Staying Tough

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Chapter 25

It was up to Lee and Francine to get Amanda back.

"Remember, Lee, do NOT cause any extra trouble," Francine warned him as he drove up to Rutherford's residence.

"We'll see," he opaquely noted.

"You losing your temper will NOT get Amanda out of there safely!" she reminded him.

Lee sighed, "Stop making sense!"

Of course Lee knew Francine was right; he needed to stay calm and reasonable for Amanda's sake.

Inching the car forward, the gates somehow magically opened on their own, allowing them to drive up to the circular driveway. Lee had forgotten how really massive Hunter Rutherford's mansion was. The exterior of the three- storied residence was made of gray limestone with alternating bands of rough and smooth finished stone. It was enlivened by porticos, piazzas and bay windows. There were also window panels framing the grand façade.

When Lee and Francine got out of Lee's vehicle, they were met at the front door by two guards, who in reality, looked more like hired thugs in suits.

One guard was massively built while the other was sinewy but tall.

As a spy, Lee knew it was always wise to size up the opponents. Size and strength are not necessarily exclusive.

He first internally evaluated the big guy. Biggie was probably a wrestler in high school. With that blank look on his face, no way he went to college; in fact, he probably got a GED in high school. He wouldn't be able to think himself out of a paper bag.

Next he glanced over at the tall, skinny guy, who stood there, chomping on a piece of gum. Lee's initial reaction had been that with the guy's slight built, there was nothing to worry about. This guy made a regular nerd look totally buff. But upon closer inspection, Lee did not like what he saw in the guy's eyes. They were beady and cruel-looking.

Skinny would be the one to look out for.

"Hello, boys," Francine flashed a friendly smile, "We're here to see Hunter Rutherford."

Biggie aggressively asked, "You got appointment, Lady?"

Francine answered, "No, but he'd want to make himself available for us, believe me."

Skinny asked, "What's the nature of your business with Mr. Rutherford?"

Lee answered, "He's got a meeting with destiny."

"You don't say!?" snickered Skinny, in jest, "Well, it just so happened, Bossman already HAD his quota of destiny today, so will there be anything else?"

Lee didn't skip a beat, "For being such a wise guy, I'd give you a nasty look ...but I see you already have one..."

"Why you...!" Skinny growled, as he moved forward in an aggressive manner until Biggie physically stopped him by grabbing his arm.

Kkhhh...Kkhhh...

Right at that moment, Skinny's walkie-talkie suddenly came alive with static noise. After Biggie released his grip, Skinny grabbed his walkie-talkie. He then lowered his head and brought the walkie talkie up to his right ear and quietly listened. When the call was completed, he lifted his head once again.

"You Silverstone, right?" Skinny rhetorically asked, "Bossman had done a background check on you. There's no such person with your name working for an insurance company, and the broad here," he gestured at Francine, "... who you claimed was an international jewel thief is not one of those, either."

"I am NOT a broad!" complained Francine, offended.

"I was referring to your shoulders," he ridiculed and pointed, as Francine re-adjusted her shoulder pads.

Lee, however, was wondering how Rutherford knew they were here.

He looked all around for any hidden cameras, but he wasn't seeing one.

Their security was impressive.

Skinny smacked his gum and then asked, "So, you two... out with your real name and identity. And this time, we better hear the truth!"

Lee knew he needed to get inside if he had any chance of saving Amanda.

"Alright, the truth." Lee reluctantly agreed, "Name's Stetson and this is Miss Desmond. We're both government agents and we have an important matter to discuss with your boss."

Francine added, "Your boss already knows why we're here."

Skinny had a look of disbelief, "Oh yeah? He knows without even seeing you? You think Bossman is the great Carnac or something?"

"No, he's too unfunny to be a fictional comic mind reader," Francine dryly commented.

" Look..." Lee sounded unyielding, "we can see Rutherford the easy way or we can see him our way, but we will see him, and it will be NOW!"

"Oh yeah? Well guess what?" Skinny challenged as he snapped his gum even louder, "WE decide who sees Mr. Rutherford, capeesh?"

Biggie then stepped forward and folded his arms as if to block the way, "No appointment, no Mr Rutherford."

"Oh myyyy...the big one has such a poetic way with words!" Francine smirked.

"Outta our way!" Lee ordered.

Biggie didn't budge as he pulled out a weapon, "You two leave NOW or we will make you leave!"

"You heard him and his gun!" backed-up Skinny.

Surprisingly Lee simply shrugged, "Alright." He turned to Francine,"I guess we can't see Rutherford today. That's too bad. Come on, Francine, let's go."

Francine dropped her mouth and stared at him like he was crazy, "Just like that?"

"Just like that. Let's get out of here," Lee reiterated, slightly turning.

He started to leave, but then before anyone else could react, Lee swiftly turned back and with his knee, he landed it squarely into the big guy's groin area.

Caught totally unaware, Biggie made a sucking sound like he had just pushed his head out of the water after drowning. His gun fell to the ground. Just being kneed once was enough for Biggie's body to melt and form a puddle on the ground while he let out painful groaning sounds at the same time.

Skinny watched unemotionally at his fallen comrade, who was still writhing with pain on the ground.

Meanwhile, Francine had turned unhappily to Lee and whispered, "Didn't I tell you not to cause any extra trouble?"

"It's not extra trouble," Lee claimed, "it's necessity trouble!"

Lee then reached into his jacket, pulled out his gun and aimed it at Skinny.

"I guess we'll have to do it MY way then..."

Skinny barely acknowledged the gun.

"Unnecessary," was all he said.

"Unnecessary?" Lee repeated, " You mean, this gun I'm pointing directly at you is unnecessary?"

"No, the groin hit to my friend was unnecessary," Skinny stated, "that little maneuver didn't scare me in the least!"

"I didn't kick your buddy to scare you," Lee claimed, "I did it so that I could feel better. And I do. But this gun here is a totally different matter."

"You're not as funny or impressive as you think you are," Skinny countered, "in fact, I could snap my fingers and half a dozen guys with full artillery would surround you two in five seconds flat!"

"But what would it matter if you were shot two seconds before that?" Francine confidently questioned.

Lee then aimed the gun towards the middle of Skinny's body, "A whole army of thugs won't be able to save the big hole in your shot-out groin area. I hope you don't consider walking a necessity."

Skinny's smile had disappeared as Lee cocked his gun.

Then he looked down at Biggie laid out on the ground, still moaning in pain.

"Uh..." Skinny slowly reached down to retrieve his walkie talkie as Lee and Francine exchanged pleased expressions.

He then mumbled something privately into the speaker and listened quietly to the response. After lowering the walkie talkie, Skinny's attitude suddenly changed.

"Agents!" enthused Skinny, in a clear change of attitude, "Mr. Rutherford will see you now!"

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After taking Lee's gun away, they were left in the care of the butler who answered the door.

"Miss Desmond, Mr. Stetson, please follow me."

This manservant had the right manners, said the right things, but he looked as if he could just as easily tie up bodies alongside cement blocks and toss them into the Potomac River.

They headed down a familiar long corridor, walking in silence. The butler then made a right. This led to another hallway, almost towards the end of the house. At last the three of them stopped by an opened door. Whatever room this was, it had glass walls which overlooked the view to his gardens.

The manservert led them in.

Lee and Francine could smell the chlorine as well as hear the tiny splashes of water as they entered the private swim room. Though the pool area was elaborate, it still had that indoor pool mustiness. And just like his outdoor pool, everything having to do with the pool was done in marble.

"Wouldn't you know it?" Francine snarked, "...the one day I didn't bring my swimsuit!"

But Lee was finding it harder and harder to control his impatience as he sickeningly watched Rutherford swimming around in the indoor pool, as if he didn't have a care in the world.

Lee turned towards the manservant, "Hey, Pal, you think you can get your boss out of there, and pronto, like? We really need to talk to him!"

The manservant showed no change of expression.

"Mr. Rutherford's daily habit is to swim 10 laps, not one more, not one less," he evenly stated, as if that explained why they couldn't interrupt his boss.

"Maybe this is the day he finally changes that habit!" Lee suggested.

The manservant stood firm as he watched his boss make a turn in the pool, "Fortunately for you, Mr. Rutherford is on his last lap. Kindly stand by."

"What else can we do?" Francine sardonically asked.

Lee and Francine had no choice but to watch Rutherford slice through the water for his last lap. He swam with easy, fluid movements; obviously, he was in excellent shape for someone in his late 40's. He reached the edge of the pool near where Lee, Francine and the manservant stood and stopped.

Now standing in the pool, Rutherford ran his hand across his wet scalp and dripping face.

"Miss Desmond, Mr. Stetson," he formally addressed them, not looking happy at their arrival, "Next time I'd advise you to call before arriving at my residence. My policy is to take appointments only."

"This isn't a social call," Lee told him.

"I figured as much, but was it really necessary for you to mess with my men out in the front?" Rutherford asked.

"They needed to be taught how to properly welcome people," Lee explained.

Hunter ignored Lee's comment. Instead, he walked himself fluidly out of the pool. Grabbing a towel from his manservant, he motioned for everyone to sit in the chaise lounges he had surrounding the pool.

As they sat, Hunter grabbed his robe and tied it at the waist before he sat down.

"Whatever the reason for your visit, I hope this won't take much of my time," Hunter made clear, "I'm a very busy man. In fact, I have a political function I need to attend to in two hours."

"I'll get to the point then," Lee stated, as he leaned in and with a threatening voice stated, "I'm about to break both your legs!"

Hunter lifted a brow, "Really? This is how you repay my hospitality?"

Just then the manservant entered with a tray of three glasses.

The manservant ignored the obvious tension in the room, "Iced tea for you and your guests, Mr. Rutherford," he stated, as if it weren't obvious.

Francine leaned in and whispered to Lee, "I just want to slug the politeness off of that butler's face!"

"Don't worry," Lee pledged, "he'll be the next in line for a slug!"

Meanwhile, Hunter nonchalantly grabbed his drink, "Thank you, Manny. Please serve our guests."

Manny the butler swung the tray over to Lee and Francine.

"You must try my green iced tea," Rutherford cajoled them with the drinks.

Lee recalled earlier about the mango shake and humphed, "What is it with you and drinks, Rutherford?"

Hunter smiled, "I'm a businessman, Mr. Stetson, and I never negotiate until everyone feels relaxed, and drinks are conduit in reaching that state."

"I'm not here for relaxation!" Lee growled.

Hunter's smile disappeared, "Then we cannot negotiate." He then turned to Francine, "Perhaps you are more amendable, Miss Desmond. Please, try the green iced tea. It's consists of vibrant notes of green apple and mango. And on top of that, it's very healthy, too, as I'm told it contains a healthy variety of antioxidants. The drink is quite divine!"

Francine took her glass, "I often take mine extra-divine, but I suppose this will do. Thank you."

Hunter then turned to Lee and gestured at the last glass of iced tea, "Please, Mr. Stetson. Show me that you can be a gentleman, and then perhaps you will get what you came for."

Lee then stated, "Only if I can take YOUR drink, Rutherford."

Rutherford raised a brow, "You think, perchance, that I had drugged the drinks?"

Francine then quickly and awkwardly placed her drink down as Lee calmly stated, "I've learned that wrong things can happen when you trust the wrong people, and you are definitely the wrong kind of people."

"Blunt, but there may be some truth somewhere in there," Rutherford admitted as he gave a wry smile, "So you want my drink, Stetson? By all means, have it..." he stated as the manservant helped to exchange the drinks.

After Manny left, Lee immediately put his drink down without taking a sip.

"You're wasting our time with all this fake hospitality since you know why we're here, Rutherford!" Lee stated as he and Francine stood up to look more intimidating.

Hunter put his drink down too. His eyes had lost its openness as he pursed his lips.

"You are being exceptionally rude, Mr. Stetson! Not only is it rude, but it also won't help you with whatever you want from me! If you and Miss Desmond will look down onto your bodies, you will understand how much control I have over your tenuous situation!"

Lee and Francine exchanged uncertain glances. And when they looked down, they could see several laser beams pointed directly at their chests.

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