Disclaimer: Jestress does not own Scarecrow and Mrs. King or any of its characters. She just comes out of her dusty, spooky den to play with them on Halloween. No one has offered her money for doing it, but it would probably take a considerable bribe to get her to stop.

Explanation: It's Halloween again, and Jestress couldn't let this holiday pass without another SMK story. :D

Bonus points if you recognize Victor's last name!

Trick or Treat

By Jestress

Chapter 1: A New Mission

When Amanda entered the closet in the Georgetown foyer, she didn't know what to expect. Well, actually, she knew some of what to expect. She was among the privileged few in the Washington area who knew that the closet was actually an elevator that would take her to the lower levels of one of the most top secret organizations in the country, but that was nothing new. That had been a part of her life ever since she'd met the man who was now her partner, Lee Stetson, and joined the Agency.

No, what was concerning her was that Mrs. Marsten, the woman who guarded the entrance to the Agency, had told her that Billy Melrose wanted to see her in his office and that Lee was already with him. That meant that something big was happening. Most likely, a new assignment for the two of them.

But, Billy hadn't waited to speak to both of them at once. That meant that he thought one or both of them would need convincing to take the assignment. Had he called Lee into his office first to convince him to take the assignment, or was he talking to Lee first in the hopes that he would convince her to do whatever it was he wanted them to do?

Through the window of Billy's office, Amanda could see Lee and Billy talking. Lee was seated in one of the comfy chairs in front of Billy's desk, and he was shaking his head about something. Amanda knocked politely before opening the office door.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" Amanda asked, poking her head around the door to Billy's office.

"Yes, Amanda, come in." Billy gave her a kind smile.

Lee smiled at her also, but his smile seemed a little uncomfortable and Amanda could see the muscle in his jaw twitching. That didn't bode well for their next assignment. Amanda took the chair next to Lee and waited for Billy to tell them what this meeting was about.

"I was just telling Lee that we believe that we've pinpointed the location a top KGB assassin, Victor Orlok. We've been after him for several years, and we've received intelligence that says he's in this country, planning another assassination."

"So you think that we might have a chance to apprehend him now?" Amanda asked.

Billy nodded. "More specifically, I think that you and Lee might have a chance to apprehend him."

Amanda glanced at Lee. He still had that uncomfortable look. There was still something that Billy hadn't said yet.

"You see, you're in a unique position to help with this mission, Amanda," Billy said, folding his hands and leaning forward.

"What do you mean?" Amanda asked.

"We believe that Victor Orlok is currently staying at a KGB safe house in the Washington area. More specifically, in Arlington."

"In Arlington, sir?"

Lee interrupted. "Amanda, the safe house is in your neighborhood."

Amanda thought that she must have misheard him. "The safe house is where?"

"It's in your neighborhood."

"There's a Russian safe house with a KGB assassin in my neighborhood, sir?"

"I'm afraid so," Billy said. "At least, information that one of our operatives recently obtained indicates that is the location of the safe house where Victor is hiding."

Amanda sighed. Life had been much simpler before she'd joined the Agency. Duller, but simpler. The most she'd had to worry about was PTA meetings and whether or not the boys had done their homework. There hadn't been any Russian safe houses in her neighborhood back then.

Although, that might not be true. It was possible that this safe house had been there all along, and she just hadn't known about it before. Probably, life had only seemed simpler because she hadn't realized just how complicated it really was.

"The address is 4242 Maplewood Drive," Lee said helpfully.

"4242," Amanda said. "That would be . . . Bob Smith's house?"

"Bob Smith?" asked Lee.

Amanda shrugged. "He moved in about three years ago. I don't know much about him. He's pretty quiet and keeps to himself most of the time. Mother says that he told her he was an accountant. Sometimes, he gets visitors, and I think he has a couple of roommates living with him, but I don't know much about them, either. We hardly ever see them. I'm not even quite sure when they moved in. You think that one of them could be Victor Orlok?"

"I'm afraid so," Billy said. "At least, that's what he told Francine."

"Francine?"

"Francine is the operative who gave us the information," Lee said, rolling his eyes. "Apparently, Victor tried to pick her up in a bar recently."

"You're kidding!"

"Victor's one weakness is that he's always had a thing for the ladies," Lee explained. "He seeks out women wherever he goes and sometimes tells them more than he should."

"He doesn't sound like much of an assassin if he can't keep a secret," Amanda said skeptically.

"Don't underestimate him, Amanda," Lee warned. "He's deadly. We know that he's carried out at least ten flawless assassinations in the past fifteen years. The only reason we've even gotten close to him before is that he can't help but brag about it to his girlfriends."

Amanda tried to picture the kind of woman who would be impressed by that and failed.

"All he told Francine was that his name was Victor and that he was staying with a friend in Arlington, but Francine recognized him from the photos we have here at the Agency," Billy said. "After she turned down his advances, he left the bar and took a cab back to where he was staying. Francine learned the address from the taxi company. But, before we can act, we have to have definite proof, which is where you come in. If you and Lee are successful, that safe house and Victor won't be there for long."

Amanda looked at Lee. He gave her a little smile, but not much of one. Apparently, Billy hadn't gotten to the part that was making him really unhappy yet.

"What's the plan?" Amanda asked.

Billy folded his hands and leaned forward. "While you're taking your boys trick-or-treating tonight, we'd like you to visit this house—"

"Oh, sorry, sir, but I can't!"

Lee winced. This must have been the part that he knew she wasn't going to like.

Billy calmly said, "I know that the idea of taking your boys to this house is worrying, but I promise you there's no danger—"

"That's not it, sir," Amanda said. Well, it was partly it. As Billy had guessed, the last place she would want to take the boys on Halloween was to a Russian safe house that might be harboring an assassin. But, there was another reason why she couldn't do it. "The boys aren't going trick-or-treating this year. They've both decided that they're too old for it. Instead, they're having some friends over to watch horror movies."

"Oh," Billy said. "I hadn't realized that they'd reached that age yet. In that case, we'll have to use our alternate plan.

Amanda glanced at Lee. Now, he looked really unhappy. Not just unhappy, but also angry.

"What's the alternate plan, sir?"

"You'll have to go to the house by yourself."

"Billy . . ." Lee said, a note of warning in his voice.

"You see," Billy said to Amanda, ignoring Lee, "we want you to plant a listening device so that we can listen in on what's happening in the house. It would let us not only know for certain that Victor is in the house but also, hopefully, the details of his mission. Our original plan had been for you to slip it into the candy bowl while trick-or-treating with your sons, but since that's not going to work, we'll have to use another method for introducing the bug to the house."

"Billy . . ."

"The candy bowl idea probably wouldn't have worked anyway," Amanda said, also ignoring Lee for the moment. "They'd have found it soon enough when they started to run low on candy, or one of the trick-or-treaters might take it."

"Billy . . ."

"We were planning to disguise it as a piece of candy, but the kind that the children wouldn't want to take."

"Billy . . ."

"You mean like that really hard kind of taffy that gets stuck in your teeth, Gobbie Gummies? My boys hate that stuff."

"Amanda!"

"What?" Amanda turned her attention to Lee.

"You won't be able to just slip the bug into the candy bowl and leave, like you would if you were trick-or-treating with your boys. An adult alone wouldn't have any need to handle the candy bowl. That means you'll have to get them to let you into the house."

Amanda turned back to Billy. "What excuse would I have for going to the house? Borrowing a cup of sugar? I guess I could say that I've run out of Halloween candy and ask to borrow some from them."

"Whatever excuse you use, it would have to be something that would make it impossible for them to refuse to let you into the house," Billy said. "If you ask to borrow something, they could just bring it to the door and send you on your way. I had thought that perhaps you could say that your phone isn't working and that you need to borrow theirs to call the phone company."

"That could work," Amanda said.

"I don't like the idea of sending Amanda into that house by herself," Lee said, finally getting to the point of what was bothering him.

"Couldn't Lee come with me?" Amanda asked. "There's no reason why two of us couldn't ask to use the phone."

"I'm afraid he can't," Billy said. "Lee and Victor have met before. If he's in that house, he will recognize Lee and try to kill him. On the other hand, you live in that neighborhood. They've probably seen you around and have no reason to suspect you."

"I could go in disguise," Lee said.

Billy shook his head. "Not this time, Scarecrow. If they recognize you, you would both be in danger, and Amanda's cover would be blown."

"But, if they suspect her, Billy . . ."

"They won't."

"But Victor is a killer! Amanda shouldn't go in there without backup."

"You'll be nearby, listening in on everything. If Amanda gets into trouble, you'll be on hand to help her, along with a team of other agents."

From the look on Lee's face, he wasn't very reassured.

"Are you up for this, Amanda?" Billy asked.

She glanced at Lee. It was obvious that he wanted her to say that she wasn't, but having worked for the Agency for three years, Amanda considered herself a professional. She didn't want to refuse one of Billy's missions.

"I'm a little concerned about my family," Amanda said carefully.

"Don't worry," Billy said. "They won't suspect that you're working for us, and there will be plenty of agents on hand to deal with the Russians. After we've obtained as much information as possible through the bug, we'll send in Lee's team to apprehend the KGB agents and dismantle the safe house. No one has to know that you were ever involved."

"My mother is going out to a Halloween party, but the boys are having some friends over to watch horror movies on Halloween night, and it may be awkward if I slip out on them."

"You could tell them that you're running out to get more candy," Billy suggested. "This errand shouldn't take too long."

With all of her concerns addressed, Amanda didn't have any other option but to accept the mission. It wouldn't have bothered her so much if Lee didn't seem so uneasy about it.

"Good luck to you," Billy said to both Lee and Amanda. "We've almost captured Victor Orlok twice before, but somehow, he's always managed to get away. Hopefully, the third time will be the charm."

After they returned to the Q-Bureau, Amanda asked him, "Is there something else about this mission that you and Billy aren't telling me? You seem awfully nervous about it."

"As Billy said, I've met Victor before," Lee said. "He's a rough character, and, well, he has a reputation when it comes to women."

Amanda nodded. "That's what you and Billy said earlier."

Lee ran an agitated hand through his hair. "Billy knows as well as I do that he'd be more likely to allow a strange woman into the house than a strange man," Lee said. "In fact, he might be very welcoming."

"I see."

"But no matter how charming he might seem, remember that you will be in constant danger."

"I'll be alright," Amanda said with more confidence than she really felt. "Besides, you'll be nearby."

"I'd feel better if I could go in with you, but that's just not possible," Lee said gently, perching on the edge of his desk and gazing into her eyes.

"I'll be careful."

"I want you to be on your guard on this mission. Get in, plant the bug, and get out quickly."

"I will."