Act 2: Steal, Kill and Destroy
"The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy..." John 10:10a
Lee paced the floor incessantly in Forman's office. He didn't like how
Amanda's evaluation had been taking so long. 'How could this have happened!
I should have stayed home....she shouldn't have gone to work!'
A million different scenarios ran through his mind only to torment him.
'If it hadn't been for that whole Candi episode, Amanda would have never gone
back to Honeycutt....we would have been looking at houses together....'
Nothing eased his mind. 'If she had never met me, none of this would have
happened!" Lee finally sat down, exhausted, and buried his head in
his hands. He was beside himself.
***
Heavy.
Darkness.
Oppression.
Amanda's mind was in a haze. She could detect that there was someone speaking
but she couldn't decipher their words. Her mouth was dry and her lips were
parched. She was so thirsty. She cried out 'Please! I need a drink!' but her
lips, tongue, and voice wouldn't obey. Her tongue only cleaved to the roof of
her mouth. She couldn't swallow.
An unfamiliar voice spoke, "Amanda. Amanda Stetson."
'Hm?' she responded but her body refused. Her throat constricted. 'I'm
Amanda!' Why doesn't he hear me? she wondered. Her eyelids felt so heavy...
Forman dictated into his voice recorder. "Subject unresponsive. Shows
no reaction to bright light. Pupils remain dialated. Absence of visual
tracking in either peripheral field of vision. Does not appear able to speak,
swallow or move voluntarily. Classic catatonia, possibly drug induced.
Confer with Dr. McJohn tomorrow. Notify subject's caregiver and continue
to monitor."
'Monitor? But my name is....Amanda. Why doesn't he hear me!' With every
ounce of her being, Amanda tried to form one message, one solid thought.
'Where....is.....Lee?' It was no use. No sound came out.
She was trapped in her own body.
Blackness swirled about her and gripped her mind. There was no hope. No life.
Only despair. And darkness. Amanda could feel the ruthless embrace of fear
and terror encompass her. She could barely breath.
'Steal, kill, destroy'. She vaugely recalled her father reading that
to her when she was a child. Wasn't that in the Bible somewhere? If only
she could remember the rest of that verse...
***
Forman walked back into his office to face his subject's caregiver. He spoke
in his ususal detatched, clinical manner to the distraught man before him.
"Mr. Stetson, your wife exhibits characteristics of catatonia. She is going
to require 24 hour supervision at this time. As I'm sure you're aware, she's
currently unable to care for her own needs. She will require total assistance
with bathing, dressing, toileting and, *when possible*, feeding. She needs
total care. I've set up an appointment with Dr. McJohn for tomorrow. He
will determine any chemical presence that may be causing your wife's current
condition. Do you have insurance? We can set you up with Visiting Nurse and
we do need to schedule your wife for psychoanalysis."
Lee could have belted this goon before him if the nurse hadn't just now
brought Amanda back into the room.
His heart ached when he saw her. She looked so frail and lost. He still
couldn't get used to it, Amanda's face showed absolutely no emotion.
Lee stood up and gently took his wife's hand. No response.
Lee stuffed the pain inside like he had so many times before. 'No! I'm not
going to let this win!' All his life, he knew only to fight back and make a
difference. He wasn't going to let his wife down now. 'Krutiov's gonna pay!'
****
After Forman finished the Agency evaluation on Amanda, Francine advised Lee
to take his wife home. This time Francine would send two, more experienced,
field agents to guard them. If Krutiov or the Russians made any move,
it would not go undetected.
Francine marvelled at how the two rookies earlier that day could have decided
that everything was okay. 'Just because they had seen Amanda through the
window, standing in her kitchen'. This time, she would make sure Lee and
Amanda would not go without first class security.
****
Rain pelted the windshield as Lee drove Amanda home in silence. This was
the most grievous task of his life. He had never expected anything to happen
to his new wife. At least not for years.
Lee stared at the fog hovering over the road before him. He knew his intelligence
days were over. 'No need to think about Francine's offer any more', Lee decided.
'Probably doesn't matter anyway,' he mused, 'I'll deserve to be in prison once
I'm through with Krutiov'.
Lost in his thoughts, Lee didn't notice that familiar black 4x4 following
them all the way home.
****
Lee tried but he couldn't get Amanda to eat. He gave up on dinner himself.
Although he felt the pangs of hunger, he couldn't even look at food. 'It's been
one hell of a long day.'
Lee assisted his wife up to the bathroom. She showed no reaction, no response.
No recognition of his voice, his touch. He quietly helped her wash up for
bed, then gently put his arms around her neck. He didn't want to, but the doctor
had instructed him to take off all of Amanda's jewelry. This would prevent
her from accidently choking or hurting herself.
Lee carressed his wife's face and gave her a gentle smooch before he unclasped
the heart pendant. He hated this! He left a trail of tears and kisses where
Amanda's heart necklace had been. Still no response.
Lee looked tenderly into Amanda's eyes. Her pupils were still dialated. 'Ok,
little lady, time to get you off to bed.' Lee managed to get Amanda into their
bedroom and changed into some nightclothes. She wasn't resistent but the doctor
was right. She was unable to do anything for herself. As far as Lee could tell,
his wife could breath and that was about it.
****
Darkness again and terror. Lonliness. Amanda wondered, 'Where is he?'
****
Lee came back from his quick shower. When he had left, Amanda had been positioned
at the end of their bed. Now, she was standing by their bedroom window. 'That's
strange' he thought.
This was the first sign of any voluntary movement on Amanda's part. Lee walked
over to guide his wife back into bed. As he did, he glanced out the window.
"Hmm, nothing but the two agents and our neighbor's car." He wondered what
she had been doing.
Lee tenderly gathered Amanda into his arms and tucked her into bed. He
positioned himself by her side and lay there with his eyes open. He wondered
how either of them were going to get any sleep. At least Forman had given him
something to help if they needed it. Out of sheer exhaustion, Lee finally
dropped off into a fitful slumber...
****
"He he he he he. Hee hee hee hee hee."
Amanda could swear she heard little demons giggling with delight at her
despair. She saw their feet on the bedroom carpet as they ran away. She
couldn't speak, couldn't get up from bed. Her chest felt so heavy, like
an immovable weight had been permanantly placed there.
Her mind felt like it was being crushed by a vice. She was distraught. She
felt like Satan himself had come to join the fun.
"Can't help yourself Amanda?", he sneered. "You've always been able to get
yourself out of jams before? What's your problem? Cat got your tongue? Ha,
ha, ha, ha, ha!"
Amanda tried to shout back. Her mouth opened but no words formed, there was
no voice. She could hear Lee breathing beside her but her back was to him.
She couldn't willingly move her hands or feet to warn him. 'Help me!'
It was no use. Amanda turned her head toward the pillow. She couldn't
even cry.
****
Running, running, dodging bullets, fleeing, run, run, run....
"Agh!" Lee was awoken abruptly out of his dream. "What the!" Amanda's two
hands were firmly placed around her husband's neck. "Aman-da, ugh!" He didn't
want to hurt her, didn't want to struggle but she showed unnatural human strength.
Lee grabbed his wife's arms as gently as he could, she wouldn't budge. As
she continued to strangle him without emotion, Lee fumbled for the syringe
Forman had given them. He had placed it on the bedstand. 'I don't want to do
this' he thought but he had no other choice. He grabbed the needle and plunged
it as gently as possible into his wife's flesh. She began to release her deadly
hold. The tranquilizer was working.
****
Green fields across a fathomless gulf. Her father standing by a gentle
man who was tending sheep.
Amanda looked over that impassable gulf and longed for that freedom. Her
father beckoned her over and the Shepherd smiled. Amanda smiled back, she
finally recognized the Shepherd's voice. Immediately she was translated out
of darkness and into His marvelous light. Peace at last.
tbc
"The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy..." John 10:10a
Lee paced the floor incessantly in Forman's office. He didn't like how
Amanda's evaluation had been taking so long. 'How could this have happened!
I should have stayed home....she shouldn't have gone to work!'
A million different scenarios ran through his mind only to torment him.
'If it hadn't been for that whole Candi episode, Amanda would have never gone
back to Honeycutt....we would have been looking at houses together....'
Nothing eased his mind. 'If she had never met me, none of this would have
happened!" Lee finally sat down, exhausted, and buried his head in
his hands. He was beside himself.
***
Heavy.
Darkness.
Oppression.
Amanda's mind was in a haze. She could detect that there was someone speaking
but she couldn't decipher their words. Her mouth was dry and her lips were
parched. She was so thirsty. She cried out 'Please! I need a drink!' but her
lips, tongue, and voice wouldn't obey. Her tongue only cleaved to the roof of
her mouth. She couldn't swallow.
An unfamiliar voice spoke, "Amanda. Amanda Stetson."
'Hm?' she responded but her body refused. Her throat constricted. 'I'm
Amanda!' Why doesn't he hear me? she wondered. Her eyelids felt so heavy...
Forman dictated into his voice recorder. "Subject unresponsive. Shows
no reaction to bright light. Pupils remain dialated. Absence of visual
tracking in either peripheral field of vision. Does not appear able to speak,
swallow or move voluntarily. Classic catatonia, possibly drug induced.
Confer with Dr. McJohn tomorrow. Notify subject's caregiver and continue
to monitor."
'Monitor? But my name is....Amanda. Why doesn't he hear me!' With every
ounce of her being, Amanda tried to form one message, one solid thought.
'Where....is.....Lee?' It was no use. No sound came out.
She was trapped in her own body.
Blackness swirled about her and gripped her mind. There was no hope. No life.
Only despair. And darkness. Amanda could feel the ruthless embrace of fear
and terror encompass her. She could barely breath.
'Steal, kill, destroy'. She vaugely recalled her father reading that
to her when she was a child. Wasn't that in the Bible somewhere? If only
she could remember the rest of that verse...
***
Forman walked back into his office to face his subject's caregiver. He spoke
in his ususal detatched, clinical manner to the distraught man before him.
"Mr. Stetson, your wife exhibits characteristics of catatonia. She is going
to require 24 hour supervision at this time. As I'm sure you're aware, she's
currently unable to care for her own needs. She will require total assistance
with bathing, dressing, toileting and, *when possible*, feeding. She needs
total care. I've set up an appointment with Dr. McJohn for tomorrow. He
will determine any chemical presence that may be causing your wife's current
condition. Do you have insurance? We can set you up with Visiting Nurse and
we do need to schedule your wife for psychoanalysis."
Lee could have belted this goon before him if the nurse hadn't just now
brought Amanda back into the room.
His heart ached when he saw her. She looked so frail and lost. He still
couldn't get used to it, Amanda's face showed absolutely no emotion.
Lee stood up and gently took his wife's hand. No response.
Lee stuffed the pain inside like he had so many times before. 'No! I'm not
going to let this win!' All his life, he knew only to fight back and make a
difference. He wasn't going to let his wife down now. 'Krutiov's gonna pay!'
****
After Forman finished the Agency evaluation on Amanda, Francine advised Lee
to take his wife home. This time Francine would send two, more experienced,
field agents to guard them. If Krutiov or the Russians made any move,
it would not go undetected.
Francine marvelled at how the two rookies earlier that day could have decided
that everything was okay. 'Just because they had seen Amanda through the
window, standing in her kitchen'. This time, she would make sure Lee and
Amanda would not go without first class security.
****
Rain pelted the windshield as Lee drove Amanda home in silence. This was
the most grievous task of his life. He had never expected anything to happen
to his new wife. At least not for years.
Lee stared at the fog hovering over the road before him. He knew his intelligence
days were over. 'No need to think about Francine's offer any more', Lee decided.
'Probably doesn't matter anyway,' he mused, 'I'll deserve to be in prison once
I'm through with Krutiov'.
Lost in his thoughts, Lee didn't notice that familiar black 4x4 following
them all the way home.
****
Lee tried but he couldn't get Amanda to eat. He gave up on dinner himself.
Although he felt the pangs of hunger, he couldn't even look at food. 'It's been
one hell of a long day.'
Lee assisted his wife up to the bathroom. She showed no reaction, no response.
No recognition of his voice, his touch. He quietly helped her wash up for
bed, then gently put his arms around her neck. He didn't want to, but the doctor
had instructed him to take off all of Amanda's jewelry. This would prevent
her from accidently choking or hurting herself.
Lee carressed his wife's face and gave her a gentle smooch before he unclasped
the heart pendant. He hated this! He left a trail of tears and kisses where
Amanda's heart necklace had been. Still no response.
Lee looked tenderly into Amanda's eyes. Her pupils were still dialated. 'Ok,
little lady, time to get you off to bed.' Lee managed to get Amanda into their
bedroom and changed into some nightclothes. She wasn't resistent but the doctor
was right. She was unable to do anything for herself. As far as Lee could tell,
his wife could breath and that was about it.
****
Darkness again and terror. Lonliness. Amanda wondered, 'Where is he?'
****
Lee came back from his quick shower. When he had left, Amanda had been positioned
at the end of their bed. Now, she was standing by their bedroom window. 'That's
strange' he thought.
This was the first sign of any voluntary movement on Amanda's part. Lee walked
over to guide his wife back into bed. As he did, he glanced out the window.
"Hmm, nothing but the two agents and our neighbor's car." He wondered what
she had been doing.
Lee tenderly gathered Amanda into his arms and tucked her into bed. He
positioned himself by her side and lay there with his eyes open. He wondered
how either of them were going to get any sleep. At least Forman had given him
something to help if they needed it. Out of sheer exhaustion, Lee finally
dropped off into a fitful slumber...
****
"He he he he he. Hee hee hee hee hee."
Amanda could swear she heard little demons giggling with delight at her
despair. She saw their feet on the bedroom carpet as they ran away. She
couldn't speak, couldn't get up from bed. Her chest felt so heavy, like
an immovable weight had been permanantly placed there.
Her mind felt like it was being crushed by a vice. She was distraught. She
felt like Satan himself had come to join the fun.
"Can't help yourself Amanda?", he sneered. "You've always been able to get
yourself out of jams before? What's your problem? Cat got your tongue? Ha,
ha, ha, ha, ha!"
Amanda tried to shout back. Her mouth opened but no words formed, there was
no voice. She could hear Lee breathing beside her but her back was to him.
She couldn't willingly move her hands or feet to warn him. 'Help me!'
It was no use. Amanda turned her head toward the pillow. She couldn't
even cry.
****
Running, running, dodging bullets, fleeing, run, run, run....
"Agh!" Lee was awoken abruptly out of his dream. "What the!" Amanda's two
hands were firmly placed around her husband's neck. "Aman-da, ugh!" He didn't
want to hurt her, didn't want to struggle but she showed unnatural human strength.
Lee grabbed his wife's arms as gently as he could, she wouldn't budge. As
she continued to strangle him without emotion, Lee fumbled for the syringe
Forman had given them. He had placed it on the bedstand. 'I don't want to do
this' he thought but he had no other choice. He grabbed the needle and plunged
it as gently as possible into his wife's flesh. She began to release her deadly
hold. The tranquilizer was working.
****
Green fields across a fathomless gulf. Her father standing by a gentle
man who was tending sheep.
Amanda looked over that impassable gulf and longed for that freedom. Her
father beckoned her over and the Shepherd smiled. Amanda smiled back, she
finally recognized the Shepherd's voice. Immediately she was translated out
of darkness and into His marvelous light. Peace at last.
tbc