He couldn't help laughing, relieved when she smiled tentatively in response.
"I'm afraid not," he answered. "I'm a federal agent."
"And those guys?"
"Those guys are my worst nightmare," he admitted. "Boris Volkov and his muscle."
"You have a history with him?"
"More than I thought apparently," answered Lee, wriggling to see if he could find something in the trunk to act as a lock pick.
"He said he killed your partner." Amanda could see Lee's face hardening as he remembered that.
"Eric. Eighteen months ago. They picked him off with a sniper rifle while he was sitting on a stakeout. Which was supposed to be my stakeout," he spat out. "Eric died in my place and I put Volkov's brother in prison for it, but it looks like I got the wrong guy too." He wriggled some more, trying to roll over. "Amanda, did you notice if there's anything in here we could use as a weapon?"
She shook her head. "It had a rental plate – there wasn't anything in here."
Lee thought for a moment. "Do you think you can reach past me and try and see if there's a way to pull the wiring on the back lights? With any luck, they'll get pulled over for having no brake lights."
He rolled on his back and tried to make room for her to reach past him. She scrabbled for a few minutes, managing with some effort to break off part of the panel and yank the wires she found behind it. "I got it, but I don't think it's going to help. It's not even 8 am yet; cops aren't watching things like lights not coming on this early in the day. And we'd need a lot more time to actually get that light pushed out so they'd have something to really notice."
"Well, it might still help – and we need all the help we can get right now." She was wriggling back across his chest when he said her name. "Amanda?"
She stopped midway, faces almost touching, her breath soft on his cheek.
"I'm really sorry. You shouldn't be here – you shouldn't be mixed up in any of this. And I swear, I will get you out of this or…" He didn't finish the sentence or die trying but he could see from the way her pupils dilated that she'd finished it in her head anyway.
She dropped her mouth to his and kissed him fiercely. "I know you will," she whispered. "And I told my boys I'd be home soon and by God, nothing is going to stop me from keeping that promise." She shifted so that she was back against the back wall of the trunk, giving him room to breathe again but reached out to rest her fingers on his face.
"Good," he nodded. "You hold onto that thought." He wished he could hold her, to stop the trembling she couldn't hide, shivering even though it had to be 80 degrees in the trunk, and getting hotter every minute.
"What do you think they're planning to do with us?" she asked finally.
"Not sure yet," he answered. "But the way the sun is coming in through the tail light, we're headed north."
"What's north?"
"In the short term, the north airport, in the long term…" he stopped.
"Desert," she supplied.
"Yeah."
There was silence and then her soft voice whispered "Well, let's hope for the airport then."
"That's most likely," he said trying to sound encouraging. "They probably want to smuggle me out of the country to somewhere in South America and hold me for a trade."
"What will they want to do with me then?" Her whispers were getting squeakier as her fear ratcheted up again.
"Don't worry – an innocent civilian is a better bargaining chip for them than an agent any day of the week." He could hear her gulping and knew she was trying very hard not to cry. "Amanda, we'll get out of this, I swear."
He could hear her sniffling slightly before she finally said. "Guess we'll be third in line for the clerk's office now." Despite the rising heat in the trunk, she shifted closer to put her arm around him and rest her forehead against his chest.
"Maybe even fourth. See? You should have come for that shower this morning after all," he teased and heard her give a choke of laughter that didn't quite hide the sob behind it.
"I can't believe I accidentally married James Bond," she muttered, almost sounding cross.
"Boring Dan's looking pretty good right about now, isn't he? Marry him next - third time's the charm they say." He tried to sound like he was teasing, but inside his heart was breaking. This was a hell of a time to recognize that he'd found the person who settled his restlessness with warm hands and a warm heart.
"I think you're my last husband," she sighed. "I don't think I'd be a very good wife after this – I'll stick with trying to be a good mom instead."
"You're already a good mom," he comforted her, pressing his lips against the top of her head. "You'll always have their backs, no matter what, right?"
"Yeah."
They didn't speak after that, both lost in thought about what was going to happen next. They didn't have to wait long to find out; after fifteen minutes or so, the car slowed and turned, then continued at a snail's pace.
"Cessna engine," said Lee, eyes closed and ears straining for any aural clue. "It's the north airport."
"Better than the desert," said Amanda.
"Only if we can keep them from taking us out of the country," answered Lee without thinking. He winced at her sharp intake of breath. "They'll only take me, Amanda. Once I'm on a transport, they'll let you go. Even the KGB draws the line at hurting innocent people – it dirties the water for everyone in the spy business otherwise. Don't worry."
"Don't worry? Don't worry that they're going to bundle you into a plane and take you God knows where?" she whispered back frantically. "Are you crazy?"
"Amanda? If this doesn't turn out the way I hope, promise me something." He waited for her eyes to meet his. "Make sure my boss Billy Melrose knows I married you and that you're my next of kin. The Agency life insurance policy is pretty good – it'll probably put both your boys through college. And don't take any crap from my uncle, okay? He's all bark and no bite really and he'll like you, he really will - he'll know I finally did one thing right."
"Lee Stetson, it is not going to come to that! You said we were getting out of this together!"
"Amanda! Please just give me that one thing. I can't remember if you promised to obey, but you must have promised to honor me, right?"
She glared at him for a beat, tears trickling silently down her cheeks before nodding. "Okay, I promise."
"Good girl," he said, leaning forward to kiss her. "And here's the other thing you have to promise me: if Volkov drops his guard for even a second, you run like hell. You run like your life depends on it – hell, you run like Phillip and Jamie's lives depend on it. You hear me?"
"I hear you," she answered, voice cracking.
The car slowed and came to a stop.
"It's showtime, Sweetheart" said Lee. "Get ready."
A few seconds later, the trunk lid lifted and Lee was being pulled out by Volkov's goon and forced to his knees. Amanda blinked in the sudden bright light before slowly climbing out, and going to stand beside Lee, a hand resting on his shoulder. They were inside a hanger, a small aircraft beside them, its engine already running and a third man, the pilot Amanda assumed, standing beside it, scanning some paperwork. Volkov stalked over to him and had a brief conversation before turning back to them and gesturing with his head to the plane as he walked back toward them.
The silent goon hauled Lee to his feet, and began walking him to the plane, leaving Amanda momentarily unguarded. Lee glanced over his shoulder with a pleading look. "Run," he mouthed.
In the second that Amanda hesitated, Volkov quickened his stride and grabbed her arm. "Oh no, Amanda Stetsonya, do not try anything!" He began pulling her toward the back of the hangar as she struggled to escape. Hearing the commotion, Lee wrenched himself out of his captor's grasp and tried to run toward them, but was caught immediately by the giant Soviet.
"Volkov, what the hell are you playing at? You've got me – let her go!" Lee bellowed as he was shoved inexorably toward the aircraft. The goon opened the plane's large rear door and shoved him in, before slamming it shut and turning back to help Volkov who was still dealing with a frantic Amanda.
She could see Lee struggling to get himself upright in the cramped space and twist his body to open the door again.
"Lee!" she shrieked as she wrenched herself from the hold Volkov had on her and began to run toward the plane. She managed to dodge past the goon advancing on her and make it to the plane, scrabbling to try and open the door.
"Behind you!" she heard Lee shout and turned to see the goon had almost caught up to her. She ducked under the wing and rolled under the plane, grabbing the lanyard on the wheel chocks and pulling them with her as she slid past the front wheel. Bobbing back to her feet, she started trying to open the door on the other side, but before she could, the goon appeared around the front of the plane and advanced on her. She turned, and began swinging the chocks in the air around her head like a lasso, trying to keep him away, even as she became aware that the pilot was coming up behind her.
With a scream of pure fear, she charged toward the goon, knowing she had to get past him to get out the hanger door. Surprised by the sudden attack, he stepped back to avoid the flying chocks and lifted his arm to try and strike her.
Amanda was never quite sure how it happened after that, but she felt the chocks hit the side of his head and somehow in his momentary confusion, he stumbled further backward and directly into the path of the spinning propeller.
With his view blocked by the seats, Lee could see nothing except the sudden spray of blood all over the side of the plane. "Amanda!" he screamed in horror. Out of his peripheral vision, he saw the pilot cover his mouth with his hand and take off running out of the hangar. "Amanda!" he yelled again, twisting to try and get to that side of the plane.
A few seconds later, the door swung open and Amanda was in front of him, eyes wide with shock and drenched in blood. "Lee." He could barely hear her over the engine, but he recognized his name on her lips.
"Oh thank God, I thought…" He glanced toward the front of the plane and back at her where she was beginning to shake with delayed shock. "Where's Volkov?" Amanda stared at him as if she didn't understand the question for a beat then looked around slowly like a sleepwalker. The sudden sound of a gunshot and the splintering of one of the windows snapped her out of it though and she lunged forward to grab Lee by the front of his shirt, with the obvious intention of pulling him out of the plane. Her adrenaline must have been pumping because she almost managed it before she took in what Lee was yelling.
"Amanda! Get in the plane! Get in the plane!"
She looked sideways and realized Volkov had appeared from around the back of the small plane, gun in hand.
"Now!" bellowed Lee, pulling himself backward and praying she wouldn't let go of his shirt. She half-tumbled into the plane, then quickly hauled herself the rest of the way in, just as Volkov fired again. Their jostling was enough to send the plane moving slightly, since it no longer had anything braking the front wheel. "Get up front and drive!"
"Drive? Are you crazy? I don't know how to drive a plane!" she yelled at him, even as she started to clamber over the seats.
"Just pull back on the yoke slowly and let it move by itself – we just need to get out in the open!" he ordered before turning back to see Volkov approaching the still-open door. The KGB agent grasped the sides of the door and started to pull himself in; Lee rolled onto his back and kicked out with both feet, catching the Soviet dead centre of his chest and watched him fall backward just as the Cessna lurched forward, finally bouncing completely clear of the rear chocks.
"Good! Now just keep her aimed at the door and keep going!" he yelled encouragement as he rolled onto his knees and peered out through the windshield – or tried to since it was covered in blood.
"I can't see anything!" Amanda cried.
"Just aim for the light!" he ordered, glancing back to see Volkov running for the car. "He's going to try and cut us off – we need to get out in the open and fast!"
Amanda pulled back on the yoke and Lee felt the plane pick up speed and exit the hangar. "Okay, just keep getting your speed up. There should be windshield wipers – somewhere on your left," he went on. He became aware that he could hear sirens, but couldn't imagine why – everything had happened in the last few seconds, there'd been no time for anyone to call the police over those gunshots. He looked out the side window where he could see Volkov, pulling alongside and leaning out the window to aim his gun at Amanda.
"Faster!" he screamed.
"I can't see where I'm going!" she yelled back. "I can't find the wipers! Oh wait – AHHHHHHHHHH!"
Lee spun to stare out the windshield to see that they were racing at breakneck speed toward a phalanx of police cars with their lights flashing, sirens wailing.
"Pull up!" he screamed, and then his chest seized as Amanda did literally that, pulling the yoke toward herself and the plane lifted off the ground. They were close – too close. He closed his eyes and waited for the crash, but it never came.
"Lee! What do I do?" He could hear the panic in her voice and opened his eyes again, realizing in amazement that they had actually skimmed over the top of the police cars and were now flying steadily a few feet off the ground.
"Push the yoke away from yourself gently," he called out, trying to sound calm as if he had no doubt she could do it. "And when the wheels touch the ground, just apply a little bit of pressure to the brake pedal." He held his breath as she eased the yoke away and then, amazingly, unbelievably, they touched down again.
It was too good to last - he should have known that.
The moment she felt the wheels touch the ground, Amanda slammed on the brake pedal in a panic and the whole plane tipped forward precipitously. Lee braced himself and then, seemingly in slow motion, they flipped over completely, skidding along the runway upside down for several feet. The silence that followed was eerie after the violence that had gone before.
"Amanda?" Before there could be any answer, feet appeared at the open door and hands reached in to grab Lee, pulling him out onto the tarmac with a thump and dragging him away from the smoking wreckage.
"No! No! Amanda's still in there!" He tried to struggle but with his hands still cuffed, all he could do was watch helplessly as police officers swarmed the plane, some with guns drawn as fire engines raced toward them.
"No! She's not the bad guy!" At that moment, his hands suddenly came free as one of the policemen opened the cuffs and he wrenched himself free, racing back toward the plane. "Amanda! Amanda!" He was stopped before he got there by a burly officer who clotheslined Lee in the chest with one arm and actually lifted him right off the ground as he tried to dodge past. He watched with horror as one of the officers backed carefully out of the door, dragging a lifeless and bloodied figure. "Oh God, no!" The policeman felt the fight go out of him and let him go. Lee dropped to his knees, no longer able to hold himself up as the policeman swung her body up into his arms and carried her toward Lee.
"She's breathing," grunted the officer, kneeling and carefully laying her in Lee's outstretched arms. Lee watched as he began running his hands over her, trying to find the wound. "But I don't know how with this much blood loss."
"Most of that isn't hers," said Lee in a hopeful tone. "There was a guy trying to kill us…" He pulled Amanda closer into his arms. "Oh God, don't die on me now."
She stirred slightly, then her eyes fluttered open, confused until they settled on his face. "Lee," she murmured.
The relief flooded through him like a tidal wave at the sight of those dark depths. "I'm here," he crooned, stroking her face. "We're safe."
She was still looking bewildered. "Did we crash?"
Lee looked over at the upside-down plane, which was being sprayed by the fire truck that had arrived a moment earlier. "Just a little bit." He smiled down at her, the adrenaline finally starting to ebb.
"I was flying," she said in that same befuddled tone. "I flew over the police cars."
"Just barely," grinned the officer who'd pulled her from the wreckage. "I think you may have peeled my sergeant's toupee right off his head."
Lee glanced over, taking in the number of cars for the first time. "How the hell did you know? I mean, how did you get here so fast? Volkov only fired a few shots."
"Ah, well, that's down to your missus here," said a police lieutenant who had walked up in time to hear the question. A paramedic dropped to the ground beside them and began examining Amanda.
Lee glanced down at Amanda. Her eyes had closed again, but her hand was still tightly gripping his. "I don't understand."
"Casino security alerted us to a kidnapping in progress 40 minutes ago – we've been tracking you ever since." He grinned at Lee's confused look. "Your wife looked straight at the security camera and asked for help."
"She what?"
"She just kept mouthing 'Help me' over and over and spelling out SOS in sign language. The casino camera operators get pretty good at lip reading because they're looking for people trying to scam the games." He shrugged. "She made it pretty easy to know you were in trouble and then it was just a matter of scrambling officers to find the car after you left the garage."
"Sign language?" Lee still felt like he was about a mile behind in the conversation.
"The boys had to learn it for a Trailblazer badge, so all the den mothers learned it too" mumbled Amanda, lifting her free hand to starting to make the same gestures he'd thought was fidgeting in the elevator. She opened her eyes and gave him an exhausted smile. "Good thing one of us was a Scout."