Disclaimers: Scarecrow and Mrs. King is copyrighted to Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Production Company. This story, however, is copyrighted to the mentioned authors. This story is for entertainment purposes ONLY. If you would like to add it to an archive, please just let us know.
Summary: This story takes place after the series has ended. It's a "sequel" of sorts to our story "More Than Meets the Eye." A man from Lee's past turns Amanda's family life upside down.
Author's Notes: We did extensive research surrounding the Vietnam War and events that took place during that time. Some scenarios mentioned really did occur; we just added the wonderful world of SMK to them. Any airplane scenes mentioned we checked with a flight expert to handle any reality issues as we wrote. A very special thank you to Tammy for beta reading and being a true part of helping us write this story.
Timeframe: Thanksgiving the year they were married.
Rating: R (some suggestive situations and language)
Giving Thanks for What We Have
By Diane & Amy (Two Phantoms)
Chapter 10
Standing before her sons' bedroom door, Amanda's heart and mind were battling within her. 'I've got to get back to Arlington and get that panda. My only problem is that Lee can't go with me. What if one of Weasel's men saw him with me and Weasel decides to take out his anger on Phillip?' Turning her back to face the wall, she used it to support her as she slid down to rest on the floor. 'I didn't really lie to them.' She let her head fall back against the wall. 'It did break…I just didn't throw it away.' A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she listened to her husband's booming voice below.
Closing her eyes, she imagined his tirade over the agents as he gave each one their orders to protect his family. Images of her oldest son flashed through her mind…hurt, bleeding or worse…causing a shiver to spread throughout her body. 'I know what I have to do. If Lee were to go with me Weasel would kill him, and then I would loose them both. I have to do this alone.'
She jumped to her feet as she heard Jamie's door open. "Mom! I think I've got something."
Amanda placed her hands on her excited son's shoulders. "Calm down, sweetheart. What is it?"
Jamie opened his right hand and revealed a roll of film to his mother. "I took a lot of pictures today, while you, Lee and Grandma went to see Grandpa. I was thinking that maybe I got some shots of whoever took Phillip. Do you think that maybe we could get them developed!?!"
Amanda took the roll of film from his hand, trying to keep her breathing even and her hand steady. "I think that's a wonderful idea. I'll go see how soon we can get these pictures developed." Squeezing the small black container in her right hand, an idea began to take shape in her mind. Seeing the worried look on Jamie's face, she pulled her son to her and wrapped her arms around him. "It's going to be fine, Jamie. The government agents downstairs are going to start hunting for Phillip. They're the best the government has."
Jamie returned his mother's embrace. "I'm scared."
Amanda placed her chin on the top of Jamie's head and softly started to sway their bodies back and forth. "Me, too, sweetheart. Me, too. We just have to believe." Pulling back slightly, she looked into his glistening brown eyes. "Sweetheart, I have to go down now and see about getting this film developed."
Jamie released his mother and stepped back. "What can I do?"
Amanda smiled at the courage Jamie was trying to show. "Tomorrow will be a hard day. Your grandmother's going to need you now more than ever." She opened the door to his room. "Try and get some sleep, okay?"
Jamie nodded, but hesitated before entering his room. "Mom?"
Amanda had started towards the steps but stopped at the sound of her son's voice. "Yes, sweetheart."
"I love you." Jamie entered his room and closed the door behind him.
A feeling of pride in her youngest son swept over her, as she gently wiped away the single tear that had begun to well up in her eye. "I love you, too," she said to the now-empty hallway, and then turned and headed back downstairs.
Lee's trained ears heard the soft footsteps descending the stairs. Standing from the kitchen table, he entered the foyer and looked up at his wife coming down the steps. "I thought you were going to catch a few z's?"
Knowing that her husband would want to develop the film tonight, Amanda's mind began to race as she tried to figure out a way to put her plan into action. Placing a sweet smile on her face she quickened her pace down the steps. "Jamie gave me this roll of film." Reaching the bottom, she held her hand in front of Lee's face and opened her palm. "He said that he took lots of pictures today, before Phillip was taken. Maybe we have something on here we could use. A tag number, a face, a vehicle description--"
"Amanda, slow down." Lee took the offering she held in her hand then took her hand in his and led her to the kitchen.
Amanda looked around at the once-quiet kitchen that was now flooded with activities aimed at finding her son and capturing the elusive Weasel. Her eyes fell on the tired form of her father. A soft smile crossed her lips as his eyes locked with hers. A sudden surge of guilt racked her body as she recognized the look in his eyes. She hadn't seen that look in over twenty years, not since Debbie Ann, but she knew what it meant. It meant that he knew what she was planning, but would he tell? "Lee, don't you think we should get it developed? I think it could be just the lead we need. You know how Jamie is with that camera you gave him. I bet he got lots of pictures of—"
Amanda's rambling was cut off when Richard stood from the table and stood before her and Lee. "What are you talking about, Amanda?"
Lee started to explain before Amanda could utter a word. "Jamie took pictures today before Phillip was taken. I'm sure that Weasel had the place watched before attempting such a thing, so maybe Jamie caught it on film."
Richard took the small piece of gold, in the form of a black roll, from Lee's hand. "We need to get this shit developed. It might just be our only hope."
Lee tightened his grip on his wife's hand. "So, send one of your guys back to your agency and have it developed A.S.A.P.!"
Lorna shook her head as she joined the small group. "Can't do it tonight. The film guy at the agency is out having back surgery, and the woman who's helping out only works during the day. I'll carry it over first thing in the morning."
Lee released Amanda's hand and agitatedly ran has left hand through his hair. "I'll be damned if we're waiting until tomorrow morning. We need to get this done tonight…every minute counts!"
Amanda placed her hand on Lee's left shoulder. "Why don't you develop it here? You and Jamie have been practicing, and I'll just bet Lorna will let you use the basement as a darkroom."
Lee's eyes lit up with excitement. "Yeah! I just need a few things to get started." He grabbed a pen and began to jot down items. "Richard, could you send one of your guys out to pick this stuff up for me?"
Richard took the paper Lee offered. "Not a problem. Carl, get in here!"
Amanda glanced over at her father's quiet form. His eyes still held that look of uncertainty about her actions. Mustering her courage, she decided it was now or never. "Lee, could I go with him? If I stay here, I'll go crazy with nothing to do. Mother and Jamie are asleep. You and the rest of the group will be following up on any leads, and making plans."
The skin of Lee's forehead wrinkled as he thought over her suggestion. "It'd be a lot safer for you here."
Amanda stood between her husband and the rest of the group. "Lee, I really need a break. We won't be gone long, and I'm sure that Carl is a top agent. Right, Richard?"
Richard agreed that Amanda needed some time away from the situation. "Yep. He's one of my best. But to make sure nothing happens, I'll send Lewis with you as well. There's not much trouble you could find yourself in with two escorts."
Lee sighed at that comment and peered around Amanda's shoulder to look at Frank. Frank had made himself busy going over old files from his war days and didn't seem to see Lee's questioning eyes. Amanda's soft brown eyes pleaded with him to let her go. "I wish you wouldn't look at me that way, Amanda. You know I can't say no."
She brushed her lips to his cheek as she scurried by him and headed up the steps. "I just need to get my purse, and I'll be right down."
Amanda exhaled the breath she had been holding as she reached the top of the steps. 'Phase one complete. Now to deal with the two watchdogs, and I'm on my way.'
Opening the door slightly to her room, Amanda witnessed a simple and happy moment in the lives of two people in love. Dotty slept on the bed, while Kurt sat in a chair beside her equally asleep but clutching her hand tightly in his. As she moved softly to the table to retrieve her purse, she committed the image to memory. Closing the door quietly, she hoped her mother would be able to find happiness in the days ahead.
~~~~~ ~~~~~
Leaving the camera shop with the items on Lee's list, Amanda decided it was time to put her plan into action. "Hey, guys. Would you mind if we went into the grocery store over there?" She pointed to the store across the street. "Poor Lorna. She hadn't expected so many of you, and the refrigerator is almost bare. Now, I know how many agents are about food on an operation like this. I'd really like to take a few things back now, so she doesn't have to make a trip tomorrow."
Watching the men open the van door and place the items for the film in the back, she continued her rambling. "I know my little boy will wake up starving to death, and he has so much to worry about, and I just want to make him comfortable. I like to cook when I'm nervous. I can make a pretty mean chicken noodle soup for all of you when we get back. Is there anything that you guys like specifically? I'm sure I make whatever you like for breakfast. Lee's not a big eater in the morning but--"
Lewis' head spun with her never-ending chatter. "Mrs. King, we'll be glad to go with you to the grocery store. Everything looks fairly calm. Just remember to stay with us. Okay?"
Amanda gave him her best warm smile as she took a seat in the back of the van. "Oh, thank you. You just don't know how much this means to me."
The two men rolled their eyes at each other before they proceeded to get into the van and drive across to the supermarket parking lot. Once at their new destination, Amanda smiled innocently as she retrieved a shopping cart and started down the first aisle of the grocery store. The agents' eyes widened as she pulled what appeared to be a two-page shopping list from her purse. "I wrote down a few things we might need on the way to the camera shop earlier. It won't take too long, I promise."
Two aisles over and thirty minutes later, the agents were becoming more and more anxious as the cart began filling up. Carl looked at Lewis and shrugged his shoulders as Amanda placed another box of cereal in the cart. "Mrs. King, we really do need to head back. I'm sure Fire and Scarecrow are anxiously awaiting us."
Amanda batted her eyes at the frustrated agents. "I'm so sorry, Carl, I hadn't thought of that. Why don't you give Lee a call, and tell him we'll be home in a few minutes. I think I saw a pay phone at the back of the store, next to the water fountain."
Carl exhaled a large breath as he started towards the back of the store.
"Carl, if you want, you could give me the keys so we could head on up to the registers, check out, and be putting the groceries in the van."
Agent Carl looked at Agent Lewis then back to Amanda. "Okay, if it'll things speed up here." He handed her the keys and took off to the back of the store."
Amanda turned to face Lewis as she handed him half the list. "Lewis, if you want you could go pick up these items over on the last aisles. It's not much, just a jug of milk, some bread and a couple of other odds and ends. That way we can get out of here and on our way back to the Swan a lot quicker."
Trying to decide if he should leave her, his eyes darted around the aisle. "I really shouldn't leave you alone, Scarecrow'd have my hide if anything happens to you. Believe me, I don't want to cross him, he spent five minutes describing in explicit detail, what he'd do to us if we let anything happen to you."
Amanda placed her hand on his arm. "Now, Lewis, the store is practically empty and Carl is just an aisle over. If you get these things, we can meet up front in just a few minutes, pay for all the groceries, and then we can leave. I'm sure Mr. Fire would want us to do this as fast as we can."
Lewis rubbed his hands over his face and then took the list from Amanda. "I'll meet you up front in five minutes."
Amanda gave him a pat on the arm and continued down the aisle, throwing items into her cart as she went. Once she saw him round the corner to the next aisle, she left the cart and headed to the front of the store. Eyeing a stock boy, she rushed over to him. Placing her most worried and frightened expression on her face, she said in a hushed but desperate voice, "There are two guys in here who have guns! I saw one of them on the phone in the back, and the other is sneaking around over on the last aisle. I think maybe they plan on robbing the store."
The stock boy rushed over to the office and picked up the phone, and quickly began dialing the local police. Amanda took advantage of the distracted boy and agents and ducked out the door.
After another long lecture from Scarecrow, this time detailing how easily Mrs. King found trouble, Carl headed to search the aisles for her. Finding Lewis on the last aisle, his hands full of groceries, Carl's expression grew concerned. "Where's Mrs. King?"
Lewis shoved a gallon of milk into Carl's hand. "Betty Crocker's getting the rest of the stuff we need and meeting us up front."
Carl started to the front of the store. "I didn't see her when I came to find you."
Lewis' pace quickened as he followed his partner. Frantically looking over the shelves for a glimpse of the familiar brown curls, he quickly came to a frightening conclusion. "Aw, shit."
Both men were met by armed police officers as they reached the front checkouts. "Freeze! Put your hands up and face the wall!"
Lewis and Carl looked at each other, their faces stunned as they dropped the items they were carrying and did as they were told.
Carl looked out the large windows of the store just in time to see the Secret Service van leaving the parking lot. His eyes grew wide with shock. "I think we've been tricked by a housewife."
Lewis' intense gaze matched Carl's. "I think we're in a shit-load of trouble when we get back to the safe house!"
~~~~~ ~~~~~
Phillip bolted upright on the cot as the sounds of shouting echoed outside his prison. As he tried to stand, he leaned on his injured arm. Wincing in pain, he placed his opposite hand over the bruised arm and began to move slowly around the room. Hearing the angry voices outside his door end as a loud shot rang out, he moved quickly back to the corner and sat on the floor.
His mind filled with images of what might become of him, and he began to pray that someone would come and find him. 'Mom, if you find me I promise to listen to the warnings you tell me from now on. Please come and get me. I know I should be brave, but I'm really scared.'
Phillip grit his teeth as he stood. 'Maybe there's something in here I could use to protect myself.' Beginning to look through the empty boxes in desperation, he didn't hear Weasel step into the room.
Weasel grabbed Phillip's injured arm and flung him to the cot. "You don't follow orders very well. I hope your mother is better at it than you are."
Phillip narrowed his eyes at his captor. "What do you want with me!?!"
Placing his gun back in its holster, Simon joined the two. "You never told me what you wanted me to do with that guy's body, Boss."
Phillip's eyes widened at the sight of the giant entering the room. Gulping back the fear that ran up his throat, he maintained a strong appearance. "Let me go! If you don't, I'm sure you'll get in a lot of trouble. My mom has friends in high places. She works with some big government types. So does my soon-to-be-step-dad, Lee Stetson."
Weasel smiled at the boy's obvious attempt to remain brave. "I wouldn't worry about your mother, or her friends. She knows if she wants to see her little boy alive and well, she'd better do as she's told. As for Lee Stetson, I'll deal with him when the time comes. So, be a good boy and stay put. Cause me any more trouble, and I will kill you."
Phillip's eyes remained defiant, but he stayed quiet. Simon stepped behind his boss and gazed over at the boy. "Doesn't look much like his mother, does he?" Placing his hand on one of Weasel's shoulders, and giving it a good squeeze, he continued. "You're not forgetting your promise about her are you?"
Weasel rolled his eyes towards the ceiling and shrugged the bulky hand from his shoulder. Turning to face his employee, he tried to maintain a calm demeanor. "I haven't forgotten, but you need to dispose of our earlier problem. Then, you need to go replace the tail we had on his mother. I just received word that she and two goons left the Swan and are at some camera shop. I want you to stay with her and make sure she gets what we need!"
Simon nodded his understanding then turned to leave the room.
"Simon!" Weasel's voice stopped him. "Be sure to take these with you." He pulled a bottle of pills from his pocket and flung them at the large man.
Simon caught the pills in his left hand and mockingly saluted his superior. "Yes, sir!"
Phillip watched the big man leave and felt the courage drain from his body. Weasel retrieved a pair of handcuffs from his back pocket and grabbed Phillip's injured arm again. "Just a little extra security. I'll be back to check on you shortly."
Phillip winced as the cold metal snapped closed around his wrist. Weasel's eyes scanned the room, looking for something to fasten him to. "Let me see what I can secure you to in here." His eyes looked at the radiator on the far side of the room. "That should do nicely." Dragging Phillip from the small cot, he fastened him to the metal coils.
Phillip remained quiet as he watched his kidnapper leave. Closing his eyes to the pain that washed over his body, he continued to beg for his mother and Lee to find him.
~~~~~ ~~~~~
Lee continued his tirade on the wooden floor of the small dining room as the other occupants stood to the side and tried to avoid his angry glares. "Damn it! They should've been back two hours ago!"
Frank was worried as well, but decided that admitting so would only add fuel to the already out-of-control flame. "Lee, why don't we go over some of the facts we have about Weasel's recent associates? Maybe another quick run through would bring up something we missed before."
Lee's jaw clenched as he looked to the front door again. "Something's not right." Turning his anger on Richard, he continued, "Your agent called over two hours ago and said that they were on their way. What are you doing to find them?"
Just as Richard started to speak the front door slowly opened, and two very weary agents entered. He crossed the floor with lightning speed and stood before the two men. "I want some answers NOW!"
Lee pushed past the two men and looked out the door. "Where is she!?!"
Lewis shuffled his feet and looked to Carl.
Clearing his throat, Carl summarized the events of the evening. "Getting right to the point: she took off and left us at the store."
Lee's eyes danced with anger as he stood before Carl. "What exactly do you mean 'took off?'"
Carl backed a few steps away from Lee and started to explain, "It's really not our fault. She was so damn confusing. She started going on about getting food and then telling us that we needed to call you. Then she sent me to the other side of the store." Turning his gaze from Scarecrow, he looked over towards Agent Fire. "That's when the cops showed up and arrested us for attempted robbery!"
The muscles in Lee's jaw became more evident with each word Carl spoke. "So, what you're telling me is…that she gave you the slip."
Looking at his agents with disgust, Richard ran his right hand through his hair. "You actually let her out of your sight? I can't believe this shit. I told both of you, before you left, that she is a highly-trained agent and you needed to keep an eye on her at all times."
Lewis avoided his boss' glare and focused on the logs that burned in the living room fireplace as he joined his fellow agent in defending their story. "She was just so nice and then she got to rambling about so much we just got confused and wanted to get back here. We didn't' see the harm in humoring her…at the time." Pausing he averted his gaze from the safety of the fireplace and looked Fire square in the eyes. "We found out that a woman fitting her description told the bag boy that we planned to rob the joint, and he called the police. That's when she went to the van and left."
Lee rolled his eyes and flung his arms up in the air. "I can't believe this!" He spun around and paced across the room, then stopped and slowly turned back. Shaking his head, he began to speak again, only this time, his voice was tinged with confusion instead of anger. "I can't believe she would take off like this!"
Frank rolled his chair up next to Lee. "It's her son's life. We both knew she'd try something. You said yourself she'd given up too easily, earlier."
Lee silently agreed with Frank as he glared at the irresponsible agents. "Where in the hell could she've gone?"
Frank rolled in front of Lee and demanded eye contact with him. "I think she lied about the panda. I bet she's gone back to Arlington to get it. There's only one way to find out. We need to ask Dotty or Jamie about it."
Lee didn't wait for Frank to finish his sentence before he was halfway up the steps heading towards Dotty's room. Giving the door a soft knock when he had reached the door, he entered.
~~~~~ ~~~~~
Amanda parked the van in the airport terminal parking lot. Pulling the keys from the ignition, she reached across to the passenger side and unlocked the glove box. Tossing the keys in there, she exited the vehicle and locked the door. Feeling the prying eyes of a tail, she quickened her pace and entered the terminal.
Much to her surprise, there was an empty seat available on the next flight out to D.C., which was boarding at that very minute. After paying her fees and obtaining her ticket, she sprinted down the crowded corridor to her plane.
Once on board, she fastened her seat belt and relaxed in the seat. Watching the ground beneath her quickly disappearing, she closed her eyes and thought of what she had to do. 'Lee, I hope you understand. I couldn't sit idly by. I had to do this.'
~~~~~ ~~~~~
Lee grabbed his jacket from the couch as he breezed through the living room. "Come on, Fire. We've got a plane to catch!"
Richard didn't hesitate and followed Lee to the front door.
Opening the door, Lee turned to look at Frank. "Jamie only broke the tail off of it. She glued it back on and put the panda away in the attic. She still has the damn thing, and I'm going to find her before Weasel does!"
Frank rolled close to Lee and grabbed his arm. "You bring my stubborn little girl home! I'll keep an eye on things here!"
Lee nodded and closed the door behind him. He jumped off the porch and sprinted down the driveway towards the Blazer.
Richard followed and joined Lee in the already idling vehicle. Fastening his seatbelt, he braced himself for the ride he knew was ahead.
As Lee sped through the empty streets, he handed the cell phone to Richard and told him to call Billy. "Tell him everything, and I want a list of all the flights leaving Boston for D.C. I want them checked for Amanda's name."
~~~~~ ~~~~~
Richard clutched the phone tightly in his hand as they arrived at the airport. The twenty-minute drive, that should have taken an hour, left him a little shaken. "Scarecrow, do you always drive like that?"
Parking the Blazer outside the hangar at which they'd left Captain Kurt's plane, Lee turned cold eyes towards him. "When I need to! So, what did Billy say?"
Richard placed the phone back on the receiver and exited the Blazer. "Amanda's flight landed in D.C. about an hour ago. He has agents heading to her house now."
Lee strode to the hangar office to check with the technician he'd asked to check the prop adjustment on the Cessna. When he came back out, Richard noted he was heading out to the tie-down line.
"Out here, Fire!" he called as he reached for the rope on the wing of a small, tan low-wing.
Richard walked up to the plane's other wing and began untying the knot that held it snuggly on the ground. "This doesn't look like a Cessna," he said as Lee walked toward him, doing an abbreviated pre-flight check on the small plane.
"It's not," was all Lee said as he walked quickly around the front of the plane. "Skylane's not ready," he called over the plane as he climbed up on the wing and unlocked the pilot's door. Once inside the rather crammed cockpit, he reached over and unlocked the passenger door. "The Mooney's better anyway," he muttered as Fire climbed in. "Faster."
By the time Richard had settled into his seat and closed his door, Lee had already yelled "Clear!" and started the engine. He remained quiet as he watched the agitated man's actions and listened to his conversation with ground control. Fastening his seatbelt as they taxied toward the runway, he said a silent prayer and hoped that Lee would show a little more restraint than he had with the Blazer.
Chapter 11
Amanda's Wagoneer jumped as the front tire ran over the curb in front of her driveway. Glancing at the clock in her dashboard, curses flowed through her mind at how much time she had wasted. Back at the airport, she had entered the terminal only to realize that her car was over at Captain Kurt's hangar. After grabbing a shuttle to her vehicle, she left the airport, praying for the local police to be taking a coffee break as she sped through the streets to her home. That had been a good forty-five minutes ago.
Knowing that her husband had found out about her deception by now, she glanced down the street for any sign of Agency vehicles. Relieved that they hadn't shown up yet, she grabbed her purse and quickly hopped out of the car. Her hands began to shake as she searched her purse for her house keys. Images of her small boy – well, not so small anymore but still her "little boy" – alone with Weasel haunted her mind. All she could see were his innocent brown eyes full of fear and his body covered in blood. Finally, finding her keys in the bottomless pit of her purse, she hastily unlocked the front door. As she raced up the stairs, she caught a glimpse of Phillip's basketball lying on the floor outside the boys' room.
She blinked her eyes to hold back the tears that were forming and forced her mind to focus on the object she needed to retrieve as she headed for the attic stairs. Flinging the door open to the attic, she felt fear winning over her rational thinking. She needed to find the panda and get back to the airport. Her flight back to Boston was due to leave in two and half hours.
~~~~~ ~~~~~~
Simon drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he sat in his rental car, anxiously awaiting his prey to exit her house. "I don't know why I can't just follow her in and take what I want. Weasel just had to go and give me orders to make sure she had the damn thing in hand before I could take her."
Slamming his hand against the dashboard, his mind raced with ways to go against his boss' orders and still be on his good side.
~~~~~ ~~~~~
Boxes crashed to the floor as Amanda frantically searched each one to no avail. Her Agency training edged farther from her mind with each box, and panic quickly filed in behind it. Eyeing her mother's junk box, the images of last year's spring cleaning came to mind. As she dug deeper into the piles of boxes, she verbalized her thoughts. "Oh, Mother. Why must you pack all of this stuff up like this? I sure hope you didn't throw it out or give it to some charity."
Sitting down amongst the boxes, she placed her head in her hands. Her son was depending on her, and she couldn't find the one thing that could save his life. A loud crash of boxes falling behind her interrupted her thoughts, and she jumped up to see the damage.
Seeing a box at her feet labeled "Jamie's Memories,' she remembered her own box in the back of her closet. "That's right. I didn't want Mother to accidentally throw it out, so I put it in my closet." She quickly ran back down the attic stairs towards her bedroom. Within seconds, she had found the box. Removing the lid, she released the breath she'd been holding at the sight of the panda.
Taking the panda from its protective shelter, she gently placed it on the floor beside her. The box was filled with other treasures that usually brought back special memories, but her mind filled with only one this time. Her memory went back to the time when she had first laid eyes on the panda before her. Placing the lid back on the container, she put it back in her closet and closed the door. Taking the priceless item in her hands once again, she sat on the bed to examine it.
She had received this treasure in a special-delivery package the day before news reached them that her father's chopper had gone down. Holding the panda up to the light on her nightstand, she saw a small clear stopper hidden on the bottom. "I wonder why I never noticed that before." Pulling the stopper out, she looked inside and saw the tiny roll of microfilm.
Carefully pulling the film out of the panda, her eyes darted around the room for something to place the film in. Remembering the jewelry bag in her dresser drawer, she rose from the bed and retrieved it. After securing the film in the black bag, she tucked the bag inside her bra, keeping it safely between her breasts.
She placed the stopper back in the bottom of the panda and placed it on the top shelf of her closet. Giving it one last glance, her eyes focused on the clock by her bed, and she realized she was wasting valuable time. Leaving her room, she raced downstairs, grabbed her purse, and headed back outside. Locking the door behind her, she rushed back to the Wagoneer and was soon backing out of the driveway.
So intent on getting on her way, she didn't notice the maroon Pontiac perform a U-turn and follow her around the bend and away from Maplewood Avenue. Nor did she notice the two unmarked Agency cars pass her, going in the direction of her house.
"Damn it! She's heading in the opposite direction!" Billy Melrose exclaimed to the Agent in the passenger seat. He slammed on his breaks, made a quick U-turn and stopped alongside the second Agency vehicle. Rolling down his window, he waited for Francine to roll down hers. "Francine, Amanda just took off in the other direction."
Francine nodded. "I know! I saw her car."
"I want you to head over to her house, see if you can come up with any clues as to what she might have found, then leave a man or two to watch over the house just in case anyone should come snooping around," Billy ordered. "I'm heading back out towards Dulles Airport, my guess is she's on her way back there."
"Okay," Francine responded. She began to roll up her window and then stopped. "Billy, what do I do if Scarecrow calls?"
Billy took a deep breath. "Tell him she hasn't shown up there yet or that we haven't seen her. I'll call him from the airport when I have some real news to report." He rolled up his window and sped off in the direction Amanda's car had just gone.
~~~~~ ~~~~~~
As Amanda turned onto the Dulles Access road, she suddenly noticed the Pontiac close on her tail. "Shoot! I should've been paying closer attention. I know I saw that car parked across the street from my house." She quickly stepped on the gas and shot into the high-speed lane. She then weaved her car between a few more cars.
Glancing in her rearview mirror, she breathed a sigh of relief when she realized the car was no longer behind her. "Maybe I'm just being paranoid. This whole thing has me a bit jumpy."
She kept up her speed and headed for the overnight parking areas, all the while continuing to check her mirror for any signs of the Pontiac.
After being spotted, Simon kept a safe distance behind Mrs. King's car. "No use spooking her now and loosing her. Then Weasel would really have my head, or rather, he'd send me back to the damn hospital." He watched as she pulled her Wagoneer into one of the overnight lots. Following the vehicle into the parking area, he parked his car far away from her line of sight. Watching as she locked her car and headed for the shuttle bus, he hastily got out of the Pontiac and followed. Climbing aboard the bus, he sat not far from her, ready to get off at the same terminal she did.
Simon picked up a local newspaper that another passenger had left behind and watched Amanda intently through the corner of his eye. Seeing that she had no other possession in her hand besides her purse, he wondered if she did indeed have the item his boss had requested. Simon's eyes narrowed and a wide grin crossed his features as he thought over what he could do to her luscious body. 'If she didn't find the item, I'm gonna have a lot of fun with her before I dispose of her. I know Weasel won't mind,'
Amanda could feel eyes watching her, and she looked around at the passengers of the small bus. As she scanned the bus, she noticed that they all seem to be engrossed in their own thoughts. One man, not far from her, seemed to have an eerie grin on his face as he glanced her way momentarily and then focused back to his paper. A chill ran up her spine as her eyes locked with his for a split second, and she pulled her coat closed around her.
As the bus reached the Delta terminal, she stood and prepared to disembark. She noticed that half the people on the bus did the same, including the man with the sinister grin. When the bus finally came to a stop, she quickly got off and headed inside the terminal.
Walking over to the monitors, she pulled out her return ticket and located which gate her flight was leaving from. She then turned her attention away from the monitors and evaluated her surroundings for anyone suspicious. Several of her fellow bus passengers had also stopped at the monitors, but she noticed that the disturbing man from the bus seemed to be heading towards one of the men's rooms. Breathing another sigh of relief, she began walking towards the escalator that would lead her to the right gate.
Simon watched as Mrs. King headed down the escalator and quickly followed her. Noticing that there were a few areas where he could easily pull her aside; he patiently waited for the crowd to thin out. 'Less eyes to see me take the King woman,' he mused.
The muscles in Billy Melrose's neck and shoulders ached with tension as his car pulled up outside the Delta Terminal. Thankfully, he had already had one of his Agents call the airlines to find out which return flight Amanda would be on. Pulling out his federal badge, he exited the car and went straight over to speak to one of the terminal guards.
"I'm leaving my car here, I need full co-operations from the airport security!" Turning to the agents behind him, he motioned for them to enter. "Duncan, you and two others go on in and start checking the terminal gates."
The guard studied the identification briefly and handed it back to Billy. "What can we do to help, Agent Melrose?"
Motioning for Agent Johnson to bring him his file, Billy pulled Amanda's photo out and showed it to the guard. "We're looking for this woman. She's scheduled to board the next flight out for Boston. I need her stopped and brought to me, unharmed."
Billy watched the excitement cross the eager guard's features. Clearing his throat, he narrowed his eyes at the man. "She's one of ours, and I don't expect her to be arrested. I just need to fill her in on a very important situation."
The guard grabbed his radio and started making contact with fellow officers. Billy nodded to the group of agents that had remained outside. "Come on, let's go find her!"
Glancing at her watch, Amanda realized that she was an hour early for her flight. She began to slow her rapid pace to catch her breath. 'No need to rush when I'm this close to the gate.'
Seeing a water fountain over on the wall, her mouth screamed for a little taste. She looked around again to see if she was being followed, or if any Agency members had caught up to her. Realizing she was still ahead of the game, she relaxed and walked over to the water fountain.
Simon watched her stiff body relax as she sipped the cool water. Taking one last look around the now-empty foyer, he carefully walked behind her and placed his hand around her waist. "Don't scream or I'll blow you into a million pieces."
Amanda felt the hard muzzle of the gun pressing into her side and nodded her understanding.
Simon gently stroked her soft brown hair from her neck and leaned down close to her ear. "Nice and easy, Mrs. King. Weasel has sent me to make sure that you've obtained the item and to take you safely back to him."
Amanda's stomach immediately began to churn as the smell of his stale beer breath reached her nostrils.
Simon could feel her small body tremble under his wide hands and let his mouth linger near her skin a moment longer to inhale her sweet smell.
Amanda cursed herself for being so carelessness. She should have known that Weasel wouldn't have let her waltz on back to Boston, alone and un-escorted.
Simon pulled her body close to him as he positioned her to face the lower exit doors. An evil chuckle filled her ears as he began to give her instructions. "Now, Mrs. King, we're gonna slowly back up to the doors leading outside. Don't make a move, because if you do, I will be forced to kill you. Then I'd have to report that to Weasel and seeing as how he has your son, I'm sure he'd take his anger out on your poor son."
Amanda did as she was asked and began to walk in the direction he was indicating. They were just reaching the doors when they both heard the hammering of feet rushing down the escalator. Amanda turned her head to see the familiar face of her boss and started to struggle with Simon. "Help!"
Simon tightened his grasp and continued to drag Amanda out the back doors and over to a vacant airport cart. "I'm sorry I have to do this, Mrs. King, but I can't have you running off on me." He quickly raised the gun and brought it down on Amanda's head, knocking her unconscious.
Throwing her into the passenger side of the cart, he put the vehicle in gear and headed towards the private hangars.
Billy had just reached the bottom of the escalator when he heard Amanda's pleas for help. Seeing her being dragged from the building, he shouted for his men to follow. "This way, boys!"
Guns pulled, they reached the outside just in time to see Amanda slumped over and the cart on its way to its destination. Agents began to take aim at the fleeing cart, only to be stopped by the booming voice of their Section Chief. "Hold your fire. You might hit Mrs. King!"
Billy's eyes narrowed as he watched the cart race farther from sight. "Damn it! All right, Johnson, take Mitchell and take that other cart and follow them, I want to know which hangar they go to. Rogers, follow me. We're gonna have to take the car around and try to stop them that way." Billy turned around and headed back inside.
Simon saw the other cart take off in pursuit and fired two shots behind him. He successfully blew out one of the tires, causing the agents to spin and screech to a stop.
Smiling, he floored the gas pedal, causing the cart to leap forward even faster.
Mitchell fired two shots in the direction of the cart but missed. Looking at Johnson, who was trying to keep the cart from going totally out of control, he cursed. "Damn! Melrose isn't gonna be happy."
Within minutes, Simon had rounded one hangar and turned into a second hangar. Parking the cart just inside the door, he hopped out and ran over to the other side to remove Mrs. King. "Stemple! Get this plane started! We don't have time to waste!" He called into the building as he threw Amanda over his shoulder.
A tall dark-haired man peaked his head out of the large low-wing craft's door. "Is that the woman Weasel wanted unharmed?"
"Yes, and she is unharmed, she's just knocked out. Now get this damn plane started." He adjusted Amanda's body and stepped up onto the wing.
Billy was racing his car through the hangar buildings. He spotted his two agents, away from their vehicle and wandering around. He pulled his car to a stop and literally jumped out. "Johnson! Mitchell! What the hell happened? Where'd the cart with Mrs. King go?" he shouted.
Mitchell raised his hands in exasperation. Johnson shook his head. "The guy had a gun and blew out our tire. We started to pursue them on foot, but the cart was out of our sight before we could catch up to them."
"Great! Just great!" Billy huffed. Just then, they heard an aircraft roar to life somewhere nearby, and then saw the recognizable V-tail of a Beechcraft Bonanza taxiing rapidly away from them. "Damn it! We're too late. All we can do now is sit and wait for Scarecrow to contact us." He stared at the retreating aircraft until it was out of sight and then turned back toward his car. "I'm not looking forward to this."
~~~~~ ~~~~~~
Lee taxied the Mooney towards Captain Kurt's hangar. Unlocking his seatbelt before the plane came to a complete stop, he turned his angered expression to Richard. "I can't believe we haven't been able to get in touch with Billy. God, I just hope Amanda's all right. As soon as I know she is, I'm gonna wring her neck! What was she thinking taking off on her own like that? How damn irresponsible could she be!?!"
Gripping the edges of his seat, Richard refused to look at the crazed man beside him. He'd been in a few small planes before, but Scarecrow's erratic behavior and edginess didn't make for a smooth landing. He opened his mouth to comment that Scarecrow shouldn't be talking about irresponsibility after the flight they'd just had, but thought better of it. Taking a deep breath and unfastening his seatbelt instead, he began to concentrate on gathering his things and preparing to exit the plane. The last thing he wanted was to make eye contact with his pilot until his feet were once again on solid ground.
Not wanting to put any more doubt into the young man's mind, he tried to reassure him. "I sure she's fine, Scarecrow. Billy said they were heading over to her house when we last spoke to him. He probably has her with him as we speak."
Lee started to pop the door open then turned to his co-pilot. "I hope you're right, Fire."
Exiting the plane, Lee began to bellow orders to the driver of the fuel truck to get the Mooney refueled and ready for takeoff as quickly as possible. Richard joined Lee outside the plane and watched as the mechanic mutely nodded his acceptance of Lee's orders. After receiving a confirmation that the plane would be ready to head back out within the next half-hour, Lee headed off the flight line and towards his car.
Richard followed the agitated man out of the hanger. "Hey, wait up! Scarecrow, where are you going?"
"I'm going to my car. I left it here Friday when we headed out. I'm calling Billy to get an update." As soon as he reached his 'Vette, Lee pulled out his car keys. Unlocking the door, he reached in and grabbed his phone.
Dialing, he punched in the numbers for the Agency. "I need to speak with Billy Melrose! This is Scarecrow."
"Yes, sir! He's been expecting your call. I'll patch you right through," the operator replied through the phone.
Lee drummed his fingers on the hood of his car as he waited for Billy to come on the line.
"Melrose, here. Scarecrow?"
"Yeah, Billy. We just landed. I'm at Captain Kurt's hangar. Did Amanda find the panda?"
Billy's face took on a pained expression as he prepared to ask his own question. He wasn't looking forward to telling Lee that Amanda's abductor had eluded them and was now airborne. "Scarecrow, how soon before you can get back in the air?"
A concerned frown appeared on Lee's forehead as he slowly replied, "As soon as it's fueled. He cocked his head. "Billy, what's wrong? Where's Amanda?"
Billy leaned his head back against his seat as he gripped the car phone tightly in his right hand. "We got to her house just as she was leaving. We followed her to the airport, but we didn't make it in time. Some guy grabbed her on the way to her flight gate and they literally just took off in a Bonanza."
Lee turned dark, angry eyes to Richard who was intently listening to the conversation. "Damn! Was it Weasel?"
"No. I've never seen this man before. He was at least seven feet tall and kind of heavy set… I'd say around two hundred and fifty pounds. He had dark hair and almost totally black eyes. I didn't get a very close look at him, though."
Lee closed his eyes to the image Billy described. Taking a deep breath, he looked again at Richard. "Simon."
Billy straightened in his seat. "Who?"
"Get on the horn and have the Boston airport on the ready. Give them her description. Damn it! I'm going back up in the air. Now!" Lee slammed his fist against his car.
Billy shook his head. "Scarecrow, how are you going to do that if you're plane's not ready? I don't need both of you in trouble!"
"My plane's fine. Just call Boston. We don't have time to waste. I'll contact you once we land again."
"Lee, wait! See if the hangar has a hand-held radio so that we can keep in contact somehow." Billy ordered into the phone. "Where's Kurt's hangar, we'll meet you there."
"I'll ask about a radio, but we may not be here when you arrive. Kurt's hangar's on the far south side, hangar number 33. Call Boston. We'll try and keep in touch somehow." Not waiting for a response, Lee reached back into his car and slammed the phone back onto its handset. This time, when he looked at Richard, his gaze was tinged with fear.
Richard understood the fear that Lee harbored. Simon was a dangerous man. "We'll find her Lee."
Shutting his car door, Lee started back towards the Mooney. "Come on, we're heading back up. Simon just took off a few minutes ago."
Richard stepped in his path. "Lee, you need to think clearly. We have to wait until the plane is refueled before we can go chasing after them."
Lee glanced back at the flight line. "Tanks should be topped off by now." When the other man remained standing in his path, his eyes narrowed. "Fire, I've seen what this man can do. I know what's in store for my wife! I have to go up now!"
Richard placed his hand on Lee's shoulder. "I think I can arrange for a plane. Being a Secret Service agent does have its advantages." He started back towards the Corvette but stopped at Lee's next words.
"No time!" Lee shouted as he started for the flight line at all but a jog. "They haven't been off the ground that long, and they're not expecting us. If we push it, I think we can catch them."
Richard closed his eyes and made a face, then pivoted to follow. He wasn't looking forward to taking another flight with Scarecrow, but he didn't like the idea of Simon having time alone with Amanda, either.
Chapter 12
Lee's eyes burned as he strained to see through the mounting clouds in the sky. "Where in the hell is Billy? We've been up in the air for over twenty minutes and still no word from him on Simon's coordinates."
Richard sympathetically shrugged his shoulders before adjusting his headset over his ears. "I'm sure he'll radio us as soon as he knows something." Tilting his head slightly, he made eye contact with pilot to make sure that he was still in control of his actions. Satisfied with what he saw, he continued, "Just keep this baby on auto-pilot with the coordinates set for Boston until we hear something."
Lee brushed his sweaty palms over the material of his jeans as he continued to search the clouds. "It's just that every second counts, Fire."
Fire nodded his agreement and turned his attention to the quickly-fading sun on the horizon. Both men remained quiet until both headsets crackled with a call.
"One-Two-Niner-Zero Yankee, Dulles International."
Lee's head jerked slightly, and he immediately keyed the microphone. "Niner-Zero Yankee."
"Niner-Zero Yankee, I have William Melrose to patch through to you."
"Go ahead, Dulles."
"Scarecrow," Billy's voice came through both men's headsets, "I have confirmation on their location." He proceeded to give Lee the latest radar contact coordinates.
Lee immediately began working on calculations so he could put the plane on an intercept course. "Thanks, Billy. I've got their coordinates locked in now. Let me know if they change course at all."
"Of course, Scarecrow. When you get closer, I'll help you close in. I'll be here monitoring your radio transmissions until you're on the ground."
Lee nodded, making final adjustments to his instruments. "As soon as I've got sight of the aircraft, I'm going to try and talk them down."
"Lee..."
"I will, Billy." Lee thumbed the transmission switch off as he took the plane off auto-pilot and headed in the direction of Simon's plane.
~~~~~ ~~~~~
Dotty continually walked back and forth in front of the crackling fire in the cozy living room. Looking up occasionally at all the equipment and government agents that littered the room, she thought of how her family was, once again, in a situation where they were under the watchful eye of the government. Releasing a loud sigh, she stopped before the fireplace and watched the pieces of ember wood fall to the base, a little at a time.
Amanda had left her, again, with no warning, no reason, not even a goodbye. So similar to the events of the year earlier where she had run off with Lee Stetson. The only difference this time was that Lee had run off after Amanda, rather than with her. She never had gotten a straight answer from her daughter about that situation and what had possessed her to run off like that, leaving her family behind to worry about her.
Her thoughts turned to Jamie, who was putting up a brave front, but she knew that he had to be an emotional wreck on the inside. Now, he not only had a brother missing, but his mother had decided to run off and do something about it.
Dotty wrapped her arms around herself as a small smile formed on her lips. Fortunately, the nice woman who ran the place, Lorna, had instinctively known that Jamie needed something to do and had invited him to help her out in the kitchen. She had smiled her thanks to the kind woman, knowing that Lorna was trying to help Jamie take his mind off of the situation at hand. Turning around to face the living room, she noted again, the agents guarding the front door and sitting by the phones.
Releasing a large, angry sigh, she turned her eyes on her husband. 'Frank is just sitting there… talking with one of the agents… going over some "plans" to save the world, no doubt.'
Frank felt the dagger stare of his wife's eyes on him. His observation of her earlier pacing had reminded him just a little of Lee Stetson when he was agitated. He wondered if Dotty had picked that little habit up from his son-in-law, or if it had managed to manifest on its own. He couldn't help but let a small smile tug at the corners of his mouth at how much she had changed over the years.
The last thin string of Dotty's controlled frustration broke at the sight of amusement on Frank's face. "Do you think this is funny, Frank West?!!" Pointing an accusing finger as she walked towards him, her voice at a full yell. "Well let me tell you something. This is the second time I've been forced into a situation where the government has gotten involved and taken over our lives. This is the second time in almost a year that your daughter has run off on some…some whim of impulse, totally disregarding the rest of her family. Not to mention causing poor Lee to tear out of here like a tornado just to go find her. I'm not sure what the hell Lee thinks he can do…he's no Superman."
Frank sat as far back in his wheelchair as he could while his wife flung her anger at him. "Dotty, you getting upset isn't going to solve anything…"
"Oh don't try and calm me down. You're mixed up in all of this. It's your fault that our daughter has run off to God knows where for God knows what reason. It's all your fault that my grandson has been kidnapped by some lunatic out for revenge against you! A fact that I would love to know more about." Dotty's anger caused her body to begin to tremble and her knees became weak. Placing her right palm on her forehead, she turned towards the couch and decided perhaps she should sit down.
Frank watched her exhausted body collapse on the couch. Deciding to try to offer her some comfort with the current situation, he rolled his chair over beside her at the couch. "Dotty, I wish I could give you answers, but I can't. I'm not sure why Amanda ran off, exactly…"
Dotty continued to rub her temples as she heard his wheel chair approach. At the sound of his voice she raised her head and turned her ice-cold eyes towards him. "What the hell does that mean? Do you mean you know where she headed off to and, for that matter, you may know why she left?" Her voice was calmer, but it now held an even tone, hinging on the edge of a challenge.
Frank forced himself to look into her piercing blue eyes as he fought his own inward battle on just how much he should divulge to her, if anything at all. Seeing the same fear in her eyes that he had seen the day he'd left them for 'Nam, he realized she had a right to some of the answers. Placing his right hand on her knee, he opened his mouth to begin his meager explanation when Kurt appeared in the doorway.
Kurt's thoughts tormented him as he lingered in the doorway, watching the love of his life with another man. 'Here I stand, feeling like an idiot while she sits there in an emotional hell taking comfort from another man. Hell! Who am I kidding? That's her husband! What do I do now? Do I back off and let them have some private time? Do I go over and show this man that she's mine and I'm going to fight for her?' Kurt started to turn and leave until something in him told him not to let his one chance at happiness slip through his fingers without a fight. 'No. I'm not going to stand by and let her go without a fight!'
Kurt straightened his shoulders and took a deep breath. As he stepped into the living room, he chose his words carefully. "Dotty, are you all right? You look a bit flustered."
Dotty's features softened at the sound of the man who now held her heart. Turning to look at him, she answered, "Oh, Kurt. Yes, I'm fine. I'm just trying to get some answers." She turned her attention back to the man in the wheelchair as she patted the seat next to her inviting Kurt to sit beside her.
Frank had noticed Dotty's features relax at the sight of the tall man entering the room. Keeping his outward appearance as casual as possible, he thought of the current situation with his wife. 'My immediate concern is Phillip's safety, as well as that of my impulsive daughter, and now added to this growing list, is my his hot-headed son-in-law.' He gently removed his hand from Dotty's knee as Kurt sat down beside her.
Turning his eyes to the burning fire in the fireplace, he continued his own thoughts. 'When this is all over and everyone is back together, safe and sound, I'm going to have to figure out what to do about my Dotty. No matter what the final outcome of our relationship is, it's not going to be an easy one on any of us.' Dotty's demanding voice brought Frank out of his thoughts and back to the present argument.
Dotty had cleared her throat for the second time to get Frank's attention before deciding to raise her voice and demand answers. "Frank, now I expect some answers. Where did Amanda go, and why did Lee feel the need to run off after her?"
Frank slowly nodded his understanding as he wheeled his chair backwards a few inches away from the couple. "I'll tell you what I can, but when I'm done, you have to promise me that you won't ask me any more questions." Pausing to look into her eyes for the confirmation he needed of his request, he was taken back by the look of defiance in her eyes. His Dotty had indeed changed quite a bit over the years.
Sighing, Dotty resigned herself to the idea of not having the whole truth. She didn't like it, but at least it would be something. She listened as her grandson yelled to Lorna that the cookies were done and they needed to be taken from the oven. This phrase had been uttered so many times in the safety of her home in Arlington over the years. Thinking back to those times and how many had been interrupted by Amanda rushing off to some place or taking mysterious phone calls, drove home the fact that some of her family members had been keeping her slightly in the dark about a lot of things. Reluctantly, she nodded her acceptance of Frank's terms.
Frank placed his hands on the armrest of his wheelchair and began to roll back and forth in front of the couple. "This all stems from some information I was in charge of back during the war. It appears that some documents, which the government thought had been destroyed when my chopper went down, were actually never directly given to me. Unbeknownst to me, a portion of the information was put into an item that I sent to Amanda before I left for that mission."
Frank stopped before her to look into her eyes. He wanted her to know that he was being completely honest. Seeing her nod, he continued his pacing as he spoke. "Apparently, Amanda overheard me telling some of the agents about it, and she got the brilliant idea to run off on her own to retrieve the item and bring it back here."
Dotty momentarily mulled over Frank's words then fired more questions at him. "Okay, but can you tell me how, and why, Lee decided to leave us behind and go running off after her. Why didn't he leave that to the professionals here?"
Frank didn't know how to respond to that truthfully without giving away the secret behind Lee and Amanda's real jobs. Shrugging his shoulders, he decided a little white lie couldn't hurt. "I'm not entirely sure. I guess love does funny things to people. I bet Lee believed Amanda's life might be in danger, and if I know Lee like I think I do, he's not the type who can sit idly by and just wait. He'll be fine. I'm sure of it. After all, he did take one of the Secret Service agents with him." He realized, as the words came to him, that not all of what he said was a lie, it just wasn't the whole truth.
Dotty wasn't totally satisfied with that answer. "Well, why didn't any of the other agents stop him? I'm sure they all feel that it would be safer for him to be under twenty-four hour guard, just like the rest of us," she huffed with an edge of frustration in her voice. She didn't like the idea of being confined inside and under supervision. It made her feel like a common criminal, when the real criminal was out there, somewhere, with her grandson.
Frank moved back towards the couch and started to reach out to put a comforting hand on Dotty's leg, but paused when he saw Kurt wrap his arm around her shoulder. He watched, disheartened, as she laid her head on the other man's shoulder, and sighed.
"I know this isn't easy on any of us," Kurt began in a soothing tone, "but we just have to leave the situation in the hands of the authorities. Why don't you and I go on upstairs and go over some new flight simulations I'd like to teach you when we get back to Virginia."
Dotty realized there was no use in sitting here brooding. Jamie was keeping busy helping Lorna, and she knew Frank would be better use to the agents if she wasn't around to throw accusations at him. She slowly rose off the couch. Looking directly at Frank, she said, "I know you haven't told me everything, Frank, as you said you weren't going to. I am going to say this, though…you do what you can to help these agents get my grandson back and to find the rest of our straggling family. I'm entrusting their well being to you." She turned and headed out of the room and towards the stairs, with Kurt close behind.
Frank lowered his head. He knew that the Dotty he loved would always be just a memory. She had definitely moved on. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he turned towards the two agents across the room. At the sharp, sudden ringing of the telephone, Agent Dobson picked up the phone and nodded as he listened to the voice on the other end. He quickly removed the receiver from his ear and held it out to Frank. "It's Billy Melrose. He says there's been an urgent development."
Frank quickly wheeled his chair over to the phone and put it to his ear. "Frank West here. What's wrong, Melrose?" His mouth dropped as he listened to the man on the other end. "Oh, God! Have you heard anything more? Okay, I'll see what we can do on this end. Please keep us posted on any new developments." Handing the phone back to Dobson to return it to its base, he spun his chair around. "Which one of you agents can fly a plane?" he practically shouted. He needed to get out there and help his family the best way he knew how and that was from the air.
~~~~~~ ~~~~~~
Phillip's eyes were wide with fright as the dark figure circled his body as a wolf would its prey. Low whispers of promises for his safety could be heard in the dark room if only his mother would return with the precious list. Phillip's eyes filled with tears which began to cascade down his pale features one at a time.
Amanda reached out to her son, to hold him, to protect him, to shut out all the evil in the world, but she couldn't. Her ears filled with the wicked sound of an insane man's laugh. She couldn't find her voice, and she so desperately wanted to call out to her son and reassure him that she would soon be there. She stretched her arm and fingers as far as she could until her muscles screamed for her to pull back. Then all was silent, and he was there no more. The silence became too much for her too bare as she blinked back the darkness and searched for him once more. Nothing was there, only blackness for what seemed like hours as she searched.
An unholy bright light filled her eyes as she watched her son being roughly dragged to the floor. Redness filled her eyes as she watched the blood spill from his body onto the white tile floor, but all was still silent. No words, no sounds, just crimson red filling her eyes. "NO!"
Simon hovered over his current captive, as she twisted against her confinements to be free. He listened as she called for her son, Phillip. He watched as her face cringed in fear from whatever dream she was having. Brushing her hair from her angelic face, he leaned closer to her ear. "Shhh…It's only a dream, my dear."
Amanda could hear the voice calling to her from a distance outside her body. The visions of her son were gone, and she could feel her brain pounding against her skull. Slowly, her eyes began to open, and she looked to see to whom the calming voice belonged. Seeing the man from the airport, her mind quickly reminded her of the situation she was now in.
Simon's face brightened as he saw her eyes open. "I see you've decided to join us."
Amanda tried to sit upright in her chair to see her surroundings more clearly. But to her dismay, she soon found out that ropes confined her hands and feet. "Who are you?"
Simon traced the outlines of her face his index finger before sitting down in the seat beside her. "My name is Simon, Mrs. King. I am personally escorting you to meet Weasel."
Simon paused as he watched acknowledgement and fear creep into her features. Fear excited him more than any other emotion. Leaning forward, he raked her body with his eyes as he continued. "I see you recognize my boss' name. Good. Now, this can be easy on you…perhaps even pleasant." He placed his hand on her shaking knee as he worked his way up her leg. "Or it can be very unpleasant. Either way, I want the list you went to Arlington to retrieve."
Amanda bit on her lower lip as she studied the man before her. His eyes danced dangerously with laughter and hatred. His body movements showed he had more of an interest in her than just the list. Amanda tried to contain the fear she felt before she spoke; however, her words came out crackling. "I couldn't find the list…my mother must have thrown the Panda away…or given it away to a charity."
Simon shook his head as he looked into her eyes. "I think not. You wouldn't have come all this way without knowing exactly where it was. You must remember we have your little boy, and it won't take much to make Weasel mad."
Amanda regained control of her emotions at the mention of her son. Thoughts for her own well-being floated out the window to join the dark clouds that encircled the plane. Her eyes became stern as she jerked her leg from under his hand. "I'll give it to him when I have my son."
Simon threw back his head and released a loud laugh at her attempt to balk at his request. Then he became silent as he rose from his seat and squatted beside her, gripping her inner thigh with his left hand and his right on her cheek. "I guess I'll just have to search you myself."
Amanda continued to hold his intense gaze of her own as she tried to remove her leg from his grasp. "I want my son!"
Simon continued to move his hand up her leg until he reached her waist. Massaging the soft skin beneath her clothes, he moved his mouth to her neck. Amanda closed her eyes as she felt his hot breath on her skin. She knew if he continued with his intentions, it wouldn't be long before he found where she had hidden the treasure he sought.
"Hey, Simon! We've got a big problem at three o'clock!" the pilot yelled back into the cabin.
Simon jerked his head back at the sound of the pilot's voice. "I'm a little busy. Do you think you could handle it!?!"
"Get your horny ass up here! We've got a tail, and he's moving in fast."
Simon groaned as he rose from his position. "I'll be back, missy."
Amanda slumped in her seat in relief. 'Could it be Lee?'
~~~~~ ~~~~~~
Lee's mind filled with horrid images of all the possibilities Amanda could be facing at that moment. He had seen the abuse that Simon Olson could induce on his victims first hand, and he wasn't referring to the victims from Simon's escapades with Weasel in Vietnam. The last image of Simon's violent actions still haunted his dreams. His eyes glazed over as the vision of that day played out before his eyes.
Almost at closing time on a Wednesday evening, Lee entered his local bank to retrieve cash for his long weekend off and his adventure with his latest fancy. The bank had been completely empty except for one male clerk whose eyes told all. Pulling his gun, he placed his index finger over his lips to warn the clerk to remain quiet. Scanning the area, he immediately saw a blood trail leading behind the counter.
He glanced back at the clerk to see that the man's eyes were closed and his lips sealed together as if he was holding his breath. Pulling his sports coat off and dropping it to the floor, he eased his way around the counter. The first criminal had been easy to apprehend. He had been concentrating on the clerk before him, and Lee was able to knock him out
with a single blow to the head. The clerk had dropped to his knees in relief of Lee's rescue.The clerk pointed to the hall to Lee's left and mouthed the words 'another man.' Lee pointed to the phone for the clerk to dial 911. Seeing the clerk dialing the numbers, Lee edged his way around the wall that separated the tellers and the back office.
Lee caught his breath at the site of the mangled bodies before him. Men, women, and children lay in pools of their own blood. Concentrating on his training, he continued his way through the hall to his left. A cold sweat broke out over his body as he heard the muffled cries of a woman from behind closed doors. Steadying himself, he kicked the door in with all his strength.
What he had found behind that closed door, he had pushed from his memory the moment the trial had ended. He had testified about the sights he'd seen, at Simon's trial, and that had helped to put the maniac away, for what he thought was forever. It was just last month that Lee had received notice that Simon had been released from the mental ward, a free man. The doctors had said his mental aberrations would remain under control, and he would no longer be a threat to society, as long as he took his medication and continued to show up for his required psychiatric evaluation visits. "More like the damn government got tired of paying for his upkeep!"
Richard turned his eyes from the quickly-passing clouds to Lee at his sudden outburst. "What are you talking about, Scarecrow?"
Lee's right knuckles had turned white as he'd balled his fist during his thoughts. "We've got to catch up to that plane, Fire! Simon Olsen's a certifiable madman. He should never have been released."
Richard knew exactly where Lee's thoughts lay. He'd read over Lee Stetson's entire file five years ago when he had taken on the responsibility of keeping watch over Nighthawk's family. Glancing out the window, he wished he could point the other craft out to Lee, but no aircraft, large or small, appeared to be anywhere in sight.
"Lee, we will catch up to them and get her back, before anything happens."Lee eyes remained on the sky before him searching for any evidence of the plane carrying his wife. "For all of our sakes, I hope so!" Motioning to Richard's headset, he ordered, "Get on the damn horn and see if you can get the tower to contact Simon's plane. I know Billy said we were closing in on them, but there's nothing out here but dark clouds, it's like hunting for a needle in a haystack!"
Richard re-settled his headset, thumbed the transmit button, and began to summon the tower.
While Richard continued his efforts to reach the tower, Lee's body tensed as he saw the
object of his obsession before him. "There they are, Fire! I need a direct link to their plane NOW. If my calculations are correct, we're somewhere over White Plains, New York. There's a tiny airport nearby, and I want to try to talk that son-of-a-bitch into landing."
Richard's eyes narrowed at the image of the plane before them playing hide-and-seek from him through the quickly darkening clouds. "They've already spotted you, Lee. Take us up above them before they figure out that you're tailing them."
Lee turned hate-filled eyes towards Richard. "Damn it, Fire. It's getting dark, and in case you haven't noticed, we're flying right into a storm front. I won't be able to maneuver this bucket of tin well enough to make him land. Besides, he'll never land that fucking plane without a direct threat."
Richard could tell from Lee's eyes that there was no point in trying to reason with him. He continued his efforts on the radio with what appeared to be a greenhorn. "Listen, you arrogant little bastard. This is an Alpha-green priority. I have direct clearance from the President himself for you to do whatever the hell I tell you to do. Order that plane to land at the nearest airport or give me the frequency they're using!"
Lee maneuvered his plane to be directly behind Simon's as Richard nodded, as though to the person on the other end of the radio. "Scarecrow," he said, turning to the man next to him, "the tower reports this line of storms to be building to severe levels. If we continue on this heading, we'll fly right into a dangerous situation."
Lee's face remained hardened as he remained focused on the other plane. Richard shook his head as he watched the determined agent next to him and reached forward to adjust the radio. "It's a go, Scarecrow. Anytime you're ready. I've switched to their frequency."
Lee grit his teeth as he thumbed his own transmit button. "Simon, this is Scarecrow. I'll give you three minutes to set course for the Westchester County Airport."
Simon grasped his hand-held microphone tightly at the sound of Lee's voice. "I see you have left the safety of your garden and decided to take flight with your bird friends."
Richard watched the muscles in Lee's jaws tense as he heard the slurred voice of Simon Olson.
"Reset your coordinates, or I'll be forced to make you land!" Lee shouted into the radio.
A horrid laugh filled the airwaves. "I don't think you'll do any such thing, considering I have your lovely wife with me. You know she is quite beautiful. I imagine she is quite a tidbit to have in the sack, eh, Scarecrow."
"You touch her, and I swear you will die a slow and painful death, Simon. Land that damn plane, or I will make you land it."
Amanda squirmed as she tried to loosen her bonds. The sound of Lee's voice inside the plane's cabin, knowing that he was there, made her realize she still had a fighting chance to survive. Noticing a broken beer bottle at her feet, she slid from her sitting position to the floor to retrieve it. She glanced towards the front of the plane to verify that Simon was engrossed in his heated discussion with Lee and ignoring her. Positioning herself directly over the broken shards of glass, she picked up a piece and began cutting her ropes.
Simon placed his large hand over the narrow right shoulder of the pilot, giving it a hard squeeze. "Hmm…Scarecrow, why don't you show us if you are indeed a man, and not just some old feed sacks stuffed full of hay, and prove that you have what it takes to make us land!"
Lee growled into his headset and shoved the controls so the Mooney made an abrupt dive toward the Bonanza.
Richard grasped the seat beneath him so hard he could feel the blood circulation being cut off from his fingertips. "Scarecrow, you're going to get us all killed. I told the tower to send us up some air support to escort him down."
Lee ignored Richard's pleas as he began a game of cat and mouse with his opponent.
The Beechcraft's pilot anticipated Lee's first few attempts of throwing them off course and managed to maintain control of his plane.
Simon brought the microphone close to his lips and laughed. "Scarecrow, if that's the best you can do, you need to stay in your garden and leave the flying to the birds."
Lee's anger outweighed his rational thought as he made another risky pass at the plane. A sudden increase in power shifted Lee's plane slightly over and above Simon's. Lee's eyes grew wide as he tried to control his aircraft. "Shit! It's a wind shear. I'm going to have to firewall this bitch!"
Richard's eyes immediately fell on the plane below as Lee pushed his plane into full throttle in order to pitch up in altitude.
"I'm not going to make it up in time! We're gonna hit!"
The sudden burst of wind forced Lee's plane towards Simon's, causing the two planes wing tips to meet. The touch was brief and light, but still managed to make the Mooney shudder and buck.
"What the hell is it, Scarecrow?" Richard's voice was full of panic as he watched Simon's plane suddenly tilt crazily, almost touching the Mooney again. After a moment of wild gyrations, it nosed down and dropped quickly away from them.
Lee continued to fight to regain control, but it was a loosing battle. "Microburst! I don't have control!"
After a harrowing moment where both men in the Mooney saw more of the ground and sky than the horizon, Lee regained a marginal amount of control over his aircraft. The brush of the Mooney's wing against Simon's aircraft had caused the Beechcraft's pilot to panic, and Lee's eyes grew wide with horror as he caught sight of it, still below them and pulling away rapidly. All color drained from his face as he watched the plane carrying his wife nose-dive toward the forest below. "Nooooooooo!"
To be continued…