*DISCLAIMER** Scarecrow & Mrs. King is copyrighted to Warner Brothers and Shoot The Moon Production Company. The original portions of this story, however, are copyrighted to the author. This story is for entertainment purposes only and cannot be redistributed without the permission of the author. Situations and some dialogue have been used from the episode "Bad Timing", written by Robert W. Gilmer. No infringement of copyright is intended.
Summary: This is a slightly alternate version of the fourth season episode "Bad Timing". This story is set at the end of January, 1987.
Part Six
Amanda walked back and forth through the rustic living room. She was far too nervous to sit still. It was much better to keep moving. As long as she kept putting one foot in front of the other, she found she didn't think as much. Focusing on the physical kept her thoughts distracted. If she sat down on the couch, she might be forced to look at that antique clock adorning the wall. She might have to watch the second hand travel endlessly around its face. Or listen to the pendulum tick away the seconds with unerring accuracy.
Lee had been ominously quiet ever since their arrival at the Agency's isolation facility. He had described 'Mrs. McMurty's', as the intelligence community euphemistically referred to this place, as a high security complex with all the comforts of home. If the situation hadn't been so serious, Amanda might have laughed at his use of such an oxymoron.
It was late when they arrived and, at Amanda's suggestion, they'd gone into the bedroom to lie down. Despite being up for most of the night, she knew they wouldn't sleep. But she needed to feel his arms around her and he needed some quiet time to regroup. And they both needed to try and make some sense out of everything that was happening.
She had found the impersonality of the master bedroom somewhat unsettling. She would take the familiar clutter of Lee's apartment any day. Still, despite the chilling decor, it felt good to simply be with Lee. As soon as they climbed into bed, she'd unconsciously fitted herself against him, drawn to him almost like a magnet. It was amazing how quickly her body had grown accustomed to his.
Tucked safely in his arms, she had tried to pretend that everything would be okay. She couldn't read his face in the darkness, but she could imagine only too well what he must be feeling. Her own thoughts were churning violently; wildly optimistic one minute, devoid of hope the next. The implications of what he'd told her in the Q-Bureau kept running endlessly through her mind. An ultra-secret division of the KGB called the 'Scarlet Rose' was conducting a field test for a new biological weapon right here in D.C. The operation was under the personal direction of Anatole Donek, an old enemy of Scarecrow's. As close as they could figure, his operatives had apparently injected Lee during his walk last night, the 'mugging' staged for effect. According to Dr. McJohn, the prognosis was anything but good. In less than twenty-four hours, Lee would be contagious. After that, it was only a question of time before the matter reached its inevitable conclusion. PD-2 amounted to little more than a death sentence.
She involuntarily shivered when she thought of what might have happened. Donek's revenge had been foiled simply because she cared enough about Lee to insist he be checked out. If the PD-2 had gone undiscovered, its ripple effect would have been disastrous. Not only would Lee have died, but Scarecrow would have been the unwitting means of destroying some of the best agents in counter-intelligence. It would have been a devastating legacy.
None of that mattered now. Selfishly, she could only think that his life was still in jeopardy. Tightening her arms around him, she had tried to shield him from what was happening inside his body. She could sense his growing restlessness, though, and as the dawn finally broke, he gave up all pretense of rest. Bestowing a comforting pat on her shoulder, he'd headed into the other room.
Amanda made her second pass around the living room, rubbing her arms to get her circulation going. Outside, the warm sunshine belied the fact that it was actually January 31st. But inside the cabin, the dampness seemed to pierce right through her. It was the atmosphere in this place that made her feel so cold. To the casual observer, 'Mrs. McMurty's' seemed like a luxurious four-star resort. If you could overlook the surveillance cameras strategically placed throughout the grounds, the barbed wire fences around the perimeter, or the electronic gate with its machine gun toting guards.
You could disguise those little details any way you wanted, but in the final analysis this place was nothing more than an elaborately decorated holding cell. She was beginning to feel like an animal in a cage. And if she felt that way, she could only imagine what must be going through Lee's mind. She watched him standing by the stone fireplace, idly fiddling with the fire. The quiet was unsettling; the only sound in this room was the crackle of the logs. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. There was so much she wanted to say that she couldn't say anything.
Instead, Lee broke the oppressive silence. "Amanda, you saw the film 'Lawrence of Arabia' didn't you?"
'Sure," she answered distractedly, patting him on the back as she passed by. Every so often, she found herself reaching out to touch him, as if somehow trying to commit him to memory.
"You remember the scene where he put his hand over the flame of a candle? He doesn't move…doesn't even flinch." He poked at the logs burning in the grate.
"Um-Hmm." Amanda looked at the windows. Someone had taken great pains with the decorating, choosing the sheer fabric that adorned them with deliberate care.
"Finally someone asks him, 'what is the secret, how do you keep it from hurting?" Lee's voice was even and controlled as he leaned against the perfectly rounded stones of the chimney. "And Lawrence says 'the secret is not to keep it from hurting, the secret's not to mind it'. "
She opened the curtained windows and exposed its iron underbelly. Carefully, she fingered the bars. Tastefully decorated, indeed.
"I think that's the way this business is, Amanda," Lee said sadly.
She folded her arms across her chest as she turned around to face him. She had a feeling she knew where this was leading and she was profoundly grateful that Lee had come to the same conclusion she had.
"I can't say I ever learned not to mind the pain," Lee went on, "but I sure as hell learned to live with it. As long as I could fight back…make a difference."
He tossed the iron poker into the fireplace. Breathing deeply, he quickly crossed over to where she was waiting by the window. "Amanda, I can't do it," he told her in an impassioned voice. "They might find Donek…they might come up with an antidote…I can't sit this one out, do you hear me?" He grabbed her arms, almost daring her to disagree.
"Well, I knew that before we even came here."
He looked at the barred windows, and then back at her questioningly. His hand rested lightly on the iron framework. "I'm an Omega class prisoner," he explained carefully. "Any escape attempt from this place requires a shoot to kill response. A D-1 manhunt goes into effect if I do get out…"
She nodded in perfect understanding. "How do we get through these bars?"
"That's what I thought," Lee muttered in relief as he kissed her quickly. He smiled at her, at the look of unswerving loyalty written on her face. The one that said that together, they had a fighting chance of beating this thing. "Watch."
* * * * *
Amanda sighed as she stood at her living room window. This was the first 'down' time she'd had since their escape this morning from the isolation facility. They had been constantly on the move, trying to stay one step ahead of the Agency bloodhounds. Lee had explained that his escape would cause a major scramble, so he'd taken what steps he could to neutralize it. Their first stop had been to Leatherneck, the Agency's in-house equipment specialist. He had fitted Lee with a 'dead man's watch', a device that would deliver a lethal dose of cyanide at exactly 11:30 tonight. Even though he wasn't technically contagious until midnight, Lee had insisted on the thirty-minute cushion. He didn't want to leave any room for error.
Lee then arranged a 'meet' with Billy. Amanda knew it wouldn't be an easy conversation. Regulations plainly stated that Lee be placed in protective custody. They were asking their boss to cross Dr. Smyth one more time.
Lee had insisted on meeting Billy alone. With the Agency trackers still on the loose, he'd wanted her out of the line of fire. He trusted Billy, but they both remembered the way Dr. Smyth had shadowed him during the Stemwinder mess last fall. Amanda reluctantly agreed to keep watch from a distance.
Even through binoculars some fifty feet away, Billy's reaction to what Lee had done was unmistakable. He didn't like the idea of the 'dead man's watch' any more than she did. Lee had explained that it took two keys to remove Leatherneck's device. He had given one to her earlier; he was entrusting Billy with the other. When and if they found the antidote, the two of them would use their keys to release Lee from his self-imposed death sentence. With this failsafe in place, Lee knew Billy would agree to keep the dogs leashed and give him the room to track Donek on his own.
Amanda turned away from the window with a sigh, crossing the room to retrieve her dust cloth. The waiting was beginning to get to her; she needed to keep busy. She'd already changed her clothes twice today. Slowly, she set to work on the end tables again, wiping and re-wiping their already clean surfaces. Anything to stop thinking about what she couldn't stop thinking about.
About what had happened in the last few years. About what was going to happen in the next few hours. About the way he sounded when he called her his partner. About the way he looked when he told her he loved her. About the last time they'd kissed. About the first time they'd made love. And about what might not have happened if only she'd stayed in Lee's bed instead of insisting on coming home.
She glanced down at her watch again. Almost four o'clock now. Part of her wished the time would pass quickly so she would know one way or the other how this all would end. The other part longed to hang onto every second in case this was all the time they had. She both wanted and dreaded tomorrow…and all the tomorrows that would follow. They stretched endlessly ahead, as a blessing or a curse, she didn't know which.
She could hear the well-modulated tones of Lee and his informant Fritz 'the Cat' coming from the family room. The voices floated soothingly over her consciousness as she listened to them finalize the plan. She smiled in spite of herself. No matter what the odds, Scarecrow couldn't just sit back and do nothing.
Donek had the antidote and he was safely ensconced inside the Soviet Embassy, for all intents and purposes, untouchable. Since the man obviously had no intention of leaving sovereign soil until Scarecrow's time had run out, they had no recourse except to break in to the embassy and force Donek to talk. Lee had told her Fritz was the most imaginative crook he'd ever run across. Amanda could only hope he was resourceful enough to find a way to successfully breach the security of the embassy.
The operation was a long shot at best. Amanda didn't really hold out much hope anymore. Last night, even this morning, she'd been optimistic, thinking that they would find their way out of this. As the day wore on, Amanda realized how slim was their chance of success. And that, in all probability, she wouldn't be with Lee at the end. If he didn't get caught in this desperate break-in, then time would most likely run out for him there on Soviet soil. That 'silver lining' Lee always managed to find was finally starting to tarnish.
At least they had Billy and Francine on their side. Amanda knew they were jeopardizing their careers to help them, but it was a risk they both had accepted willingly. It bore silent testimony to how much Lee meant to them. Billy had even gone one step further. After Lee left their meeting this morning, he had given her the other watch key, with the directive to cut Scarecrow loose if they got the antidote. His faith was a double-edged sword. Her heart was warmed by his trust, but she now felt as if she held Lee's life in the palm of her hand.
The sound of the doorbell intruded on her reverie. She answered it almost in a trance. A young messenger handed her an envelope. She patted her pockets, but he smiled, not expecting a tip. With a start, Amanda realized he wasn't a normal delivery boy. He was from the Agency. Young as he was, he had that 'need to know' expression on his face.
She closed the door, heading towards the family room. Her fingers patted the document gingerly. She barely noticed Fritz 'the Cat' as he passed her in the hall.
"See you later, Mrs. King," Fritz muttered as he left, studiously avoiding eye contact. It was plainly evident that he, too, thought this plan was doomed.
Amanda nodded absently as she turned back to the documents with a frown. Still reading, she silently entered the room.
Lee abandoned his floor plans as he heard her come in. Looking up, he saw her stop apprehensively by the bookshelves, her head bent in concentration. He could tell something was very wrong.
He had a sinking feeling he knew what she was holding. Getting up, he approached her with trepidation. She still hadn't looked at him. "Amanda," he asked in concern, "what is it?"
She glanced up, then turned quickly away. "It's from IFF," she answered solemnly. "A messenger just brought it." She gave him a hopeless look as she handed him the papers.
Lee recognized them immediately. "They work fast," he said, turning away, unable to meet her eye. As always, his boss was unerringly efficient. "I asked Billy to take care of this last night."
The room closed in around him as he fingered the papers. He read the first page with a sigh. All these years as an agent and he'd never given these forms a second thought. It hadn't mattered until he met Amanda. His feelings swelled and he fought to keep them under control. He walked away a little, trying to dispel the emotional claustrophobia.
"Amanda," he began, "I've never had a beneficiary for the Agency Life Insurance policy and...I wanted you and your boys to be taken care of, you know just…" He dared to encounter her eye, for the first time admitting that things might not turn out okay. Sitting down on the sofa, he finished with barely suppressed emotion, "just in case."
Amanda took a deep breath, her tears just below the surface. "When do you have to leave?"
Out of habit he glanced at his watch. In its place he saw the timer on his own personal doomsday device. "Billy's here at six."
Amanda stood still as a statue, watching. Lee sat on the sofa, so physically near and yet further away with every second that passed. She wanted to freeze the moment, to stop those numerals on that damn device from their inevitable countdown. She felt the keys to the dead man's watch jingle tantalizingly in her pocket. No, she couldn't do that. Only one thing could stop their flow. Instead she sat down beside him, wrapping him in her arms.
She felt his arms come around her as she rested her cheek against his. Closing her eyes, she soberly intoned, "I want more time."
"So do I." Lee pulled back slightly, looking deeply into Amanda's eyes. He saw in them the same thing he'd seen so long ago at a crowded train station. He knew she'd be there for him no matter what happened.
"Lee," she whispered, her hands gently caressing his face. "I…" She stopped, unable to continue.
"It's okay, I know," he said, smiling sadly at her hesitancy. They sat motionless for a few minutes, then slowly, surely, their lips met. Lee didn't know who had made the first move. Only that when they touched, the emotion they shared was the same.
They leaned back on the sofa, their kisses becoming more urgent as their feelings threatened to run out of control. Lee could feel Amanda's hands on his hair, his back, his arms…everywhere. It felt so good to just hold her and respond to her. For one brief moment to feel and not to think. His fingers moved over her back and hips as he kissed her lips, her face, her ear.
Amanda moaned slightly, pressing him closer. She pulled him down on top of her, reveling in the feel of his body crushing hers. She felt his hands underneath her sweater and she quickly unbuttoned his shirt. She kissed him deeply as her hands moved over his smooth chest. He felt so reassuringly alive. She pulled his shirt down, her need to touch him almost overpowering.
She paused and frowned, suddenly perplexed. For some reason, she couldn't manage to get the shirt off.
They both looked down and saw that it was caught on his right arm. Lee sat up abruptly as Amanda looked away, both recognizing the problem. The sleeve was tangled around Leatherneck's device.
Lee pulled his shirt back on, silently redoing the buttons. "Amanda, we can't…"
"I know," she said, her voice almost inaudible. She, too, sat up, straightening her rumpled clothes.
Lee looked at Amanda, recognizing his own despair in her eyes. He lay back against the sofa and held out his arms.
Wordlessly, she moved into them, resting her head against his chest. She could hear his heart returning to its normal rhythm. She inhaled and exhaled slowly, unconsciously timing her breaths to coincide with his.
"Amanda."
His voice was barely a whisper, but it broke the perfect rhythm she'd achieved. "Yes?" she breathed, straining to get it back.
"No matter what happens, at least we have the other night. Nothing can take that away from us."
"I know," she said quietly. "It meant everything to me."
"Me too."
She moved her hand up and down his chest, pausing to finger the button on his shirt. She quickly unfastened it, sliding her hand inside. The warmth of his skin comforted her as she rested her hand next to his heart.
"Lee…" She hesitated a minute as she struggled to voice the thought that had been eating at her ever since Billy appeared at the door last night.
"What?' he gently prodded. He calmly stroked her arm, his touch begging her to continue. They were long past the point of keeping things from each other.
"I can't help thinking…about the other night." She closed her eyes, fighting the tears that pricked hotly behind her eyelids. "If I'd stayed the way you asked me to, then this wouldn't have happened."
"Amanda." He said her name reverently, his love flowing through every syllable. "This is not your fault. I don't want you thinking like that. Ever." He sat up suddenly, cupping her face with his hands as he looked deeply into her brown eyes. "Promise me."
She nodded sadly, her eyes locked on his. "I just wish…"
"It wouldn't have made any difference, Amanda. Donek would have found another opportunity." He pulled her into his arms again and settled back on the sofa. "If you hadn't gotten me to the doctor, God knows what might have happened. If you had caught this from me…"
"Shh. It's okay," she whispered, her hand rubbing lightly over his chest.
He let out the breath he'd been holding, pushing that thought from his mind with an effort. "I don't want you to have any regrets about us. About anything that's happened over the past four years," he added in a soft voice. "I don't."
"I don't, either."
"I wouldn't change anything, Amanda," he continued, closing his eyes. He could see her face take shape in his mind. The soft curve of her cheek, her ready smile. "If not meeting you could make this turn out differently…it wouldn't matter to me. Even if I knew what was going to happen, I'd still do everything the same."
She drew a shaky breath, silently memorizing the feel of him in her arms. "I love you."
He pulled her closer, his lips brushing tenderly through her hair. He glanced once more at his wrist, at the numerals running backwards all too quickly. Before long, Billy would be here. It would be time to go. He unconsciously tightened his grip.
She sighed as she felt him pull her closer. The silence covered them both like a blanket. They didn't need to speak; they'd already said it all. There was nothing to do now but wait. Wait for Billy to knock on the door. Wait for Dr. McJohn to come up with an antidote. Wait for a future that might go on without him.
She closed her eyes, once more matching her breathing to his.
To be continued…