in East Berlin without backup.”

He smiled at her protectiveness of him, though it wasn’t necessary. “Amanda, I’ve been to East Berlin many times. Alone. I’ll be fine. It isn’t especially dangerous. Mostly I’ll be waiting for people to contact me. Pretty boring, really.”

“Yeah-well take care of yourself-you’re my partner-and I worry about you.” At Lee’s look she continued. “That’s what partners do, right?”

He shook his head ruefully. “Let’s get some sleep. We’ll both be better in the morning for it.”

End Act Two

Continued

Co-written by The Evil Triumvirate

Prologue

Late Monday afternoon

4247 Maplewood Drive

Outside, the winter sky had darkened; a thick mass of black and purple winter storm clouds overshadowing the remaining orange and gray of daylight as the sun sank low to settle in for the night. As predicted, the beginnings of the snowstorm had made arrival and now a white crystalline blanket was beginning to form a cover over the cold ground below.

Inside the house on Maplewood Drive, emotions were beginning to turn as tumultuous as the weather. Lee had started pacing a path around the kitchen. Joe was becoming agitated. Even the Prime Minister was showing signs of being visibly upset.

Amanda was alternately glancing at her watch to keep track of the passing minutes and then switching her gaze to Lee as he moved about.

Only Dotty seemed to be calm, cool, and collected as she made a pot of hot tea.

Finally, after more than a few glaring looks from Amanda, Lee ceased his pacing and then looked at the clock.

“Okay, that’s it, Phillip’s officially grounded, and that car is staying parked until the middle of the summer.”

Joe practically grunted.

“Try until the middle of the next century.”

Dotty frowned as she began to pour tea into the cups. She had been listening to the others for the past ten or so minutes. Had they all forgotten that they were dealing with three boys on break from school plus one mall with a very appealing video arcade?

Of course, they were going to be running late. Besides, she knew her eldest grandson. If the roads had gotten a little slick, he would pick the safety of his passengers over making it home on time.

As she picked up the tray, she decided to speak her mind.

“They’re teenagers,” she gently reminded them as she approached the table.

“They were given their orders,” Lee retorted.

Dotty began settling the cups of tea in front of the worried adults.

“Home before dark, before the snow,” Lee reminded them.

“Lee, maybe he did have car trouble,” Amanda interrupted. “Maybe you and Joe should go look for them.”

Lee glanced at her across the table.

“What have we always preached to him?”

“I know, I know. If he had any kind of trouble, the first thing he’s to do is to call one of us.”

“Maybe Amanda’s right,” Joe said with a shrug. “Maybe he did have trouble and didn’t think about calling.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Lee began but Dotty interrupted him.

“Lee, if the roads are slick, he’s taking his time. They’re only a few minutes late.”

“Try twenty,” Lee corrected her.

“Well then, if he is having car trouble, you’re probably going to find him under the hood. You know how is, he’ll think he can fix it himself and he’s just lost track of the time.”

Lee respectfully turned his face away from his mother-in-law to unintelligibly mutter something slightly indecent under his breath.

She did have a valid point though. If something were wrong, Phillip would, without a doubt, try to fix it himself.

“Let me go grab a few things from the garage and then we’ll go find him. And for his sake, he better pray he’s under the hood and not hanging out inside the mall with a bunch of his friends.”

Amanda watched Lee storm out of the kitchen, then turned to face Joe.

“They really should have been here by now.”

Joe reached across the table to pat her hand comfortingly.

“I’m sure it’s nothing.”

“I am also sure there is no need to worry,” the Prime Minister added. “From what I have seen so far this weekend, your eldest son seems very responsible.”

Amanda gave him a small smile but before she could say anything further to him, the telephone rang.

Joe, being the closest, got up and answered it. “Hello.”

“Phillip?” Joe’s voice began rising as he quickly rattled off a bunch of questions. “Where are you? What are you doing? Did you forget that you were supposed to be home before dark?”

“What? What?” Joe shook his head. “Slow down son, I can’t understand you.”

“Where?”

“Okay, okay. Stay there. We’ll be there as quick as we can.”

Joe hung up the telephone and then looked at the worried group of adults looking at him.

“Well, what do you know? He did have car trouble.”

A visible look of relief washed over their faces.

“Oh no,” Amanda said. “I hope it’s nothing serious.”

The Prime Minister smiled.

“See, I told you,” he said as he nodded his head up and down. “No big fret.”

Dotty could not help but chuckle. The levity brought from the Prime Minister’s amusing speech was certainly a welcome respite after the last few minutes.

Just then, Lee came back into the kitchen, carrying one of his toolboxes with him.

“What’s so funny?”

“Phillip just called,” Joe answered. “The boys did have car trouble. They’re at a garage a couple of blocks from the mall. I told him we’d be there shortly.”

“Well, let’s get going,” Lee said.

The Prime Minister stood up.

“No, no. You should stay with your wife. After we get the boys, we can sway by the pizza place and pick up dinner.”

“It’s swing by the pizza place,” Amanda gently corrected him. “And I really appreciate that.”

“It is not a problem. I am most obliged for everything that you have done for us this weekend, so you and Lee stay here. We’ll be back with the…the pepperoni. Besides, we have an old saying…man stay with pregnant wife all the time and find much confusion. Or is that avoid much confusion?”

The Prime Minister shrugged his shoulders and smiled at them.

“Well, whichever way it goes, Lee shall stay here.”

After they had gone, Lee leaned over the back of Amanda’s chair and kissed the side of her neck.

“I guess we were sitting here worrying for nothing.”

“We still don’t know what’s wrong with Phillip’s car,” Amanda began.

“I’m sure it’s nothing that can’t be fixed,” Lee reassured her, his hands already beginning to massage her shoulders gently.

Amanda sighed under the comforting touch of her husband.

“I guess you’re right,” she replied even though she still felt that little inkling of nagging doubt that she’d had in the pit of her stomach for the last hour or so. She reached one hand up and trailed her fingers over Lee’s. Maybe she would feel better once the boys were home and they were all safely inside enjoying their pizza.

Act 1

Aimee Delozier had returned home from her dentist visit earlier in the day and then had promptly settled into bed. She had been up far too late the prior night and the early morning appointment had taken a toll on her.

Napping most of the afternoon had not been part of her plan but when she had woken up, she realized that nearly the entire day had slipped by and that she had not made any further progress on the disk for Lee.

She slid out of bed, strolled to the kitchen, and tossed a frozen pizza into the oven. It was only after indulging in a quick hot shower and slipping into a comfy pair of sweatpants and shirt, along with her favorite pair of fuzzy socks, that she felt ready to tackle the world again.

With piping hot pizza and a tall glass of Pepsi over ice, she sat down at her desk and turned on her computer. While she waited for it to boot up, she listened to the weather report on the local radio station. She highly doubted that she was going to work in the morning from what they were saying. The entire city would be virtually shut down if the weatherman had it pegged right, and from the list of tomorrow’s cancellations being announced, it seemed that he did.

Aimee plucked a piece of pepperoni from her slice of pizza and popped it into her mouth. This suited her just perfectly. No other interruptions meant that she could give this little challenge all of her attention and, with any luck, she would have an answer for Lee by the time that the weather cleared up for Wednesday morning.

*** SMK ***

Joe eased his sedan off the street and into the snow-covered parking lot of Johnson’s Auto Shop. The roads were already becoming a slick mess in places where the slushy snow was piling up and judging from the expression on his friend’s place, he certainly did not want to send the vehicle sliding any more than necessary.

He slid the transmission into park and then looked over at the Prime Minister.

“Looks kind of deserted, doesn’t it?”

The Prime Minister surveyed the shop. There did not seem to be much light coming through the front windows, giving the establishment an aura of abandonment.

“Perhaps they are in the back?”

Joe keyed off the vehicle’s ignition.

“Let’s go find out.”

The two men got out of the vehicle and made their way to the front door. Joe tried the knob, finding it to be unlocked.

Once inside, they found the front desk empty although a small electric heater was running and blowing out warm air.

They walked on by it and then through the slightly open door that led to the darkened repair area.

“Hello?” Joe called out.

The door behind them suddenly slammed shut.

Then an overhead light blinked on.

Joe blinked his eyes a few times to adjust to the sudden brightness and was shocked at what he saw.

Lying face down on the cold hard floor, in front of a vehicle with an open hood, was a person. He took it to be one of the employees, judging from the dark blue coveralls that the man was wearing.

To his left, the Prime Minister suddenly gulped rather loudly.

Joe quickly brought his gaze upward.

Standing in front of them were two men, each pointing a gun at them.

Of one thing, Joe was certain. These individuals were definitely not employees of Johnson’s Auto Shop.

***SMK***

Aimee was sipping her Pepsi and trying combinations to crack the code on Scarecrow’s mysterious disk. Things weren’t looking good. She knew there were several sections-some were lists, but of what she couldn’t discern-yet. Then there were sections that had text and that was probably the stuff that would give the best results at decryption.

She sat back and thought. “I can attack all this at once-or I can go section by section. There’s no guarantee every section uses the same code-but then this is one mother of a code-so maybe they used the same one for all of it trusting the code itself was a doozy and unbreakable.” She got up and paced for a few moments, waving her arms. “What do I do? Attack the whole thing or concentrate on one small part? Picard would attack the big problem. Geordi would take it piece by piece. What would Data do? This is more his territory?” She paced back and forth, back and forth. “Data would do whatever needed to be done. OK, that settles it! I’ll go for this section, get it decoded, and apply that solution to the rest of it. Thanks, Data-I owe you-where are your nannites when I need them?”

She sat back down at her desk-took a generous swig of Pepsi and got back to work.

***SMK***

Over an hour had come and gone and still they had not returned. No phone calls, no hungry boys, no pizza.

Amanda was now the one who had taken to pacing about, occasionally stopping to rub her back before resuming her path between the kitchen and the living room where Dotty and Lee were seated on the couch.

Lee was flipping through the television channels, trying to see if there was anything major happening on the roads that might be causing a delay but so far, he had found nothing.

“Surely the wait for the pizza can’t be taking this long,” Dotty said. “I mean, surely, there can’t be all that many people out and about in this weather.”

Lee turned and looked at Dotty. Earlier in the day, she had been the only calm adult in the house. Now, she seemed the most nervous. Wringing her hands, rotating the assortment of bracelets on her wrists and turning her head back and forth from the television to Amanda.

“I don’t understand,” Amanda said. “Surely they aren’t trying to get Phillip’s car fixed tonight, not with this weather. And why wouldn’t they call? Surely, Joe would call, wouldn’t he? And I’m sure the boys are starved, they’d have to be.”

Lee wasn’t sure what to say to her. Judging from the look on her face, Amanda was more than a little worried. He wanted to say the right thing but apparently, his mind did not want to cooperate.

So, he sat there. Turning his gaze back to the television and saying nothing.

While the latest round of cancellations and closings for the area was being recited, the telephone began ringing. They all jumped.

“Got it,” Lee declared as he practically sprinted to the telephone. Amanda followed him as fast as she was able in this late stage of her pregnancy, followed closely by Dotty.

“Hello.”

“Yes, this is the King household.”

“I’m his stepfather, Lee.”

“You what?”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, that’s his license plate. But I don’t understand. He called here about an hour ago and said he was having car trouble. His father went to pick them up but now he hasn’t returned either.”

“Okay, well thanks. I’d appreciate it.”

Lee hung up the phone and then turned to look at Amanda and Dotty. He had a very confused expression on his face.

“That was the mall security office. They shut the mall down several hours ago because of the weather. Phillip’s car is still there. They were going to tow it so that they could plow once the snow stops but when they found the keys in the door lock, they did a trace on it.”

“What?”

“But didn’t Joe say that Phillip was calling from the garage?”

Lee nodded at the anxious women. Then he began dialing another telephone number.

“I think it’s time to get some answers.”

*** SMK ***

The pizza was long gone; nothing left of it save a few crumbs. One two-liter of Pepsi had been emptied and a second was nearly half-gone. In the background, the faint voices from an un-watched Star Trek episode went ignored.

However, it was neither the cold drink nor the image of the USS Enterprise boldly soaring across the television screen that held her attention.

What had grabbed her complete attention was the computer monitor that she had been looking at for an untold amount of time. On the screen before her, the garbled text that formed file names was changing. Odd characters were being replaced, one by one, with recognizable letters from the alphabet.

Aimee Delozier nearly jumped out of her seat as she squealed aloud, pumping her fist victoriously into the air.

“Eureka!”

Now this was more like it, she thought to herself. She had managed to crack the first nut and, with a little luck, she would completely own the entire tree before the night was out.

Act 2

One man opened up the door and the other one pushed them inside the room. Joe tumbled to the floor from the force of the shove and the Prime Minister tripped over him.

Both men landed in a heap on the floor.

“Dad!”

“Dad!”

“Dad!”

The three boys rushed forward from where they had been sitting, grateful for the sight of their fathers, even if they were both now in a tangled heap on the floor.

A snickering sound came from one of their captors.

“Enjoy your little reunion.”

Then the two unknown men left, banging the door shut behind them and leaving the kidnapped group alone in the strange room.

*** SMK ***

It was midnight by the time that Billy Melrose pulled into the driveway in Arlington. His dark eyes were bleary and bloodshot, both from the lateness of the hour and from the tense drive over from Georgetown.

If this had involved anyone else, he would never have made the drive in the first place. But, this was Lee and Amanda’s family. A family that he considered an extension of his own. Plus, the Prime Minister of Estoccia and his son were also involved in this. Whatever this was.

After turning off the ignition, Billy sat there for a moment. He needed to be composed when he went inside that door and right now, he felt anything but composed.

He reached over and scooped his hat up from the passenger seat. Composed he wasn’t but neither was he an idiot. In these freezing temperatures and howling winds, he didn’t need to add to his headache.

*** SMK ***

When the door flung open, Joe could tell from the look on the one’s man face that it was not going to be a pretty scenario. One of the evilest scowls that he had ever seen was etched upon the man’s face.

Mr. Evil glanced to his accomplice standing at his side and then nodded his head.

In a split second, the skinnier man strode straight for Jamie. With more force than was necessary, he grabbed the boy’s arm and hauled him up and off the old bench.

Jamie couldn’t help but to shriek from the pain.

“Leave him alone,” Joe shouted.

“All in good time,” the elder man said. “But only if you tell me what we want to know.”

Joe blinked in confusion. He didn’t have a clue what the man was talking about.

“Don’t pretend that you don’t know.”

Joe shrugged his shoulders.

“I’m afraid that I really don’t have any idea what this is all about.”

“Tsk…tsk.”

The man looked at the Prime Minister and then back at Joe.

“Does the name Argus mean anything to you?”

Joe gave a sideways glance towards the Prime Minister. Then he looked back at the elder man.

“And what if it does?”

“Don’t go getting all half-witted on me, Mr. King. In case you’ve forgotten, both of your sons are here.”

He paused to take a look over at the bench where Phillip sat before continuing.

“Press me too hard and I could just as easily have both your current wife and your ex-wife here as well.” He paused to chuckle in a sickening fashion. “In multiple pieces. Now, please. Let’s make this simple. Just give me the information that I need.”

“Okay, okay,” Joe replied. “So I know who they are. I still don’t understand what’s going on.”

The man pulled off his gloves, slowly. First one, then the other. He folded them both in half and tucked them neatly into his coat pockets. Then he walked the few short steps to stand directly in front of Joe.

“Let’s just say that you have some property of theirs that needs to be returned.”

Joe shook his head in confusion.

“I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about.”

“The disk.”

“Disk? What disk?”

“Mr. King, I suggest that you think about your answers.”

“I am and I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“All right, if you insist. I’ll give you a little hint. There was a box of materials left behind at the EAO. In your office. A box that contained some very useful information to us. I happen to know that you found the disk.”

A more complete understanding suddenly dawned on Joe. The man was referring to the disk that he had given Lee to look at.

“Yeah, there was a disk but there wasn’t anything on it.”

“Where is it?”

“I threw it away,” Joe said. “It wasn’t any good to anyone.”

The old man sighed, then turned to look at the skinnier man who was holding Jamie.

“Renny.”

In the blink of an eye, Renny pulled a very long and glistening blade out of his jacket. He waved it in front of Jamie’s frightened face, coming dangerously close several times.

“Now…the disk, Mr. King. Where is the disk?”

*** SMK***

“The mechanic’s dead! There’s nobody else there! Billy, where in the hell are our boys?”

Lee’s voice thundered throughout the walls of the house on Maplewood Drive.

Billy sighed. He had known that this wasn’t going to be easy. Even so, he had hoped that Lee would have maintained some calm.

“We’ve got a team dusting for prints,” Billy offered.

“Bet you my next paycheck they don’t find anything,” Lee mumbled angrily.

“I don’t understand,” Amanda interrupted from where she sat on the couch. “None of this makes any sense.”

Billy looked sympathetically at her. She looked exhausted and given the hour and the scenario, he wondered just how well she really was holding up.

“At the moment it doesn’t,” he responded to her. “We’ll get to the bottom of it.”

“Billy, they’ve got the boys. Hell, they’ve got the Prime Minister and his son,” Lee roared. “I don’t know about you but I sure as heck don’t think Smyth is going to appreciate this.”

“Lee, were you working on anything recently, anything that could have a tie-in to this?”

“You’ve seen my workload the past few weeks. It’s mostly BS,” Lee reminded him.

“You’re certain?”

“What I’m certain of is that our boys are missing. We’re wasting time playing twenty questions here.”

“All the angles need to be worked,” Billy reminded him calmly. He then turned to Amanda.

“And you’re positive that there hasn’t been anything suspicious, no strange phone calls, or unidentified individuals around the boys?”

Amanda shook her head.

“I’m sure I would have noticed,” she quipped. “I’m not a rookie.”

“Wait a minute,” Lee suddenly said.

“What?”

“This is a long-shot, way out in left field. Let me make a quick phone call.”

Lee practically bolted from the couch and raced to the phone.

Continued

We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming to bring you this special announcement by the President of the United States.

The President is approaching the podium now.  Following this message we will of course cover the content for hours and hours and you will miss all of your regularly scheduled shows.

President: Good evening.  Today we had disturbing news affecting the state of our Union.  Due to unforeseen events the second half of the Episode “Whatever Tomorrow Brings” has been destroyed.

We suspect Al Queda is involved and have all of our best agents working diligently to rectify the loss to save the rest of the season.

To our fellow readers, we ask that you remain patient as this matter is resolved as quickly and thoroughly as possible.

As always we thank you for your support of this administration and hope to have good news within the week.

I will now answer a few questions… as long as they are not about broccoli, my sons or my rapidly receeding hairline.

Prologue

February 12th, 1990

Petersburg Prison – Virginia

It was an unexpected visit, but if from nothing other than curiosity, Byron Foster allowed himself to be escorted from the secluding walls of his tiny cell by the guard to the visitation area.  It was rare that anyone came to visit him these days, unless it was the family lawyer in regards to the divorce that his soon-to-be ex-wife had hastily put into motion the very second that Federal agents had arrested him back in December of 1985.

His lawyer, while excellent in his profession, could only do so much to stall the proceedings.  Byron steeled himself for the latest development in what had become a hostile series of legal battles as the guard herded him throughout the facility.  The long walk through the corridors of the prison gave him ample time to think about his existence, or rather what was left of it these days.

Every day, from the very first one of his arrival had been an almost identical repeat of the one prior.  He was told when to begin his day and when to end it.  For the long hours in between he was instructed when to eat, when to shower and even when to exercise.  He was allotted a small amount of time to enjoy entertainment, which he found to be a rather peculiar sort of joke based upon what the prison system deemed appropriate for the poor souls who now found themselves to be residents within Petersburg.

The only variety, if it could be called that, had been the sporadic visits from his personal lawyer.  It was through him that he maintained any sort of contact with his now very distant family.  Oh yes, once the discovery was made that he had indulged in some rather questionable employment, they had all but abandoned him and now seemed intent on draining away everything that he had amassed for their own selfish gain.  Let his very greedy wife take what she wanted.  Let her have the divorce.  He possessed an ace up his sleeve that none of them knew about, not even her excellent lawyer.  All he had to do was sit back and bide his time like a good little prisoner.

Once arriving at the visitation area, the guard wordlessly prompted him to have a seat on the battered stool that was positioned in front of a small wired glass window.  Then Byron waited patiently as the gruff man used the telephone hanging on the wall to issue instructions to those on the other side of the heavy metal door that the visitor was to be admitted.  Byron took advantage of the short period of time during the walk to mentally steady himself as he awaited yet another legal headache in his now almost deplorable life.

However, when the door opened, Byron was faced with a visitor that he had certainly not expected to see.  He watched in silent surprise as the young woman was escorted in and shown to her seat.

Then, almost in unison, the guards on both sides of the dividing wall took up silent but ever-watchful positions near their respective doors.  This was as much privacy as the inmates were allowed during visitation.

Byron waited until the young woman on the other side of the wall picked up her telephone before doing the same.

“Hello Byron.”

Her voice sounded slightly garbled over the telephone line despite the short distance between them.

“Same to you.”

“I have news from home to report.”

He could actually feel his eyebrows rise at her words.

“Really?”

To say that his interest in this unforeseen visit was now elevated would have been an understatement.

Before continuing on, she nodded to him through the glass.

“I’ve word that Father will be visiting in a few weeks.  The family wanted to know if you would like the standard arrangements?”

Understanding quickly dawned on him.  She had paid him a few visits since the beginning of his incarceration, conversations brief with seemingly innocuous but always enlightening updates.  For this one though, Byron had to pause to think for a moment, carefully, before giving her his response.

Finally, he knew what he wanted to say.

“I believe normal arrangements will be most suitable,” he slowly instructed her.  “But spare nothing at ensuring a completely satisfying visit.”

The woman nodded once.

“Oh, and please give my best regards to your sister.”

Byron smiled at her and was gratified by the increased unease that he saw settle into her eyes.

Hastily she hung up her telephone.  Then, she stood up and motioned to the guard on her side that she was ready to be escorted out.

Byron watched her departure for a brief moment before he stood as well, giving his guard an indication that this visit was now complete and that he was ready to return to his hideous cell.

From seemingly out of nowhere had come the brightest ray of sunshine that he had experienced in quite a long time and Foster was determined to do nothing now but back and bask in the glory of it, all while being completely detached from what would come.

February 27^th

Inside the Emergency Aid Organization

Boxes surrounded Joe King.  They were everywhere – on the top of his desk, propped beside his desk and scattered about the office on the floor.  They were even piled up along the far wall of the office.  It was a disordered clutter that the normally neat and organized man found to be somewhat disturbing.  Of course, it was all in the name of renovation, or so he continually kept reminding himself.

With the onset of the New Year had come funding that was allowing the Emergency Aid Organization to undergo some much-needed interior remodeling.  Joe had pleasantly found himself to be among the lucky recipients who were being granted new work areas.

More spacious than his previous office, this one boasted a fresh coat of paint and plush new carpeting as well as upgraded and highly polished office furniture.  Unfortunately, Joe’s fortuitous acquirement of additional space and varnished new desks had come with a price tag, of sorts.

Before all of the new alterations, the area that was now his new office had been two rather large side-by-side storage areas jammed full of discarded files.  But, after a long period under the skillful hands of the carpenters and electricians, they had been transformed into a more modern office with not only new furnishing but also spacious windows that actually gave him a pleasant view.

With all of the construction now complete, Joe was left to sift through and unpack the scattered multiple boxes that were teeming with files and other office paraphernalia that needed put back into place.  Normally, he would have had the aid of Kendra, his secretary to assist him but as she had just been married on Saturday, he was left alone to deal with the rearranging and organizing.

His first order of business then, to help get the morning off to a good start, had been to set up the coffee maker and to restock the small refrigerator.  Much to his delight, it had not taken long for the aroma of the freshly brewed coffee to fill the room.

Joe poured himself a cup and then looked around the room, setting up his game plan while the hot drink cooled enough for him to drink.

The boxes on his desk were going to be easy enough to handle.  Despite the confusion and hectic last minute needs of planning her wedding, Kendra had somehow found the time to pack and label most of them in the last few days before going on honeymoon.  After reading the labels, Joe picked each one of them up and carried them across the room to sit on the floor beside the appropriate filing cabinet.  Once he had some of the other major things taken care of he would come back to them and file them away properly in their rightful drawers.

He then moved to his new desk and began organizing the top of it just the way that he liked it – family photos, desk calendar and all of his other items right where they belonged.  In just a short time, he was actually able to find the top of the desk and his much-needed coffee was sitting exactly in arm’s reach, on a coaster by his telephone.  He was already beginning to feel more relaxed and at home in this new space.

A quick scan of the room had Joe choosing the next group of boxes to tackle, a small group sitting off in the corner.  He moved over to them and immediately noticed that none of them were labeled.  Somehow, they did not seem to quite fit in with the rest of the boxes.  Given that they were smaller than the rest, he initially assumed that they might belong to Kendra.

He took the smallest box off from the top of the pile and then took it back to his desk so that he could go through it while he drank his coffee.

After slicing through the packaging tape that had been adhered down the middle to keep it closed, Joe quickly found that his original assumption of it probably being personal belongings of Kendra’s was incorrect.

He did not recognize the few manila folders that were on the top nor did he recognize the bright blue plastic computer disk holder that lay beneath them.  None of the interior contents were labeled and, knowing that Kendra was as precise as he was in matters of record keeping, he began to wonder if perhaps this box had been from one from the storage closets rather than from his old office.

Curiosity got the better of him so he flipped open the first folder only to find a few pages containing nothing but a list of numbers that meant absolutely nothing to him.  With a shrug, he opened the disk holder and inserted it into his computer.  Thank goodness the IT fellows had already moved it in and set it up for him so that all he had to do was sit back and wait, able to enjoy his coffee while it loaded.  Then he would be able to track down where the items really belonged and get them to their proper place.

His enjoyment of his beverage was short-lived however.  The ringing of his telephone, the first call in the new office, demanded his attention instead.

Joe set his coffee mug down and picked up the telephone.

“Joe King speaking.”

An unexpected but very welcome voice spoke into his ears.

“Good morning to you as well, Joe.”

“Mr. Prime Minister!  It is good to hear from you.  How are you?”

Joe listened to his old friend chuckle over the line.

“Oh, I am doing quite well my friend, quite well.  I called because I have some good news to share with you.”

“What’s that?”

“I wanted to let you know that I am coming to your country.”

“That’s great,” Joe responded enthusiastically.  “When?”

“We’re just now completing the final arrangements and we shall be arriving on Friday.”

“We?”

“Oh yes, yes,” the Prime Minister said with a laugh before continuing.  “Imagine, will you?  Ja’Shaun has continued to express his interest in attending school in America.  I finally had to relent and promised him that on my next trip he would accompany me and we would, how do you say, scope them out?”

Joe laughed in response, remembering quite well just how determined Ja’Shaun could be when he settled his young mind on something.

“That’s wonderful.”

“Yes, yes.  He is very excited, both to see the schools and to see you again.  May we count on you to pick us up at the airport?”

Joe did not even hesitate to answer the question.

“Of course, of course.  This is wonderful.  I look forward to seeing you and your son again.  It’s been a long time.”

“Too long, my old friend, far too long.  I must go now for I have a few other matters that need attending to before our departure.  I will have my secretary call you with of the details a little later in the day.  Until then, as they say, may all the cows in your field eat happily.”

Joe could not help but laugh again.

“I’ll talk to you soon.  Have a good flight.”

Joe could not help but smile as he hung up the telephone.  He was very much looking forward to the opportunity to visit with his old friend, but first, as he took a glance around his office, he realized that he still had a lot of work to get done.

“Well, all right then, let’s get back to it then.”

He returned his focus back to the computer screen; fully expecting by now to see something that was easily recognizable and that would allow him to get these unknown items properly filed away.  He was a little dismayed when nothing but meaningless squiggles and peculiar characters appeared on the screen to greet his eyes.

“That’s odd,” he murmured as he stared at the monitor.  He was completely puzzled at what he was seeing.

Thinking that perhaps the computer had had a momentary glitch, he tried reloading the disk but like before, the same odd display of gibberish greeted his eyes.

The rational part of him wanted to assume that the disk was simply damaged and that perhaps the box had not been labeled because the contents had been slated for discard.  But, even as he continued to stare at the screen in an attempt to make some sort of sense of the display, his gut reaction was telling him that the mysterious squiggles meant something, perhaps even something of importance.

The only problem was that Joe King did not have a clue as to what the display might be trying to tell him.

4247 Maplewood Drive

By the time that Lee Stetson pulled his vehicle alongside Joe King’s sedan in the driveway, it was dark and sputtering a fine flurry of wet snowflakes from the cold front that had moved into the area.

Of course, Lee had known that Joe had been planning to stop in after dinner to discuss several of the boys’ school-related items with Amanda.  Lee had hoped to get home early enough to participate but unfortunately, he had been needed at the Agency for far longer than he had originally anticipated.

Lee keyed off the ignition and slid out of the vehicle, more than ready to relax at home with his wife and family.  As he walked up to the door, several cold snowflakes fell on his nose, tickling it with their cold wet texture.  For some odd reason he could not help but smile and by the time that he had closed the front door behind him, the tensions from his long workday were already easing.

Once inside, he found Joe and Amanda seated on the couch.  A pile of papers and brochures, as well as several beverage glasses were scattered on the coffee table before them.  From the looks of it, there had obviously been a lot to discuss.

Amanda looked up at him and gave him a warm smile.

“You’re home late.”

Smiling apologetically at his wife, Lee shrugged out of his coat and placed it over the back of the couch.

“Sorry.  I meant to be home earlier but you know how it goes.”

“That’s okay.”  Amanda smiled reassuringly up at her husband.  “Joe and I were just reviewing some of the brochures that Phillip brought home from the guidance counselor.”

“Really,” Lee asked as he took in the sight of all of them.  For some odd reason, looking at the many brochures made Lee recall the time that he and Amanda had planned to take their first small vacation away, together as a couple and with no Agency business attached to the agenda.  In the hopes of giving her the best vacation possible, Lee had amassed a similar array of them.  Representing a multitude of options, it had actually proven to be a bit overwhelming and now Lee wondered if Phillip might feel the same way.

“There’s a lot of them,” he remarked as he sat down on the couch beside his wife.  Lee then scooped up a handful of the brightly colored brochures that highlighted everything from traditional colleges to technical institutes; all promising the future graduate a bright and promising career.

Suddenly, Lee’s attention became focused on several that were from the United States military.

The Air Force,” he questioned incredulously.

Both Joe and Amanda nodded.

Lee looked down at the folders that he held in his hand and then back up to Phillip’s parents.

“You’ve got to be kidding me, right?”

“No,” Joe replied.

Lee looked first at Joe and then back to his wife.

Amanda shrugged before explaining.

“Apparently at school they’ve been having a series of different guest speakers giving presentations to the students about planning their future careers.  A few weeks ago a recruiter from the Air Force came in and evidently Phillip has now taken quite an interest.”

“I see,” Lee replied slowly.  His emotions were certainly mixed, to say the least.  Given his own experience of growing up as a military brat under the Colonel’s care, a thousand questions began forming in his mind.  Nevertheless, Lee knew that they had to start with the most important one.

“Just how serious is he?”

“Well,” Joe replied, “apparently serious enough to be interested in enrolling in the delayed entry program.”

He handed over another pamphlet to Lee who then raised his eyebrow questionably at Amanda.

Her voice, when she spoke, was slightly softer than normal and although she had not exactly voice her opinion on the matter, Lee had to wonder how she was feeling in regards to all of this.

“He’s asked our permission to have the recruiter come over one night in the next week or so, that way we can all sit down and discuss it.”

Lee immediately realized that Phillip was more than a little interested.

“I’m shocked,” Lee admitted.  “I mean, up to this point, Phillip’s main interests seemed to be cars and girls.”

“I know,” Joe said in agreement and Amanda simply nodded.

“Where is he now?”

Amanda tilted her head upwards.

“Upstairs.  He actually brought home his schoolbooks.  All of them.  He mentioned something about the recruiter recommending that his grade point average should go up by the end of the term.”

“Phillip’s actually studying?  Seriously?”

Again, both Amanda and Joe nodded.

“I don’t believe it.”

“I’m not sure I do either,” Joe said with an amused chuckle.  Then he stood up.  “It’s getting late and I really should be going.  As for Phillip, I guess we’ll just have to meet with the guidance counselor and this recruiter and go from there.  You know with Phillip, there’s no telling what he’ll be thinking by then.”

“Agreed,” Amanda said.

Lee stood up as well.

“I’ll see Joe out,” he told Amanda as he leaned over to kiss her lightly on the cheek before looking down lovingly at her tummy.

“Oh,” Joe paused and then turned around to look back at Amanda.  “Will you call me at the office tomorrow?  If you can let me know about the appointment with the guidance counselor, I’ll note it on my calendar.”

Amanda smiled up at him from her comfortable position on the couch.

“I will.”

“That will be great.  Goodnight.”

“Drive safely.”

Lee followed Joe to the front door.  As Joe was putting his coat on, he turned to Lee.

“I was really glad that you came home before I left.  I know I shouldn’t really be asking you this, but I was wondering if you could do me a favor?”

“Depends,” Lee replied.

“I was going through some old files this morning and I found a computer disk.  It wasn’t labeled so I tried to see what was on it and all that I got was some sort of strange garbled text.”

“Did you have anyone from your office take a look at it?”

“Call me crazy,” Joe said as his shook his head.  “Or maybe I’ve been hanging around you and Amanda for far too long.  I can’t explain it, I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s just something about it and until I actually know what’s on it, I’d appreciate keeping it just between us.”

Joe was right, Lee thought.  It did sound somewhat crazy.  After all, it was just a computer disk.

Initially, Lee would have responded with a no to Joe’s request.  However, there was something about his expression that made Lee give it a second thought.  More than a few times he had seen a similar look on Amanda’s face.  It was that same look that could jiggle his internal sixth sense and have him going off in an unexpected direction in the blink of an eye before he even realized it was happening.

“Ah, what at the heck,” Lee relented.  “I’ll have someone in the IT department take a look at it.”

Joe reached into his coat pocket and retrieved the disk case.  He then handed it to Lee.

“You know, it’s probably nothing but I sure do appreciate it.  Well, I’d better be going.  Carrie will have a fit.  You know how she is when they’re predicting freezing roads.”

“No problem,” Lee told him.  “Have a good night”

“Thanks again Lee.”

Lee locked the door behind Joe.  Then, he glanced down at the innocent looking case that he now held in his hands.  At the same time, he felt a sudden cold chill go down his spine.

Lee dismissed it as he walked back to Amanda, assuming it to be nothing more than a backlash of the cold air that had come through the open front door.

That same night – an apartment somewhere in DC

The crackle and smell from the burning log inside the fireplace, along with the warmth from the blaze helped to take the chill out of the air inside the cozy apartment.  Despite the added heat, the young woman sitting on the black leather couch in front of the fire was draped with a colorful afghan as she chatted on the telephone.

“I know,” she agreed to the complaining female voice on the other end.

For several very long moments she had been listening to the agitated voice and right now, she really wished that the conversation would come to a welcome end soon.

“I said I know but you have to see it from my end,” she tried again.  “Besides, I promised to share with you.”

“Well.  My, oh my, how greedy can one be?”

Again, a litany of complaints assailed her ears.

“Dangerous?  Not for you,” she retorted to the listener.  “I’m the one in danger here.  Not you.  All that you have to do is listen and observe what goes on around you and then fill me in.  Simple.  No danger.”

This time she pulled the phone quite a distance away from her ear and sighed rather loudly.

“Look, it’s late and I’ve got to get up early in the morning.  Just keep me updated, okay?”

“That’s all I’m asking you to do.”

“Right.  I’ll talk to you soon.”

When the loud click echoed in her ear informing her that the call had ended, she was secretly relieved.  This was a lot harder than she had originally thought.  And, for the thousandth time or so, she wondered…what exactly had she gotten them into?

Late that night – Maplewood Drive

After Joe had left, Lee had thought that maybe they could discuss Phillip’s latest interest in furthering his education.  Busy with their homework, the boys had stayed upstairs and Amanda had focused her energy on cleaning up after dinner while Lee ate his leftovers.  By the time that Lee had finished and the kitchen had been tidied, Amanda had declared that she was exhausted, leaving Lee to realize that they had never gotten around to it.

Now that everyone in the house had settled down for bedtime and Amanda was snuggled next to him under the warmth of the blankets, Lee figured that this was as good an opportunity as any and if Amanda was open to the conversation, then so was he.

When Amanda initiated conversation though, it did not take the direction he had been preparing himself for.

“Did I tell you that the Prime Minister from Estoccia is coming to the States,” she asked as she scooted even closer to him in the darkness.

“No.  When?”

“He’ll be arriving Friday afternoon.  Oh, he’s bringing his young son along as well and Joe and I thought it would be nice if we invited him over while Phillip and Jamie are home on winter break next week.”

“I didn’t know that he had a kid,” Lee remarked.

Amanda laughed softly in the darkness.

“You would have been if you ever took the time to completely read all of your files or remembered things that I told you.”

“Hey, that’s not fair,” Lee protested.  “I always read everything and I always listen to everything that you say.”

“Sure you do,” Amanda teased, her voice telling him that she didn’t quite completely believe him.

“Okay, so the Prime Minister has a son and he’s coming along.  Mind sharing some details with me?”

Amanda’s voice turned very playful.

“It’ll cost you.”

“I’ll pay, I promise.”

“Okay.  His son’s name is Ja’Shaun and he’s eight years old, he’ll turn nine at the end of April.  For the last year or so he’s been saying he wants to go to school in America and finally convinced his father to look into it.  So, while the Prime Minister is over here for business, he’s going to look into several schools.  Joe thought it might be nice if Ja’Shaun could meet the boys and spend some time with them as well and I agree.”

“Sounds like a great idea to me,” Lee replied as he leaned over and kissed Amanda’s forehead and then, seeing the perfect opening for further conversation, he forged ahead.

“I also think it sounds like Ja’Shaun isn’t the only one thinking about future plans.”

Amanda sighed.

“I know.”

She rolled over a little in the bed, obviously trying to get comfortable.

“Lee, what do you think?”

He reached over in the darkness and began rubbing Amanda’s belly.

“Well, much as I know you’d like it, they can’t stay little forever.  Sooner or later, they have to go out and experience the real world.  We both know it isn’t easy trying to decide where you want your life to go and between those brochures and what Phillip’s been told, it all probably sounds exciting and maybe even a little glamorous to him.  We’ll just have to do our best to keep him grounded and focused until he makes his decision.”

“It was a lot easier when I was the one making the decisions on what they did,” Amanda grumbled back.

Lee could not help but smile.

“It’s a big decision, I know.  But, we’ll all sit down with the recruiter and listen to everything.  That way we can help Phillip sort through it all.  Besides, we have to make sure that he doesn’t make a rash decision.  Once he signs on the dotted line, the military doesn’t exactly understand backing out at the last minute.”

Amanda rolled back over and laid her head on his chest.

“I knew that this year was going to bring a lot of changes but I guess I wasn’t prepared for this one.”

“Phillip’s a great kid, Amanda.  He’ll be just fine, trust me.”

“Always,” she whispered as she leaned in closer and kissed Lee lightly on the lips.  “I guess it’s whatever tomorrow brings, huh?”

Lee reached over with his hand and caressed her cheek lightly before kissing her back.

“I’ll love you tomorrow and the next day and the next day.”

Amanda placed her fingers over his lips, effectively silencing him.

“If you don’t want me grumpy tomorrow, I suggest we go to sleep.”

Lee settled back into a comfortable position, drawing her close to him.

“Good night Mrs. Stetson.”

Feb. 28th – The Agency

Very early the following morning and first thing before even heading up to the Q-Bureau, Lee casually strolled into the IT department.  The questionable computer disk was stashed safely inside his jacket pocket.

He knew the perfect person that he could sway into doing him this little favor.  Tucked away in the back cubicle, the one that had colorful posters of the galaxy posted on the outside walls of the cube and miniature spaceship models from an array of science-fiction shows and movies hanging from the ceiling above her desk, was the perfect person for the job.

Given her tendency to dress in black from head to toe on a daily basis, most of the Agency believed that she belonged to some sort of secret coven of witches, but Lee knew better.  Long ago he had learned that Aimee Delozier, despite outward appearances, was one of the sweetest individuals that he had ever had the pleasure of meeting, next to Amanda.  He had even learned to somewhat appreciate her almost crazed fascination with sci-fi and tiny little model spaceships.

Plus, she also owed him a favor and he knew, without a doubt, that she would keep this little off-the-record assignment totally confidential.

He stepped into her cubicle, only to find that Aimee was holding one of her models in her hand and spinning it around while she stared at it with an almost frightening intensity.

“Hi,” he greeted her.  “Am I interrupting anything?”

“I think they’ve got the nacelle length proportions incorrect on the starboard side.”

She then placed the little model gently down beside her keyboard before swinging her chair completely around so that she could give him her undivided attention.

“Hey…long live and prosper, my man.  What can I do for ya today, Man of Straw?”

Before Lee could even answer her, Aimee proceeded to swing her legs up and tuck them beneath her, Indian style.  It was a movement so quick that it actually made his knees ache as he watched.

Her movements had indicated that she was now ready to give him her total attention, so…in a hushed tone, Lee spoke to her.

“Do you recall Grayston Forty?”

Aimee’s bright blue eyes lit up with obvious inquisitiveness.

“Whatcha got?”

Lee pulled out the disk case and then handed it to her.

“Can you tell me if this disk is irreparably damaged or if the problem is something else?”

Aimee swung the case up and down in the air a few times before answering him.

“Sure.  By the way, have Amanda’s boys seen that new movie yet?  Tremors?”

Lee shook his head.  Since the name was unfamiliar to him, Lee didn’t think that they had seen it.

“Not yet, that I know of.”

“Well,” she beckoned Lee to lean closer with slender fingers that were covered in a multitude of rings, her black metallic nail polish bouncing light back into his eyes.  Then she whispered to him.

“On the QT, I’ve got a VHS.  Ya think they might want to see it?”

“Isn’t that sort of illegal?”

Aimee chuckled.

“Not in my galaxy.  Okay, here’s the procedure Straw Man.  I’ll toss it up to the Q in the A.M. and then I’ll get back at ya on this little gem…ASAP, of course.”

“Thanks Aimee.  I owe ya one.”

“Running balance dude, running balance.  Now make like a particle and scatter so that I can apply some Spock thought to this, would ya?”

With that, Aimee swung her chair back around to face her computer screen and Lee took the hint to depart and leave her in her zone, whatever dimension that might be at the moment.

As he headed back to his office, he glanced at his wristwatch.  He would need to hurry if he was to get things done in time and make Amanda’s appointment later with the OB.

*** SMK ***

Joe King was flipping through folders when a knock on his door made him look up.  A young black woman stood there, looking quite shy and hesitant.

“Can I help you?

“My name’s Tanesha, I’m the temporary secretary that was assigned to Mr. Carlton.”

“Oh, well hello.  What can I do for you?”

“Well, Mr. Carlton was called away to an unexpected meeting and he mentioned that your secretary was away on her honeymoon.  Since he wasn’t able to get me started on his projects he thought that I could maybe help you until he gets back?”

“Oh,” Joe said as he stood up, surprised and more than grateful at his coworker’s gesture.

“That would be wonderful.  How are you at word processing?”

Tanesha smiled.

“Just show me what you want me to do.”

“Great.”

Joe walked over to what would normally be his secretary’s desk and pulled some files from her in-bin.

“I really could use help with these.  The final reports just have to be reviewed for accuracy, edited and then printed. ”

Tanesha took the folders from him and opened up the top one.

“I don’t think these will be a problem at all, Mr. King.”

“Great.  Kendra has the computer files labeled; let me know if you have any trouble finding them.”

“Thank you,” Tanesha said.

Grateful for the extra hand, Joe returned to his desk to continue his own work without a second thought.

*** SMK ***

Lee and Amanda sat in the Jeep Wagoneer, shivering together as they waited for the vehicle to warm up inside while the engine ran.

Despite the bone-chilling cold, Lee was feeling extremely happy.  He turned towards Amanda; unable to hid the huge grin on his face.

“Guess it won’t be long now, huh?”

Amanda gave him an indulging smile.  While she was just as excited as he for their baby to arrive, she wasn’t eagerly looking forward to the actual delivery part.  She knew what to expect, after all, she had done this twice before.  However, that had been then, this was now, and despite the reassurances from the doctor that everything was just fine, she couldn’t help but worry.  She kept thinking that she was not as young and naïve as when she had had the boys.

“You okay?” Lee asked her.

She reached over a gloved hand and stroked his cheek.

“Yeah.”

“That didn’t sound very convincing, Mrs. Stetson.”

Amanda shrugged.

“I know that I’m just being silly.  You know, worrying about everything.”

Lee reached over and squeezed her hand reassuringly.

“Everything’s normal, you heard the doctor.  We’re almost there Amanda, almost there.  March 24^th will be here before we know it.”

Amanda watched as he suddenly frowned.

“What?”

Lee shook his head.

“Now I guess I’m being silly.  I mean, at first it was months away.  All the time in the world to prepare and now, wow!  It could be anytime.”

“I guess we can’t back out of this now, can we?”

They both smiled.

Lee turned in the car seat to face her.

“Have I told you that I love you?”

“Yes, but you could show me,” Amanda teased.

Amanda sighed as Lee’s lips touched hers.  The passion that she felt from his touch warmed her, completely erasing her worries and thoughts about the cold weather outside.

Then, in the middle of the sweet moment, a thought suddenly struck her and she pulled away from him.

“Hey,” Lee protested.

She smiled apologetically at him.

“I’m sorry.  It’s just that I remembered that I forgot to call Joe and remind him about the meeting at school.  It seems that lately I can’t remember everything and I did promise him that I’d call to remind him but I guess with getting ready for the baby and Mother getting all settled and the boys and all of their school stuff…”

Amanda looked up at him, a slightly embarrassed expression on her face as she realized that she had begun to ramble away.

Lee chuckled as he took her hands in his, squeezing them lightly.

“Well, for that you can be forgiven.  But I expect you to make that kiss up to me.”

“Oh, I will.”  Amanda nodded her head.  “On that, I promise.”

“I’ll hold you to it.  Now, why don’t we call Joe while we wait for the car to warm up?”

*** SMK ***

Several hours after Tanesha’s arrival, Joe glanced down at his watch and sighed.  He was scheduled for a lunch meeting in just a few minutes.  He glanced over at Tanesha who had been quietly and diligently working away.

“How’s it coming?”

“Very good,” she responded.  “I’m on the last file now.”

“Great,” Joe said happily.  “I’ve got a lunch meeting with Rogers, so I need to leave.”

“Not a problem.  Mr. Carlton hasn’t called yet to let me know he’s back and I’m estimating it will only take about fifteen more minutes for me to finish.”

“That would be wonderful.  If you can just print out the final copy for each and then put the folders on my desk for my approval and then lock the door behind you, I’d appreciate it.”

“Not a problem, Mr. King.  Enjoy your lunch.”

“Thanks.  Oh, when you see Carlton, let him know that I said thanks for your help.”

“I will.”

Joe grabbed his jacket and headed out of his office, leaving Tanesha alone.

She quietly and quickly finished her task.  Once she had the final reports printed, she did exactly as Joe had instructed and took the folders over to his desk.  Just as she had placed them down, the telephone rang.

Picking up the receiver, she spoke professionally to the caller on the other end.

“Mr. King’s office, Tanesha speaking.  How may I help you?”

“Is Joe there?”

“No, I’m sorry, sir.  He’s left for a lunch meeting.  Can I take a message?”

“Yeah, let him know that Lee called.  Oh, could you have him call me later?”

“I will.  Does he have your number, sir?”

“He’s got it.”

“Okay, I’ll give him the message.”

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

Tanesha hung the telephone up and jotted down the message on a post-it.  Then, she happened to notice a black appointment book lying open on the desk.

“Perfect,” she whispered.

She glanced down at and saw an outline of Joe’s appointments for the week.

Some of what she saw was work related and some of it personal in nature.  While after-school activities did not seem of much interest, she was definitely intrigued with the one for Friday afternoon.

2:00 p.m. – Pick up Prime Minister at the airport.

Tanesha smiled.

Even as she closed the office door behind her, her mind was spinning on how to get back into his office again this week.

Somehow, some way, she was going to have to get back into Joe’s office.

Later that Evening

An apartment somewhere in DC

Tanesha Williams was sitting on her black leather couch, legs curled beneath her while she sipped her tea.  The man sitting across from her looked far less comfortable as he spoke to her, a very stern expression etched upon his face.

“You do understand what’s riding on this, don’t you?”

Tanesha sighed.  How much more clarification did he think she needed?

Her annoyance over his unexpected and unwelcome intrusion into the quiet privacy of her night was rattling her nerves.

“Give me a break, would you?” she snapped at him.  “Contrary to popular belief, I am listening.”

“Then you do understand that our top priority right now is for you to get back into Mr. King’s office.”

“I’m telling you that it won’t be a problem.  His secretary’s out for two weeks.  I imagine he’ll be grateful for any help that he can get.”

The man leveled his steely gaze upon her.

“You will be the next one out if you are not able to do what we need.  Remember what happened to our trusted carpenter?”

Tanesha shook her head.  How could she forget?  The gruesome photographs that had been literally shoved under her nose had certainly left a lasting impression.  Even if she had not seen them, she was fully aware of his implications.  She reminded herself that all she had to do was hang in there a short while longer because the rather generous payback would more than make up for all of this.

“I don’t need any more reminders,” she informed her visitor.

Then, she leaned over and placed her cup of tea down onto the glass coffee table in front of the couch.  Before bringing her gaze back up to her visitor, she summoned all of her inner courage.  Then she looked straight into his merciless dark eyes.

“I understand what I have to do.  You send Riley over tomorrow afternoon and by the time he leaves, you can be assured that everything is going to according to plan.”

Continued