Chapter 5
A few days later:
"Hey, Hon, it's been 4 months- you know what that means!" Lee came out of the bathroom fresh from his morning shower. A towel was wrapped around his waist and he was drying himself off with another- a sight that Amanda always appreciated. Lee knew it and liked to show off for her in the mornings, but Amanda was more preoccupied at the moment and didn't notice.
Sitting at her computer desk, Amanda sighed. "Yes, I just saw the email from Leatherneck. We have to do our sharpshooting qualifications." Amanda slumped in her chair. This was the one thing she hated the most about the Agency and intelligence work: Guns.
"Do you want to go there on the way to the Agency or later in the afternoon?" Lee asked as he spattered some drops of water on Amanda from his hair as he towel dried it. He hoped that would get her attention.
" Hey! Stop that, Mister!" Amanda tried to look annoyed but it didn't work. "Might as well get it over with this morning; I have to teach a class after lunch."
"What is on today's class schedule?" Lee came and leaned over and gave Amanda a good morning kiss.
"It's that new course we talked about that I developed, called Analysis of Past Cases. I went over some old files of cases that have been declassified, and we analyze how they were handled back when they were being investigated. We check to see if there are any ways things could have been done differently and how we might handle the same ones today."
Lee asked "Did you choose any of ours?"
"Yes, we've discussed this before! We're going over one today, and if you had read the class email I copied to you, you would have known, Stetson! Paperwork and emails are your downfall," Amanda half heartedly scolded him.
Lee shrugged his shoulders and asked "Which one?"
"You have to read the email and you had better be prepared to discuss it with the class, buster!" Amanda tried to give Lee another stern look.
Lee gave her a sad puppy-eyed look and gave her his best Adonis pose.
"No wonder you were thrown out of countless colleges!" Amanda shook her head and tried to keep from laughing.
Later that morning Lee and Amanda checked into the Agency shooting range. Leatherneck greeted them with a smile.
"Good to see the Stetsons are being punctual with their quarterly qualifying. JJ is here too."
"Oh is there a spot next to her?" asked Lee.
"Sure, come on back," Leatherneck motioned.
They followed Leatherneck back to the shooting stalls and as they arrived, JJ was reloading a gun.
"Hi, Princess!" Lee gave his daughter a kiss on the cheek.
"Hey, Papa and Mom!" JJ gave both her parents hugs and kisses.
"It looks like you are off to a good start today, sweetheart," observed Amanda.
"I always like to do target practice and my qualifying in the morning before lots of people show up. It gets too crowded then!" JJ responded.
"Do you want to have a little side wager with your old man?" asked Lee.
"Hmmm, sure, what's the prize?" JJ replied curiously.
"Loser has to buy my favorite champagne!"
JJ stood with her hands on her hips. "Someone is mighty cocky today!"
Amanda laughed, "Just today?"
"Hey! " Lee feigned hurt as both Amanda and JJ laughed.
"Ok, how about best score combined out of 3 with a
Handgun?" suggested JJ.
"Deal," said Lee.
"Hey, Leatherneck, I want someone other than my family to observe this contest."
"Sure thing, JJ!"
Amanda shook her head. "These two have to make everything a competition."
The first round of shots gave Lee the edge, as most landed within range. JJ's fell in the other circle of the bullseye.
Lee smiled, but JJ said "I'm just warming up!
The next round gave JJ a perfect score and Lee was one point behind her.
The last round was close but as the computer tallied up the score it turned out to be a tie.
"Damn!" Lee complained. "I don't trust that computer-it lies!"
"Oh come on, Papa, you're not going to weasel out of this! The score is even so we'll both buy each other a bottle!" JJ hugged her father and gave him a salute.
"Well, I guess I better start my attempt to qualify," Amanda stated.
Leatherneck suggested "Why don't you start with the handgun this time, Mrs. Stetson. Last time you started with the rifle, and I think it was too heavy at first and knocked your score off when you got to the pistol."
"Ok, whatever you think Leatherneck."
He handed her the pistol as the timed response bell went off. Lee and JJ watched as Amanda hesitated and shot all her rounds at the full length target of a person. Leatherneck pulled in the target. Both men winced as they saw where all the bullets had hit their mark in the groin area of the outlined person.
"Good shooting Hon...maybe you can give the enemy a vasectomy," Lee laughed.
"Very funny!" Amanda pouted as she hit Lee's stomach with the back of her hand.
"Or make 'em eunuchs" added Leatherneck. "You know there was a time when you did your best shooting at the ceiling, Mrs Stetson!" Amanda rolled her eyes.
"Mom, that's better than last time. This is one of the approved areas to qualify with the gun." JJ encouraged her mother.
"Let's just get this over with," Amanda lamented.
"Mom, I don't understand; you have shot people before!"
"Yes, Sweetheart, I have shot them, but only to disarm them-in the leg or arm but never has it been fatal. I would rather distract suspects if I can, rather than use a gun."
"And your mother is very good at that, JJ," Lee reminded her. "In the early days she confused me to no end, but I was on our side!"
"Just you wait till we get home, Stetson!" Amanda warned.
-SMK-SMK
Later at the Agency Amanda had some test scores to go over before her class, and Lee was finishing up a report on some of the new recruits when he got a call.
"Stetson here."
"Lee, this is Ray Ramsey from the justice department. Do you have any time this afternoon to come over here and give a briefing to some of our legal team on the terrorist cell that the Agency busted regarding the Pentagon threat?"
"Sure I have some time. But they have the Agency report-what more is needed?"
"Oh we have people from the Pentagon and the state department wanting to have a meeting with us. They have more questions, so your Section Chief Francine Desmond said you were specially assigned to consult on the whole operation and suggested I call you."
"They sure do like their meetings," complained Lee.
"I hear you, Lee! Is 1:30 ok? I know this is short notice, I just got the call."
"It is short notice but I can be there in half an hour."
Lee hung up and said to Amanda who was engrossed in her work and had not even looked up to acknowledge what was happening "I've gotta get to a meeting at the Justice department, Hon...sorry I am going to miss your class."
"Hmmm, what Sweetheart?" Amanda had not even looked up from her reading.
"A-MAND-A...I can't stay for your class! I have to go to a meeting at the justice department."
Still distracted, Amanda said "Yeah right...enjoy your meeting."
"Amanda, I said I'm sorry!"
"Right! You did this on purpose, I bet!" Amanda said as she looked over her reading glasses at him. Lee gave her a quick kiss on the cheek as he went out the door.
Under her breath Amanda said "And good thing because you always get defensive when anybody criticizes our cases."