Chapter 2

When he did finally get some sleep his night was filled with pain induced nightmares. The medication took the edge off his symptoms but it could not work miracles. It could not undo the damage. He whined softly in his sleep as he turned over. Just after dawn he eased himself up off the pillow and tried to come awake. He'd give anything to just stay here and lick his wounds but that was not an option. They told him to keep everything as normal as possible, to do everything he would normally do. He hauled himself up and trudged to the bathroom. He washed as best he could careful to avoid the tight bandage around his middle. He pulled on a suit and told himself he looked normal, he looked okay. But the constant pain in his gut made his head swim and brought stars to his eyes. He took the small bottle of pain killers out to the kitchen and took two pills with a glass of water.

~o~

"Champagne for breakfast, now I know I'm in your good books Billy," Amanda smiled as he handed her the glass.

"It's not every day we put a hood like Lester Craig away for life. This is a big day for all of us," Billy beamed at her.

Francine took up her glass and gave Amanda a stiff little smile.

"Well done Amanda, I know Lee would have done most of the groundwork, but you..."

She didn't get to finish her point as Lee himself could be seen coming through the glass door at the other end of the office.

"What's all this," he smiled as he went to join them.

"Lee it's the best news," Amanda told him. "Lester Craig has been found guilty on all counts. Thanks to your evidence the jury took only minutes to bring in a verdict,"

"Cause for celebration," Billy smiled as he poured a glass for Lee.

"No thanks Billy. It's a bit early in the morning," he smiled.

"Aww come on Lee," Amanda rounded on him enthusiastically.

He backed up suddenly, giving her a look she couldn't quite read.

She froze in her actions.

"I'll have some later. We need to get going Amanda. We...have that Sharps case to finish up too."

"Yeah of course," Amanda put her glass down.

She smiled as Billy gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Well done Amanda."

"Thanks Billy, but we super agents don't want praise or champagne, we just need to know the world is a safer place for our efforts,"

She was hoping to crack a smile out of Lee with that comment but he was distracted refilling bullets in his gun.

"Lee I would ask that you don't keep bullets in your desk drawer, they belong in the cabinet," Billy told him.

Lee nodded to Billy and then he took a sip of the cold coffee sitting on his desk since yesterday.

"You want coffee Lee?" Amanda asked.

"No that'll do,"

"Are you okay?" She asked trying to make eye contact.

"I'm fine," he nodded with a half smile. "I didn't sleep well last night."

"Oh you poor thing, I have a sure fire cure for that. One of mothers herbal remedies, tastes vile but trust me, it saves lives."

Lee nodded as he took in all that she said.

"Are you sure you're okay Lee?"

"Ask me that again and see what happens," he gave her a devilish grin.

"Don't you dare, I don't trust you. I'm walking out first and you stay right back there Stetson," she smirked as she took her bag and headed for the door.

Lee grinned back but the good humour never quite reached his eyes. He took in a ragged breath. He could pull this off. He could keep things normal, he told himself.

They were watching, he knew they were. He was tailed from his apartment, a white Sudan car. He needed to bide his time. He had friends he could contact. Friends he had risked his life to save in the past. They could extract the children, take them to a safe house. Once Jamie and Philip were out of the equation it would be a whole different ball game he told himself. But he needed to bide his time. They'll be expecting reaction, they'll be on the alert. He must wait until their guard is down. He knew who to call but timing was everything.

Amanda appeared back at the door and gave him a curious look.

"Yeah I'm coming," he took hold and stirred her out to the landing before she could comment.

~o~

"So what's the plan," Amanda asked as they drove through busy morning traffic.

"It's a simple matter, we pick up Sharp outside his office. We have the deals he struck overseas, we have proof he laundered the money betting on horses we just need to pick him up."

"Why outside his office?" Amanda asked.

"That building is wall to wall his people. He has more security than The Pope. They probably would allow a formal arrest. They'd probably call his lawyer but why take the chance on trouble. We know that at 11.30 every day he leaves the office to frequent a certain eatery down the block. Easier to pick him up then." Lee nodded.

"Lee?"

"Don't ask again Amanda."

"I'm worried about you,"

He reached over and took her hand to reassure her.

"I can't put my finger on it, you don't even look well."

"We bin putting in a lot of hours," he said a little too quickly.

"Look there's his office, swanky huh?"

Amanda decided to abandon it and concentrate on the job in hand. Maybe he was as he said, just tired.

"Ok, this should be simple enough. He will be out in twenty minutes. As soon as he appears I'll walk across to meet him, you bring the car around. Hopefully he'll be anxious to avoid embarrassment, self respecting thug that he is."

"Lee,"

"What?"

"Aren't those protesters setting up outside the building?"

Amanda pointed as a mini bus had pulled up and a group of scruffy middle aged people were piling out baring large signs.

"Ok that's him, and one hired goon, this should be ok. Wish me luck,"

Lee got out, adjusted his jacket and crossed the street.

Amanda slipped over to the driver seat. She banked the car out into the traffic and drove down the road in order to turn round.

Lee kept his eyes on the man as he made for his limousine. For one brief moment their eyes met and then a plump middle aged woman stood directly in his way.

"Do not enter that building, do you know what his products are doing to the environment. Do you even care?"

Lee tried to side step the woman as Sharp saw his moment and took off running. Assuming that the agent was trying to attack her she hit him full force with her sign and he went down. Adrenaline pumping, Lee got back up immediately and gave chase. They couldn't let Sharp get away. He had millions of friends. He could use umpteen connections and just disappear never to be seen again.

Lee tore after him, pounding through lane ways and across busy streets with car horns blaring at him. Finally in a deserted back street he began to catch up. He made a dive for him and brought Sharp to the ground. They both scrambled back up. Lee swung for him but Sharp was just a fraction faster. He punched Lee full in the stomach. With a grimace of pain he went to his knees and fell to the ground. Sharp couldn't believe his luck. He stared for a moment at the injured agent and then he took off running. Lee lay on the ground trying to catch his breath as the excruciating pain tore through him. Tears came to his eyes as he cradled his stomach and tried to breath through it.

Minutes later Amanda arrived on the scene.

"Lee!"

"We lost him," he said as he made an effort to sit up.

"Are you okay Lee, did he hurt you?"

"He just knocked the wind out of my sails," Lee grinned. "Will you...go to the car, call it in Amanda?"

"I don't..."

"Please Amanda, headquarters will need to know to secure the airports." He told her.

She nodded, knowing full well how important that was and hurried back to the car to put in the call.

Once she was out of sight Lee moved to get up. He bit his bottom lip against the pain as he turned and used the rungs of a steel fence to pull himself to standing position. He wished he had water, he was getting light headed again. He went to his pocket and took out the little bottle of pills.

~o~

The rest of the day was spent searching out Sharps old haunts. A fruitless search he was long gone, probably holed up in some safe house across the city.

The evening hours should have brought some respite for the agent but Lee was in turmoil. He dreaded the thoughts of Amanda and her boys going back to that house but he had to play the game on their terms for now.

He trudged through his front door and threw the keys on a plate on the windowsill.

Immediately he was grabbed from behind and thrown up against the wall. They searched him removing his firearm and a knife he kept hidden in his jacket. Then he was spun around to face his tormentors.

"How did you get in here?" He asked.

She got up from the table and went to him.

"Such questions, who do you think you're dealing with Mr Stetson."

"We have not been formerly introduced. From now on you may call me Margo...and I will refer to you as Lee. Important that we forgo the formalities if we are to appear...intimate with each other."

Lee grimaced.

As if reading his thoughts she took the knife from one of her henchmen. Lee struggled in the men's grip as she approached him.

Slowly she took the blade and slid it down the side on his face so light so as not to cut him. Lee kept very still eying the blade as she worked.

"You will tell those around you that you have a new girlfriend. We need to meet tomorrow and discuss the interior workings of the gallery. We will meet for lunch yes?"

She slid the blade down and let it rest on his jugular vein pressing just that bit harder.

"Yes," Lee said quietly.

She smiled warmly at him as she removed the blade. She took the speck of blood from it's tip and brought it to her lips.

"You have been seen frequenting a sandwich bar across the street from where you work, O Brian's I believe it is called."

Lee bristled at this, realising that they had him under surveillance for some time.

"I will meet you there at 1.30 tomorrow. There is someone I would very much like you to meet. He used to work at the gallery. He will give us inside information."

"Whatever you say."

She moved in close and ran the back of her hand down the side of his cheek in an almost tender caress. Lee closed his eyes fighting off the wave of nausea that crawled up to his throat.

"You've had a trying day, we will leave you now. You rest. I will expect you at 1.30 tomorrow. Oh and I have good news, the boys liked their new teachers. Jamie especially showed a fine aptitude for his history lesson. He is a bright boy."

Lee didn't answer.

"I will expect you at lunchtime tomorrow, do not be late."

Those holding him in place shoved him forward and then shuffled out after their mistress. Soon he was alone in his front room. He took in a ragged breath as he watched them pile into a black Land Rover and drive off at speed.