A Fourth Season story. The second installment of a four-part series, story occurs two years after The Final Scene, and immediately follows the episode, Edge of Doom. Please note: Double Deception has been edited and expanded from its original version.
Double Deception
by Lynn
Lee Crane sat at his desk wearily with his head leaning back against his desk chair. His eyes were closed, but he wasn't asleep. He raised his head upon registering the knock on the door, knowing by the cadence of the "rap" just who his visitor was. He'd been expecting a visit.
"Come," Lee said sitting forward in his seat.
"Got a few minutes, Lee?" Chip asked, his voice giving away his obvious regret at his participation in the last mission.
"Sure come in."
Lee wasn't angry; disappointed, but not angry. He'd been in the espionage game long enough to know that sometimes these things happened. He also understood all too well, the effect orders could have on others.
The Admiral had been informed that an enemy spy was aboard masquerading as an officer. Their prime suspect was Captain Lee Crane and so, Admiral Nelson had been ordered to try and break the imposter. He was explicitly ordered not to ask Lee direct questions to ascertain if he was legitimate, and so the option of asking Lee questions only Lee could answer was totally taken out of his hands. The powers-that-be didn't want to alert the spy that their organization had been discovered, so he had been "tested" to the point of all-out harassment, and subsequently made to look incompetent in front of the crew.
It hadn't helped that Sharkey had been in on the plan to break Lee, since "Sharkey" was actually the enemy spy in question. The result had been two attempts on Lee's life and an all-out blow-up in Harry's office that had finally convinced the Admiral that Lee was not the imposter. Lee had some hurt feelings yet to overcome, but he'd been ordered to do uncomfortable things in his day and he knew that Harry and Chip weren't any happier about the situation than he was. Still, the mission had left him bone-weary and tired.
Chip entered and closed the door, not entirely sure of the reception he'd get.
"Lee, I came by to say I'm sorry."
Lee dipped his head sighed. He raised his head and motioned Chip over to the guest chair across the desk.
"Have seat, Chip," he said, his tiredness coming through as he spoke.
Chip nodded and sat down, still not sure if Lee was ready to forgive him.
"I'm sorry that things got out of hand, Lee," Chip offered, taking responsibility for his part in the deception, even though he had balked and had been ordered directly to participate. "I promise you, the next time I get an order like that..."
Lee's head shot up as he interrupted Chip.
"The next time you get an order like that you will obey and follow your orders just like you always do, Chip. That's how we run things around here, that's how we do what we do. If we start questioning every order, then we'll put our entire command structure in jeopardy."
The fire in Lee's eyes returned despite his weariness, but then softened as he stared across at his repentant friend, before deflating back into his chair and continuing.
"I'm not saying it didn't hurt," he added, "but I do understand."
Chip nodded, it had been a cruel trick, switching the Admiral's note to make it appear that Lee had chartered a course to wrong coordinates. He wasn't proud of himself, either, for lying to his best friend when confronted. His thoughts were interrupted as Lee coughed in an uncomfortable hack, courtesy of the Sharkey imposter's trick in the circuitry room, resulting in a dangerous fire. He had left Lee to suffer smoke inhalation while making it appear the captain had started the fire in the first place, by insinuating the captain's lack of knowledge regarding his vessel.
"Did Jamie check you out?" Chip asked, his brow furling and his blue eyes narrowed in concern.
"Yeah, no diving for the next week, otherwise I'm fine."
Lee appreciated Chip's concern and he was more than ready to let the unfortunate events of the past week go, offering a small, half-smile that said everything was going to be fine. Chip recognized the sentiment and responded with a smile of his own.
"Go on, get home to Monica. I'll see you guys sometime over the weekend," Lee added in light banter as Chip stood, feeling a lot less heavy in spirit than when he had come in. The cruise back had been strained with little time to talk. They were cordial, professional, and respectful; but hadn't really talked like they should have. At least now, Chip knew that Lee had forgiven him.
"Get some rest, Lee; we'll expect you for dinner Sunday night."
"Sounds good," he replied with a natural smile lacking the strain of earlier as Chip left, feeling like their friendship was back on track.
Lee was content with Chip's concern and apology, but the effects of the cruise still played heavily on his weary body. He resumed his tired stance with his head leaning back on the chair and counted, "5...4...3...2...1," at which point a second knock was heard.
"Come," Lee answered as he again sat forward in his chair as the auburn head of Admiral Nelson peered around the door.
"I was hoping you were still here, Lee."
They had made port back at NIMR, and the crew had already departed. Lee had returned to his cabin to pack his reports to take home with him, and wasn't really in a hurry to leave. Besides, he'd been waiting for both of these visits.
"No Sir, I'm just packing up some reports to take with me," he replied politely, but with little emotion.
Harry made his way over towards the desk, but didn't sit; instead, began pacing in front of him, full of energy and passion for the words he wanted to say.
"Lee, I can't tell you how sorry I am for what happened. I wished I could have figured out a different way to draw out the imposter..."
Lee raised his hand and stopped Harry. "Admiral, I know that your orders had your hands tied," he offered graciously. "I can't say that I enjoyed this last week, or that I appreciate what you did in front of the crew," Lee sighed, willing down the strong emotions that last thought elicited, "but I understand what was at stake, and I accept that."
Harry nodded, taking a seat in the visitor's chair, still not satisfied with the air left between them. "I don't want anything to change aboard Seaview because of this, Lee."
Lee smiled thinly. "I'm not planning on handing in my resignation if that's what you mean, Sir."
The sincerity of his words were punctuated with a full Lee Crane smile, flashing complete reassurance to his friend, followed by Lee chuckling lightly at the weight of the heavy mood dissipating as the strength of their friendship won out over the pain and regrets of the two men.
Harry returned the chuckle and stood. "Well, all right Captain; what are your plans for the next few days?" He asked, changing the subject and ready to move past this unfortunate experience as well.
Lee considered the question. It was Wednesday afternoon, and other than his Sunday night dinner date with Chip and Monica, he didn't have anything planned until Monday morning, when he'd report to the office.
"I think I'll stand down for the next few days, Sir. I'm really tired and I think I just need to decompress."
Harry nodded approvingly. "Good, you look like you could use the rest. Are you up to Giavani's for dinner sometime this week?"
Lee smiled knowing that Giavani's was Harry's way of putting this last week away for good… and that was fine with him.
"Sure, sounds good, Sir."
Harry offered his familiar tight-lipped smile, satisfied that he wasn't going to lose Lee over the events of the last mission and left content with their discussion. He still had to give General Beaker a call and give him a piece of his mind over the faulty intelligence that had caused all this mess, but at least things were getting back to normal.
Lee laid his head back against his desk chair and sighed again. Deciding he wasn't going to feel any better just sitting there he gathered his reports and placed them into his soft leather briefcase, grabbed his jacket and cover and left Seaview. He was tired, but he did feel better that his friends had not left things to just blow over. They had cared enough to come to him, and that meant something. He wasn't willing to throw away his friendships over the incident, and that really wasn't the crux of his weariness anyway.
What really had him down was the constant subterfuge he had found himself in recently, even when he wasn't on an ONI mission. It was the life he had chosen first with the Navy, and then when he signed on to Seaview four years ago. But lately, it just seemed like it was one near disaster after another; aliens, sea creatures, megalomaniacs wanting to rule the world. He was really starting to wonder what sort of world his children would live in someday.
He had been thinking a lot lately about marriage and a family, not that there was a woman in his life at present, but he really didn't intend to live out the rest of his life as a bachelor. It was never his plan; it had just turned out that way. Finding a wife who could handle the unique situation of having a submariner who spent so much time at sea, for a husband was a challenge. And despite the crew's idea that he had a "girl in every port," he only dated one at a time. Lately, he found that women seemed more interested in his uniform and the fact that he was Seaview's Captain, but they had little patience for his absence. He knew there was someone special for him and he was willing to wait for her, he had just begun wishing it was sooner rather than later.
"You're too broody, Crane," he admonished himself, depositing his briefcase into the passenger seat of his red Shelby Cobra and determining to lighten the mood and enjoy his weekend. He put the car in gear, as the warm California air blew across his face for his short drive home. The drive had done wonders in helping him leave behind the recent voyage from hell, as he headed home, pulling his car into the garage and blowing out a cleansing breath. It felt good to finally be home, as he deposited his briefcase on the living room coffee table and headed straight out to the deck overlooking the beach below. He stood there taking in the evening sky converging with the ocean waves, and allowed the sea breeze to blow away the remaining stress of the voyage. The peaceful mood, however, was interrupted by the sound of his phone ringing. Lee turned toward the house and considered whether he really wanted to answer it, but did anyway. He figured it was either Chip or Harry and he didn't want either one any more concerned than they already were.
"Hello."
"Crane, this is Johnson."
Lee sighed inwardly, this is definitely not what he needed right now.
"Yes Sir, what can I do for you, Admiral?"
"I've got something for you, but not on this line. How soon can you be in Washington?"
Lee considered his answer, he wasn't sure he was up for more spy games right now; but duty won out as he looked at his watch.
"It depends on if I catch a commercial flight out of LAX, or a transport out of San Diego."
"What about FS1?" Johnson asked pressingly.
"I'll have to clear it with Admiral Nelson, Sir."
"Don't bother; I'll clear it with him myself. Just get here, ASAP."
"Aye Sir," with that Lee heard a dial tone on the other end. He expelled an audible sigh and depressed the receiver button to hang up the line, standing there for just a moment before heading up to his bedroom to pull out the backpack that was always ready for his ONI work. He took a quick shower, then changed into his black jeans and dark button up shirt that he favored for missions. He packed a quick overnight bag and a fresh uniform and was out the door within thirty minutes.
# # # # #
Lee pulled the car into his reserved parking stall at NIMR, noticing that the Admiral was still here. He figured that Johnson's phone call had probably allowed Harry to work out some frustrations of his own, and smiled inwardly, well aware that the two admirals sparred often over ONI's request for his time.
Lee headed straight for the sub pen, intending to track Harry down to ensure he had authorization to deploy FS1, from the Flying Sub's cockpit. The site of his Gray Lady offered its own silent repose; she always knew just how to speak to him. He descended down the hatch in the control room and preceded directly to the flying sub, finding Harry sitting in the pilot's chair working his way through the pre-flight check.
"Hello Sir," Lee greeted, stowing his uniform and backpack, and not overly surprised that Harry had opted himself into the flight. Lee might have considered the flying sub "his baby," but Harry still owned the pink slip.
"Hello Lee, we're just about ready to launch."
Lee settled into the co-pilot's chair, taking his usual chair when the Admiral was on-board, and began the procedure to remotely launch Seaview. He buckled in and flipped a few switches, with the memory of his struggle with the Sharkey double playing in the background of his mind. Lee had confronted Harry about the double after Chip let him in on the situation, assuming the Admiral had already done so. The two had a slight confrontation as Lee questioned Harry's actions in the Flying Sub, but their mutual trust finally won out as they began working their way back to their usual high regard and respect for one another. That respect was accentuated when Seaview was attacked by a rogue submarine; Lee had demonstrated some impressive maneuvers to evade the sub, invoking a sincere and heart-felt compliment from Harry on his captain's submarine skills. The crew picked up on the compliment and silently sighed in relief, finally feeling the tenseness of the Command Crew's earlier interactions return to normal . But the Sharkey impersonator's treachery had exposed Seaview's position as the sub was suddenly rocked by depth charges. It was Lee's quick thinking that once again saved the Boat, but the impersonator used the tense battle to slip past the crewmen and enter the Flying Sub, intending to escape before Seaview's destruction and unaware that Harry had disabled FS1. Lee noticed the movement of the deck hatch and hurried to intercept the double. After a tense fist fight, the Double finally succumbed to Lee's right hook and dropped to the deck unconscious. The strangeness of fighting his own COB gave way to the truth when Lee tugged on a damaged section of his mask and pulled it away to reveal an impersonator.
He put away the memory, glad that the imposter had been ferreted out and the real Chief Sharkey was safe and sound, having woke with a bump on the back of his head and a tremendous headache.
Harry glanced over, noting that Lee was ready. "Launch," he ordered as Lee deactivated the magnetic arms and FS1 slipped from her berth inside the belly of Seaview.
Lee monitored the yellow vessel's descent and then reported, "FS1 has cleared the bay," as Harry pushed the control sticks forward to navigate the underwater sub pen.
Three hours later, they were walking up the steps of the nondescript business building that held the inner workings of the Office of Naval Intelligence.
"Admiral Nelson and Commander Crane are here to see you, Sir," the aide reported over the intercom, the regular receptionist having gone home for the evening.
"Nelson?" Johnson questioned, not holding back his puzzlement. "Never mind," he conceded gruffly. "Send them both in."
Lee shot Harry a sideways glance and pulled back a smile, anticipating a showdown between the admirals.
"Come in gentlemen. Is this a two for one deal, Harriman?"
"Could be Gerald, I just wanted to see what you were getting my Captain into this time."
The two admirals were old friends, but that didn't keep them from arguing… loudly sometimes, over the best use of one Lee Crane's time. They had barely finished the pleasantries when the aide buzzed Johnson again.
"General Beaker has arrived, Sir."
"Good, send him in," Johnson answered, noting a decidedly irritated look on Harry's face, but completely ignoring it.
General Beaker entered, nodding as he addressed the officers, "Harriman, Commander Crane."
"General Beaker," Lee responded with all the military courtesy the General deserved, and without any hint of the uncomfortable position he had found himself in on the last mission.
Admiral Johnson passed Lee a manila folder with the briefing details, summarizing the contents as he spoke.
"Commander, we're all well aware of your last mission and Admiral Nelson has fully briefed us on the unfortunate events aboard your submarine." The last said was a very diplomatic way of saying that they had received an earful from Harry about the matter.
Lee kept his face completely schooled and without emotion; his years of Naval training, and the fact that he and Harry had managed a rather pleasant flight over had refreshed him as his broody mood had been replaced with the professionalism that Lee always approached his missions. A distracted operative was a dead operative, and Lee had learned a long time ago to focus on the mission at hand.
Harry on the other hand, was livid and barely keeping his emotions contained. Lee smiled inwardly, guessing that expressing one's displeasure was one of the perks that came with the stars.
"Commander Crane, there was a reason why we suspected that you were the enemy spy," General Beaker offered, motioning for Lee to open the folder in his hands, as Harry's brow tightened at the new information.
Lee opened the folder, looking down and studying the contents as his own brow furled when he saw a picture of himself in an unfamiliar place, with people he had never met. Instantly, he knew; another double. His mouth tightened as he thumbed through the other documents and photos, then brought his eyes back up to Admiral Johnson, while handing the folder over to Harry. This last week, as uncomfortable as it had been, had suddenly been validated as far as he was concerned.
"We caught a break, Lee," Johnson continued. "We have the double in custody. We've managed to extract enough information through truth serum to know that they're up to something big. Your double reports directly to the organization's high commander," Gerald paused a moment, the crux of his reason for calling Lee about to be revealed. "We need to bring down the entire organization, not just take out the look a-likes. We need you to infiltrate the organization as the double."
Lee felt the tension in the room rise as Harry's bottom lip pursed tightly.
"Your double operates out of a local cell," Johnson continued. "We have reason to believe that their Leader will be arriving in Washington within the next few days. We need him to take down the entire organization."
Harry's deep breath could be heard as he reined in his need to keep Lee safe, but nonetheless, succumbed to his duty as a retired Admiral of the United States Navy.
"What kind of intelligence did the double offer Sir, will I have enough to go on to effectively pull off the switch?" Lee asked, having already decided that the organization was dangerous and needed to be dealt with before they caused irrevocable damage to the United States' security.
General Beaker pulled out a folder from his briefcase, handing it to Lee as he spoke. "We believe that he has completely immersed himself in your persona, Commander. We have transcripts of the interrogation, and security cameras of the meeting of the photos you saw earlier. He was ready to impersonate you, but apparently failed to take you out of the picture and had to resort to Plan B with your COB."*
Lee glanced down, scanning the information in front of him and quickly assessing its contents. He was relieved that his double was in custody and couldn't do any damage impersonating him, but he also knew the dangers of taking this mission. Just one foul-up could end the whole thing, and he was pretty sure he'd catch the consequences firsthand if his deception was discovered by the bad guys.
"What about the look a-like's makeup Sir, how can we be sure that he never appeared as himself within the organization?" He asked calmly, careful to gather all the relevant facts he needed to successfully pull off the switch.
"Unlike your COB's double, who used a mask and makeup, your double has had plastic surgery. He's very convincing, although he lacks certain scars from your profile," Johnson qualified, the double having been obviously investigated while in custody. "We have his clothes and if we make the switch now, they won't be suspicious. I'm afraid he's a ladies' man, and hasn't done your reputation much good, Commander."
Lee nodded, inwardly disgusted with the thought of someone wearing his face and acting inappropriately. There was nothing else to do, despite the dangers and limited information presented, he had no choice.
"Okay Sir, when do we begin?" Lee laid the folder on the edge of the desk and registered Johnson's satisfied smile, his eyes speaking something to General Beaker that said, "See I told you he'd do it."
"We'll get you to the Ready Room and you can study the security tapes and the transcripts. On the way out, you can look in on the double through the two-way mirror." Johnson stood to escort Lee out, but was stopped by Harry's next question.
"What about back-up, Gerald? How are you going to protect Commander Crane if things go wrong?" Harry inquired; his valid question both paternal and professional.
"We'll implant a transmitter just under Lee's skin. It's sophisticated and has its own jamming device, the bug-finders won't detect it," Johnson stated matter of factly.
Harry rose and nodded, that was the best they could do, but at least it was something. They headed for the door as Johnson issued instructions to his aide. Within minutes they were following the aide to the Ready Room. Harry leaned in close to Lee, speaking in low tones as they walked.
"I don't like this, Lee. I'm going to stay in Washington until this is done, if something goes wrong I'll be there with the extraction team."
Lee allowed a small smile to break his face and offered an appreciative sideways glance to Harry.
"Thank you, Sir."
He appreciated Harry's concern and it was definitely reassuring; he knew that Harry wouldn't leave him hanging out to dry, and took comfort in knowing that he had solid backup on this one.
# # # # #
Two hours later, Lee exited through the underground tunnel that put him several buildings down the street and exiting out an all-night café, instead of the office building at 0200. He was wearing the clothes of the imposter, right down to the shoes. He took a cab and headed straight to the hideout where the imposter and the other members of the organization hung out waiting for orders. He had splashed bourbon on his clothes to simulate the late night out that would explain his absence and headed in.
The information that had been secured by the imposter through the truth serum revealed that his double was ruthless and was apparently feared by the other men; something he planned on using to help him keep control over certain situations. Fortunately, the Organization's Leader was expected within the next few days, and all Lee had to do was keep it together until the Leader made his appearance, then he would activate a transponder hidden in the heel of his shoe to notify ONI.
He entered the warehouse and headed to the large offices that had been converted into a secreted hideout for the men. He had limited Intel, but he knew to expect five other men, and hopefully without female companions, as they apparently passed their time carousing. Indeed, the interrogation had revealed that his double had a weakness for women, and apparently had been enjoying the new face he was now sporting.
He walked in feigning a slight sway to his walk, as if the alcohol was having some effect on him. As he approached the door he could hear the sounds of a distressed female voice, as the mission turned messy immediately, while Lee steeled his emotions to take on the imposter's character.
He took in the situation handily, as the men were laughing obnoxiously, a direct result of the fact that they had been drinking heavily. They were tossing a young woman in her early twenties around amongst them, and although she was obviously frightened, it didn't appear that she had been harmed. Lee knew that undercover or not, he couldn't allow her to be hurt by these men, so he flew into action hoping that his acting job would be good enough to keep him alive.
He crossed the room with purpose in his steps, walking straight to the man trying to force a kiss from the frightened girl, pulling her away and at the same time delivering a solid blow to his chin. The drunken man fell in a heap, yelling as he went down.
"What you go and do that for, Dexter?" he asked, rubbing his jaw.
"Crane! I told you, call me Crane," Lee demanded, knowing the double had immersed himself in the role. Lee stared down the rest of the men with dark disturbing eyes, causing them to cower as he held the girl harshly by her arm.
"Anyone else want to take me on?"
Apparently, the imposter had bested the men before, because they immediately backed off.
"Come on, Baby," Lee said, dragging the girl towards a room that he had spotted when he walked in. As he pulled her away, he heard the sounds of the men complaining loudly.
"Aw, come on, Dexter!" they complained, but made no attempt to stop him as he entered the bedroom.
For affect, he threw her forward on the bed, before turning to offer one final sneer of victory towards the men. He slammed the door, locking it and pulling a chair over to jam under the handle.
The girl was sobbing as Lee dropped his head, disgusted at the role he had been forced to play. He raised his head as the harsh, ruthless face he had sported earlier was replaced by his utmost concern for her.
"I'm sorry about that. I'm not going to hurt you," he said softly, holding his hands up in front of him and making only a small advance toward her. When she seemed to startle he stopped, and looked toward his left to a window. He stopped to check out where the window led and saw that it emptied into an alley toward the street; then turned his attention back to the girl. She was a pretty young lady, blonde and blue-eyed and obviously dressed to go out on the town. Apparently, she had happened into the wrong establishment and had gotten into more than she could handle.
"Look Miss, I'm going to get you out of this, okay?" He took another step toward her, sitting on the edge of the bed as she studied his eyes. Something must have registered, as she suddenly threw her arms around his neck and sobbed heavily. He let her cry it out for a moment and then gently guided her toward the window, showing her the way to her freedom.
"Once you get out, you run straight home, and Miss... you need to find something better to do with your time. This could have ended very badly for you," he advised, looking into her eyes and hoping to impart something that she would take with her. She nodded her agreement, sniffing as he opened the window.
"One more thing Miss…"
"It's Jennifer," she interrupted in a small weak voice.
Lee smiled gently. "Okay Jennifer, one more thing. I need you to yell and slap me as hard as you can, then run and don't look back. And very important for my safety, you need to forget about this night and don't lead anyone back here. Can you do that?"
She nodded and sniffed back her tears, then let loose in a scream that was very convincing for the illusion he was trying to evoke for the men outside the door. Then she let loose with a slap that was just as convincing and climbed out the window, as Lee turned toward the bed yelling uncharacteristic remarks that he would never himself say to a woman. As she ran, she heard furniture and sounds simulating a struggle, while Jennifer ran as fast as she could back to the safety of her home.
# # # # #
The next morning Lee emerged from the private bedroom to find the men bunked out in the other room, sleeping off their night of drinking. The girl's absence wouldn't be questioned with the story that she had left in the early morning, but he would need to find a way to keep a lid on things here without blowing his cover. He had risked his cover to protect her, and he wasn't sorry, but he couldn't afford another confrontation with the men, knowing that the next time they might not give in quite so easily. Dexter apparently had risen in the ranks here, and he hoped it was enough to get bossy with the other men. He thought he'd keep the men from carousing by insisting that they stay in the warehouse and wait for the Leader.
They didn't have a face for the Leader, but the imposter had called him Mr. Foster, describing him as fiftyish with bleached white hair that was worn short and spiked. Dexter had revealed both his respect and fear for Foster under the influence of the drugs, and by what he read, knew that Foster was definitely bad news.
ONI had also determined that "Sharkey" and "Crane" were the only imposters that the cell had and that they had planned to lay low for a while as they worked out another scheme to use the Crane double. Lee smiled inside at the last thought. Here he was pulling off a double deception by impersonating the imposter. His inside smile faded and was instantly replaced with an inward sigh as the weight of the dangerous mission crept back in.
It's going to be a long few days, he thought as he looked around the quiet room for any signs of when Foster was due. He found a radio set up on the desk and noted the frequency for future use, then spotted a note pad sitting beside the microphone. He sat down and lightly scribbled over the depression to view the revealed message.
Thurs 3:00pm
He tore off the scribbled pad, disposing of it down the toilet and continued his search, while silently considering the possibilities of the message. Hopefully, it meant that Foster was scheduled to arrive today. Maybe, he could wrap this thing up and get back to his life in Santa Barbara, instead of hanging out with this bunch of low-life creeps, he thought inwardly, looking around for anything else of use. The creeps, however, began to stir, so Lee stopped his snooping and headed to the kitchen to make himself some coffee.
The bad guy he belted the night before was the first to emerge from the bunk room, rubbing his jaw as he entered the kitchen. He barely acknowledged Lee and nothing was said about the night before, which was fine with Lee.
"Did Johnny tell you that Mr. Foster's coming in today?" he said, reaching into the refrigerator for the orange juice.
"Not yet, what time?" Lee asked, assuming that the message came in after Dexter had left, since it didn't come out in the interrogation.
"Three o'clock," he answered. Lee nodded, as Mick eyed his cup of coffee. "You're really taking this Crane crap seriously aren't you? You never drank coffee before?"
Oops, thought Lee, caught off guard and having to cover his tracks quickly. "He drinks it like it's going out of style, I better be able to do the same."
Mick nodded and rolled his eyes, but accepting his answer.
"Pass the word," Lee said, figuring now was as good a time as any to find out how much clout he had here. "Nobody leaves the warehouse until after Mr. Foster arrives."
"Why?" Mick all but whined. "We've never been restricted before?" he asked suspiciously.
Lee stood to meet Mick's challenge. "Because I said so," he answered darkly and then continued, "and because we've got a loose-end out there," he finished, tilting his head toward the street.
"You mean Wayne?" he clarified referring to the Sharkey double. "He'll never talk," Mick finished.
"It doesn't matter, that's the way it's going to be."
Mick stopped to consider Dexter's bossy attitude; his jaw still smarted from yesterday, he had a hangover, and he was definitely not in the mood to be told what to do.
"You know Dexter, you're not really the captain of the Seaview," he challenged, "and you're no better than the rest of us."
Lee stepped closer to Mick, staring as darkly as he could muster. "Whether I'm Dexter or Crane, I can still take you down," he said in low voice that wreaked danger, especially in conjunction with his dark eyes.
Mick swallowed hard, re-thinking his position and backed down. "All right, cool it, Dexter. I'll pass the word; no one leaves until after Mr. Foster arrives," he conceded, not wanting to invoke Dexter's wrath again.
Mick nervously downed his orange juice, then left the kitchen trying to put as much distance between him and the volatile dark-haired Crane double, as Lee let out a silent sigh. He didn't even know the name of the guy he was talking to; there were two blonds and he could either be Mick or Kenny, so he had played it safe and avoided his name. He'd have to get it figured out soon before the limited Intel he had got him killed.
It was only 1000 (ten hundred) hours and Lee still had five hours left to keep the deception up, then he'd activate the transponder, and ONI would descend upon the warehouse taking this bunch into custody. In the meanwhile, he had to keep suspicion off him. If he blew his cover, they would lose the opportunity bring in the big guy. They needed Foster to show up, or all of this would be for nothing.
He thought the best thing to do was to keep a low profile, especially since he really didn't know how Dexter interacted when he was here. He needed something to do that would keep him engaged, and searched the room with a casual sweep of the eyes, spotting a box of books. Bingo! His luck was holding out as the box contained Dexter's homework on Lee; newspaper clippings, facts about him, and even an outdated Seaview manual that was usually given to new ratings. The manual was definitely contraband, and should have never made it into the hands of these people. At this point, however, he was grateful for the excuse to sit and read with the cover that Dexter was immersing himself into the Crane persona.
The rest of the men milled about their business as he read the manual, steaming on the inside that someone had been so careless as to lose it. Fortunately, this version was an orientation manual that didn't contain any top secret information. It did however, have a map of Seaview, which was obviously how Sharkey's double had managed to work through the boat so easily.
No one dared to disturb Lee, as Mick had probably already queued them into Dexter's sour mood, and he was indeed glad that Dexter was so feared, since he was able to dictate the interaction in the room. He listened to the men's conversations, as he feigned a study of Crane's habits, and hoping to ascertain any further Intelligence that would be of use. Even so, time seemed to crawl by, giving him plenty of time to go through the entire box. There was a book on naval decorum and various candid photos taken of him in public. The deeper he got inside the box, the more apparent it was that Dexter was preparing for maybe a little more than a single mission. The intelligence they had gathered had included dossiers on Harry and Chip, and it appeared to him that there had to be someone close to Seaview that could provide such detailed information on the personal relationships between the command crew. He avoided any facial expression on that thought, and determined to do a thorough check once he returned to Seaview.
He wasn't so immersed in the reading that he didn't notice the time, 1445. He packed the box back up, grateful that he had had a good cover for his lack of interaction, as the men began to stir from their various places. Lee followed them into the warehouse, leaning against the side of the wall with his knee bent and his heel pressed against the wall. It was almost show time; once he was sure Foster was on the scene, he would reach down and activate the transponder. By the way the tension had ramped up in the warehouse, it looked like he didn't have long to wait.
# # # # #
Lee watched as Foster entered the warehouse, walking in front of two heavily built men with all three wearing dark sunglasses. Stealthily, he activated the transponder in the heel of his shoe, and then moved forward, cautiously taking his cues from the men around him.
Foster seemed to hone in on him, so he stepped forward to meet Foster with all the respect Dexter had eluded to in his interrogation.
"Dexter, you missed your radio call," Foster announced coolly, completely taking Lee off guard.
Damn, already in trouble, Lee thought inwardly, as Foster's two gorillas flanked him, taking a harsh and firm hold of his arms. Things went down-hill fast as one of the bodyguards pulled out a device which Lee recognized as a bug detector, and waved it up and down his body, obviously searching for evidence.
"He's clean," the gorilla announced, still holding on firmly to Lee's arm.
Foster grabbed Lee's chin and studied his eyes. "One of the problems in dealing with doubles is knowing just who is impersonating who," Foster announced calmly, turning Lee's face to study his profile. "To protect ourselves we developed certain protocols; one of which was a radio check one hour before my arrival. You missed that call Dexter."
Stay calm Lee, you can talk yourself out of this, he encouraged himself.
"I was immersed in my study and time got away from me," he answered just as calmly. He knew that his cover was blown, but all he had to do was stall… ONI should be here any second; all he had to do was stay alive for a few minutes more.
Foster, however, wasn't in the stalling mood, having already convinced himself of what the facts were.
"I don't think so, Captain Crane," he replied with a smirk, indicating that he knew exactly who he was dealing with. Lee watched as Foster pulled out a very large knife, the tension in the warehouse ratcheting up as the men realized that they had been infiltrated. Foster turned the knife several times in intimidation, catching the glint from the lights. The jig was up as Foster suddenly thrust the knife into Lee's side, resulting in an agonizing scream. Foster pulled the knife out, while Lee hung bent over as far as his captors would allow, breathing heavily and reining in his groans of pain.
"Now Captain Crane, where is Dexter?" Foster demanded, as his henchmen pulled Lee up to look directly into his eyes.
Lee said nothing, barely managing to breathe raggedly, as he watched Foster slowly wave the bloody knife before his line of sight. He didn't know how much damage had been done; only that he was in incredible pain.
"Time to talk, Crane. How much do the Feds know?" Foster insisted, attempting to torture Lee for information that he wasn't planning on giving. "It doesn't matter," Foster replied. "You're a dead man either way," he threatened, raising his hand to plunge the knife again when the sudden sounds of windows breaking and multiple pops filled the air, dispensing tear gas through the warehouse.
Lee was barely lucid enough to register ONI's obvious arrival; he had lost a lot of blood and was very weak.
Foster immediately took off running toward the men's quarters yelling as he tried to cough away the effects of the tear gas.
"Bring Crane," he ordered. "We need him as a hostage!"
The guards dragged Lee along, the movement doing more harm as his insides burned, but they never made it to the living quarters as commandos entered from the back windows, storming the warehouse wearing gas masks. Lee coughed as sporadic gun fire rang out before Foster and his men began to succumb to the overpowering gas. Lee went down as well, coughing with uncontrollable tears rolling down his face as the gas seared his eyes; his hand moved instantly to his side, as he curled into a ball trying to curb the pain.
The sounds in the room were a blur as Lee concentrated on holding it together. He was barely lucid, and had lost all track of time, when he felt someone raise his head and apply a full face oxygen mask. He looked through the tears to find Harry holding the mask to his face and applying pressure to his injured side. His eyes squinted, the distress of the gas adding to his pain, but grateful to see Harry just now.
"Someone get a corpsman in here!" Harry yelled, as the last week of stress and intrigue took its toll, with Lee's eyes rolling to the back of his head as he blacked out.
# # # # #
The sound of soft repeated "beeps" was the first thing Lee heard as his awareness began to return. He felt warm and comfortable, as he opened his eyes slowly, recognizing the effects of the anesthesia. Instinctively, he reached for his side, but felt his hand restrained.
"Easy, Lee, you just came out of surgery. You're going to be fine."
Lee turned his head toward the sound of Harry's comforting baritone voice and let loose a small smile. He tried to speak but his voice was hoarse from both the anesthetics and the tear gas, his attempt to speak was met by Harry reaching for and retrieving a glass with a straw. Lee took several small sips of water and then tried to speak again, this time much more successful.
"Hello, Admiral. Did they shut Foster down?"
Harry smiled; it was just like Lee to think of the mission first. "We've got Foster and back-tracked him to his base of operation. Several of his men are singing like birds and Admiral Johnson and General Beaker are going through mounds of evidence right now."
"That's good... How long till I can get back home? Supposed to go to Chip's on Sunday..."
"A couple days, Lee," Harry replied. "But right now all you need to concern yourself with is rest."
Lee nodded, as Harry watched him slip back into sleep, aided by the anesthetics still working out of his system.
Harry sighed contently, having already been informed by the doctor that Lee would recover with plenty of rest. He was equally content to know that Lee's double had been exposed before causing any more damage. Johnson had made it clear, that Dexter would not keep Lee's face, and that reverse plastic surgery would be forthcoming. Hopefully, they could now begin to completely put behind them the last disastrous voyage.
He placed a hand on Lee's shoulder as Seaview's captain slept soundly, allowing the physical contact to reassure him that Lee was indeed well, as he considered that the threat of a Lee Crane double had nearly taken them to the edge of doom. The thought elicited far more emotion than he wanted, so he stepped back and breathed deeply, expelling the depressing thought out in a cleansing breath and taking back the gratitude of knowing that his best friend would soon recover.
# # # # #
Lee sat down carefully on Chip's deck chair, holding his side as he lowered himself down gingerly, while Chip pretended not to notice as he fired up the grill. He wore comfortable clothes, sporting walking shorts and his favorite blue "Go Navy" t-shirt with slide-on deck shoes. He could hear Monica in the kitchen humming a song and then stopping as the doorbell rang. A few minutes later Admiral Nelson appeared on the back porch depositing his French bread on the table and looking quite refreshed in his tan slacks and a short sleeved pull-over polo shirt.
Chip turned, leaning back comfortably on the deck rail to face his guests, as Lee smiled inwardly. Chip hadn't been too happy to find out where Lee had spent the last few days, but in the end he too was relieved that Foster and Lee's double were put out of business.
The strain of the week prior aboard Seaview had faded, as the three friends began to talk comfortably about boat business and the next cruise. They moved to more casual conversation as Monica brought out the iced tea, while Lee sat back relaxed and satisfied.
He was more than satisfied as he watched the sun settle over the Pacific Ocean, splashing spectacular hues of orange and pink across the horizon. He turned his head, catching Harry's watchful, concerned eyes and flashed a smile that said that their friendship was just as strong as ever. Harry nodded slightly, returning the sentiment with his own satisfied smile as he sat back to enjoy the sunset with Lee, grateful that Seaview's Captain had survived both deceptions.
The End
Double Deception
*COB – Chief of the Boat
Episode Credit – Edge of Doom, written by William Welch, Directed by Justus Addiss, Original Airdate, March 17, 1968
A/N – Still loose ends to tie up! Look for the third installment soon, Ambushed!
Copyright 2013, 2017 All Rights Reserved
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and her main characters belong to Irwin Allen