Chapter 25

Everyone watched as Veronica's body went limp and crumpled to the ground, a puddle of blood forming under her. Francine moved forward quickly to kick the gun out of her hand before reaching down to check for a pulse. Standing slowly, she shook her head, confirming what they all knew. Veronica Tucker was dead.

Amanda's hands were shaking as she dropped her gun and leaned against the tree. Fear washed over her as the reality of what just happened hit her. All she could do was stare at Veronica's lifeless body on the ground.

"Amanda!" Lee called as he watched the color drain from her face, his own fear settling in. He ran down the stairs, jumping off the last three steps toward her. He raced across the street and caught her before she collapsed, her whole body shaking. Holding her close, Lee rubbed her back and whispered to her, "Shh, it's ok, its over."

Francine glanced over at the couple before moving to check on Edwards, still laying on the ground behind them. "Edwards, how bad is it?"

Edwards had managed to push himself up into a sitting position, leaning against the building, his hand pressed tightly against his side. "She got me good, clipped my hip, I think. Not too bad if I don't move," he tried to joke but a harsh inhale of breathe told Francine he was in a lot of pain.

Crouching down, Francine moved his jacket aside to get a look at the blood stain on his side. "Pretty sure you're going to live but let's get an ambulance here for you," she said as she stood.

"Scarecrow, I'll call it in. Edwards is hit, but looks like he'll live," Francine called over to Lee who was still holding Amanda. She moved to Lee's car and lifted his phone, dialing the emergency number. "Eagle One, there is a bird in the nest. Agent down, suspect shot and expired," she stated, then continued, "Location, Washington Canoe Club, before the aqueduct….. Affirmative." Hanging up the phone, she watched Lee help Amanda to a standing position and walk toward the car. "ETA is approximately eight minutes. Think you can hold out that long," Francine said to Edwards.

"If they can make it in six, that would be better," he called back between clenched teeth.

Lee looked over at the young agent bracing himself on the ground and replied, "It gets easier the more times you get hit." His comment brought a strained laugh from Amanda. "You ok?" he asked her.

Amanda nodded, "Yes, I just… need to catch my breath I guess."

"Internal Affairs is going to have a field day with this. You ready for this?" Francine asked Lee and Amanda.

"We didn't do anything wrong. She was given multiple warnings and she'd already shot an agent," Lee stated.

"Dr. Smyth isn't going to see it like that, and you know it," Francine commented.

"Dr. Smyth can…" Lee began but was cut off.

"Dr. Smyth is going to do his job, just like we did ours," Amanda said firmly as she stood, chin lifted almost defiantly. She touched Lee's arm before moving to where Edwards rested. "Tom, are you doing okay? The ambulance will be here soon," she tried to reassure him.

Edwards looked up at her, and replied, "I'll be fine. It's just a scratch, right?"

"If you breath through the pain, it makes it better. Try not to hold your breath when they move you around. Long breaths work best," she informed him.

"Thank you, Mrs. King. I appreciate that," he answered honestly.

In the distance they could hear the sirens approaching rapidly. Francine took five evidence bags out of a kit in her car. "I need everyone's gun for processing. We're going to do this right," she stated firmly. Collecting each gun, and labeling each bag, she laid the weapons out on the trunk of her car as the first Metro police car sped into the area, an ambulance right behind it.

The next hour was a flurry of activity, the paramedics evaluating Edwards before placing him on a gurney and into the awaiting ambulance, statements taken from the three remaining agents, additional agents arriving to start processing the scene and last but not least, Veronica's body placed in the medical examiner's van.

When they were cleared to leave, the trio headed back to the Georgetown office where Billy immediately called them to his office. Dr. Smyth was already waiting for them.

"Well, well, well, the Rowdy Bunch has returned, minus one I see," he sneered around the cigarette holder in his mouth.

Lee turned, the muscle in his cheek twitching wildly as he said, "We warned her, all of us. She shot Edwards, what else would you have had us do? Wait until she took out someone else?"

"As I recall from Billy's report, you were told to get off this case, Scarecrow," Dr. Smyth stated. "And yet, here you are, once again, knee deep in another shooting with Ms. Tucker. I detect a pattern of revenge."

"Revenge? Is that what you think this was? She followed me. I called in for backup, followed protocol," Lee snapped back.

"Sir, Lee didn't do anything wrong. You weren't there. She was shooting at him, he tried talking to her. She shot Edwards, she threatened all of us," Amanda stated.

"Of course you would say that. As the almost Little Mrs. its your job to protect him," Dr. Smyth said as he puffed away.

"Protect him? Amanda almost took a bullet for him. She was the last one to tell Veronica to put down her weapon," Francine stepped forward as she spoke.

Dr. Smyth narrowed his eyes at Francine before saying, "Soo, the mighty Scarecrow was protecting her. Now we really have a case for revenge. Take out the enemy before the enemy takes out one of us. Internal Affairs is going to tear this apart."

"Listen you….." Lee argued. "I would protect my partner in any way but I did not shoot Veronica. She was spinning in Amanda's direction when she was shot."

Dr. Smyth shifted his gaze at Amanda, "The housewife has a cold blooded streak in her. Kill the ex-lover of her soon to be husband?"

Amanda's eyes widened at his accusation. "Me? You think I pulled the trigger?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"You didn't?" Lee asked incredulously. From Amanda's reaction after Veronica went down, he believed she had pulled the trigger.

"I thought you did," Amanda commented as she turned to him.

"Scarecrow didn't pull the trigger and neither did Amanda," Francine confirmed. When all eyes on the room focused on her she stated, "I did. She was turning toward Amanda, her gun raised. I was covering an agent in the line of duty. Veronica had already shot Edwards. I was protecting the remaining agents involved, myself included."

"Well, Billy-boy, it looks like you have plenty of clean up to do. Your best agents have made a fine mess of things. I'll let you sort it all out and have a report on my desk by the end of day tomorrow," Dr. Smyth declared as he moved toward the door. "Let's just hope you all still have a job after that, shall we?"