Disclaimer: I do not own Scarecrow and Mrs. King or any of the characters that appear in the show, although I would happily invite them to Thanksgiving dinner because that would be cool. I own a Scrabble board, but the rights to the classic board game belong to Hasbro (and, apparently, Mattel outside the U.S., but don't ask me to explain that). The playing techniques described in this story were made up by me and probably wouldn't help much in an actual tournament. There are plenty of books on the subject, if you're interested, but since I'm probably not going to be in a tournament, I'm just winging it for fun. I have not received any money for writing this, but I did learn a few new vocabulary words. The words used for the Scrabble game are all allowable according to The Scrabble Word-Building Book compiled by Saleem Ahmed.
Explanation: I like word games, and I got the idea for this story while fiddling around with an online Scrabble game. The holiday angle was inspired by the SMK episode The Long Christmas Eve. This story is meant to take place around Thanksgiving during the third season of the show. Happy Belated Thanksgiving, everyone! :D
Bonus Space
By Jestress
Chapter 1: The Challenge
"Okay, people!" Billy Melrose said, calling the meeting to order. "As you know, we need to discuss security for The International Science Symposium that will take place here in DC next week. We've increased security because we have reason to believe that an assassination may take place at the Symposium. Francine, would you give everyone the background on the Chameleon?"
Lee and Amanda glanced at each other. Everyone already knew about the Chameleon. In the last few years, he had become practically a legend, and he'd been the talk of the Agency for weeks.
"No one knows what the Chameleon really looks like," Francine said, reciting the information from the Agency's file on him. "Even his real nationality is unknown. For the past five years, he's been acting as a hired assassin for anyone who will pay him enough. His signature skill is that he is a master of disguise. He tends to disguise himself as someone close to his victims in order to gain access to them."
At this point, Billy took over the explanation. "During the last year, he has killed three people in the United States. Two of them were Russian defectors. For the first one, he disguised himself as an old friend of his victim, and for the second one, he was disguised as the man's son. The third victim was a lawyer who was collecting evidence against a crime syndicate in Chicago. In that case, the Chameleon actually managed to disguise himself as the man's girlfriend."
"Sir?" Amanda asked.
"Yes, Amanda?"
"If the Chameleon is always in disguise, how can we be sure that he's been the assassin in all these cases? I mean, could there be more than one person involved, and that's why the Chameleon can impersonate so many different people?"
"The best intelligence we have says that the Chameleon is a single individual," Billy said. "The KGB is one of his biggest clients, and a couple of our people on the inside have assured us that, although they've never seen him personally, the Chameleon is just one man who always prefers to work alone."
Francine added, "And in every case, the MO remains the same. He waits until the last minute or almost the last minute to replace the individual he is impersonating, leaving that person somewhere unconscious or incapacitated, but not dead. He only kills his intended target, and he tends to strike in public places with large crowds."
"Which makes the Symposium a perfect place for him to strike," Billy said. "Our latest intelligence indicates that the Chameleon is again working for the KGB, and that his next target is going to be Dr. Maxim Volkov. Dr. Volkov defected to the U.S. three years ago, and he is due to give a speech and receive an award for his work in robotics at the International Science Symposium here in D.C.. Scarecrow is heading up the team to organize security for the Symposium and to guard Dr. Volkov."
Lee nodded. "Aside from my partner," he said, smiling at Amanda, "I've already chosen Scofield, Parker, Lang, and Corbett for the main security team. We will have additional guards on duty the day of the Symposium. Even though the Chameleon probably won't strike until the day the Symposium begins, we've made sure that Dr. Volkov has been under guard since we first became aware of the threat. We've also put together complete dossiers on the people closest to Dr. Volkov in an effort to figure out possible disguises that the Chameleon might use. So far, we have narrowed it down to six most likely suspects."
"Who are the six you consider most likely?" Billy asked.
"They're family members and personal friends that Dr. Volkov invited to the Symposium. They're actually guests of Dr. Volkov and his wife for Thanksgiving, and they will be staying to attend the Symposium next week. We've including Mrs. Volkov on the list of suspects along with Dr. Volkov's son and his wife. The other three are colleagues of Dr. Volkov. However, Dr. Volkov will have a number of other professional colleagues at the Symposium."
"You and your team will have to watch everyone at the Symposium," Billy said, "but concentrate on these six in particular and, of course, guard Dr. Volkov at all times. Tell your people to be exceedingly careful about who they allow to go near Dr. Volkov. This is the first time we've known who the Chameleon's next victim is beforehand, so this is the first real chance we've ever had to catch him. Work out your surveillance schedules and have them to me by the end of the day tomorrow. Do you have someone scheduled to watch Dr. Volkov on Thanksgiving?"
"I'll do that myself," Lee said.
Billy nodded. Lee lived alone, and his only relative was an uncle who lived on an Air Force base, so he often worked holidays. It was nice that he helped free some of the other agents so they could spend time with their families, but Billy often wished that Lee would learn to take some time for himself . . . and maybe a certain special someone.
"On a lighter note, there is one final piece of business we need to discuss," Billy said. "I have just received an invitation from Cryptology to their Scrabble game. It takes place this Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. I'm going to need a volunteer to represent Field Section."
Everyone in the room groaned, except for Amanda. She looked at Lee questioningly. He just shook his head sadly.
"So, who's going to volunteer?" Billy asked.
Lee looked down at the table silently. Francine flipped through the notes in front of her. People all around the room were avoiding Billy's gaze.
"Come on, people! It's not that bad! It's just a game of Scrabble."
Amanda could hear the frustration in Billy's voice. Why was everyone acting so strange about a game of Scrabble?
"Sir! I'd like to volunteer!"
Lee turned swiftly to face her, eyes wide. He shook his head furiously. Everyone else in the room was just staring at her. Billy, on the other hand, looked pleased.
"Now, there's someone with some team spirit!" he said. "We all appreciate your enthusiasm. I'll have Lee brief you on the rules of the game."
"Sir!" Lee spoke up, clearing his throat. He didn't often call Billy, "Sir," so everyone knew that he was trying to get his attention. "I really couldn't spare Amanda for the Scrabble game. Since I'm coordinating the security team, I'm going to need my partner."
"The Scrabble game is the day after Thanksgiving," Billy reminded him. "It only takes a couple of hours, and it will be over long before the Symposium. In fact, if memory serves, Amanda has that day off anyway. It won't interfere with her duties at all. That is, if you don't mind helping us out that afternoon?" Billy looked at Amanda hopefully.
Lee was still giving Amanda warning looks, but everyone else was looking at her with pleading eyes, even Francine.
Wondering what she was getting herself into, Amanda said slowly, "I'd be happy to help."
Everyone in the room looked relieved, except for Lee.
"Thank you, Amanda! Well, now that that's settled," Billy said with a grin, "the meeting is concluded. Amanda, the Scrabble game starts at one o'clock on Friday. Lee will brief you on the rest. Good luck!"
As the others got up, they all thanked her and wished her luck, too.
"Thank you," Amanda said uncertainly. Lee was sitting there with his hand over his eyes.
Amanda started to get up also, but Lee grabbed her arm and kept her in her chair while the others left.
Once they were alone in the meeting room, Lee demanded, "Why did you volunteer for the Scrabble game?"
"Because Mr. Melrose seemed to need someone so badly," Amanda said. "What's wrong with Scrabble?"
"This is a Scrabble game with Cryptology! Crypto always wins! Everyone knows that!"
"Then why did Mr. Melrose accept their invitation to the game?" Amanda asked.
Lee sighed. "It's sort of traditional. Every year, around Thanksgiving, Crypto, Scenarios and Ciphers, Internal Affairs, and Field Section have a little contest. The departments take turns deciding what kind of contest it's going to be. Remember when Billy had to dress as Santa for the Christmas party a couple of years ago?"
"Yes," Amanda said. That was the year she had started working for the Agency. It had struck her as very festive but not quite in character for Billy.
"Well, he lost the contest that year. That was Scenarios and Ciphers's turn to pick the contest, and Dirty Tricks usually picks bets on sporting events. That means that the outcome is usually pretty random. The year after that, it was Internal Affairs's turn to pick the contest, and they usually base it on departmental efficiency ratings, so it's pretty straightforward. This year, it's Crypto's turn."
"And they've chosen Scrabble?"
"They always choose Scrabble," Lee said, rolling his eyes. "And they always win. They're masters at word games. Scenarios and Ciphers always comes in second because words come naturally to them, too. Internal Affairs and Field Section are left to compete not to be in last place."
"Because the department in last place gets the Santa suit?"
"Right."
"So, if I lose the Scrabble game, Mr. Melrose will have to wear the Santa suit again?"
"Actually, it's usually the departmental representative in the contest who has to wear the suit," Lee said. "Billy was the one who placed the department's bet a couple of years ago, which is why he got stuck with the suit."
"So, then, if I lose, I have to wear the suit?" Amanda asked. No wonder nobody wanted to volunteer.
"Amanda," Lee said patiently, "Santa Claus is Father Christmas. It's a part for a man to play. As your male partner, I'm probably going to be the one stuck in the suit."
"What for?" Amanda asked. "It's just a costume. With the hat and the beard, it could be anyone in the suit. It might be a little silly, but I'd be willing to do it for the duration of the Christmas party if I lose."
"Billy's too chivalrous to allow you to do that."
Amanda looked at him skeptically.
"And I am, too," Lee added with a sigh. "Although, if I get stuck with the part, I'm not above making you Santa's Little Helper."
"Of course, that's only if I lose," Amanda reminded him. "What happens if I win?"
"Don't try to win!" Lee warned her. "I'm telling you, nobody has ever beat Crypto at Scrabble! Just try not to be in last place so the Santa suit will be Internal Affairs's problem, not ours."
"With an attitude like that, I'm not surprised that no one's ever won against them."
"Amanda, I've seen these games before. Believe me, nobody else can come up with the words they do. Half the time, they come up with words that no one else has ever heard of before."
"You don't think that they're making words up, do you?"
"No, they don't make up words. They're just good at finding obscure ones. The one thing you should absolutely never do in a game with them is to challenge the words they use. There's a penalty for wrongly challenging a word, and that's one of the ways they trip their opponents up. Mrs. Marston will be there to keep score and to check any words that are challenged, but take my word for it, Crypto has never once been wrong about a word."
"Alright, I won't challenge them."
"Good." Lee hesitated. "Look, Amanda, it was nice of you to volunteer for this to help Billy, especially on your day off, but I just want you to understand that these games get pretty cut-throat. It's not going to be like spending an afternoon playing Scrabble with your mother."
"I know. Mother invents words all the time and thinks they should be allowed as long as she can use them in a sentence."
Both Lee and Amanda laughed.
"Well, I know that Billy is thankful for your help. The rest of the department is pretty thankful, too."
"I'm sorry you have to work on Thanksgiving," Amanda said.
"It's alright," Lee said. "I didn't have any plans anyway."
Before Amanda could express that she was sorry about that as well, Lee said, "I'm still worried that we're missing something with the Chameleon. I mean, narrowing down his disguise options is good, but so many people will be at the Symposium, there's no way we can be sure to cover all our bases."
"I don't know why Dr. Volkov still wants to go to the Symposium in the first place," Amanda said. "I'd think that it would better for him to stay home with his family instead."
"The award he's receiving is a huge honor," Lee explained. "He doesn't want to pass that up. It's also the first award he's received since he came to this country. It makes him feel good that he's been accepted by the scientific community. It's just a shame that the guy is so popular that there are a lot of possible people the Chameleon could impersonate."
"It'll be alright," Amanda said confidently. "We'll manage somehow."
Lee smiled. That was one of the things he liked about Amanda. She was always sure of him, even when he wasn't and was willing to back him up all the way. He was thankful for her confidence in him and her support.
"Still, I'm going to go over the guest list for the Symposium again and try to dig up as much as I can on Dr. Volkov's colleagues."
"I'll help you."
"Then, we'd better get busy. We'll get as much done as possible before Thanksgiving, so you'll be free to enjoy the day with your mother and the boys."
"I wish I could ask you to join us," Amanda said softly.
"It's okay," Lee said. "I'll be fine."
"I'll save you a piece of pumpkin pie."
Lee grinned. "I'll look forward to that."