Disclaimer: The characters from Scarecrow and Mrs. King are the property of Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Productions. The Charlie's Angels characters belong to Aaron Spelling. The story is the property of our imagination, and is for entertainment purposes only.
Summary: This is an ALTERNATE UNIVERSE STORY/CHARLIE'S ANGELS CROSSOVER. Amanda's past has come back to haunt her. The timeline for this story is placed after the events of Stemwinder. We have based most of the events in this story on the SMK timeline. Therefore, some of the Charlie's Angels timeframes have been adjusted to fit into those of Scarecrow and Mrs. King. We did our best to keep to the facts of both shows, with the exception of Charlie's Angels background for Sabrina. We wanted to give Amanda a more experienced and adventurous background.
**We have read Kacey's SMK/CA crossover stories, and by no means are we trying to encroach on her ideas. Instead we thank her for giving us the idea for this story. She has been notified of our current story and has given us her permission to use some of her background details on why Amanda was Sabrina. Also, a very warm thank you to the SMKauthors for helping us make this story reach its full potential. **
Please feel free to Archive this anywhere, just let us know where.
This story has been rated R (for language and content)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amanda, An . . . Angel?
By Amy and Diane
*** Chapter 5 ***
Amanda walked into the bar and self-consciously tugged at her shirt.
Doug rushed to her side the minute he saw her. "Hello, Sabrina."
"Hey, Doug," Amanda said, taking his arm.
"Want to take a seat with me at the bar?" Doug asked, pointing towards two empty chairs.
Amanda glanced at Kelly, Kris, Jill and Don seated at the far end of the room at a table. "Sure, I could use a drink," Amanda smiled.
Doug escorted her to the bar and motioned for the bartender. "Can I get you anything in particular?"
"I'd better just have a glass of white wine tonight. I have to race tomorrow, you know," Amanda teased.
"Get the lady a white wine and I'll have a straight scotch," Doug told the bartender. "I have really missed you, Sabrina. I'm definitely glad to see you again." Doug took her hand in his.
"I'm glad to see you too, Doug. I just wish it were under different circumstances," Amanda smiled warmly at him.
"What is it you're working on?"
"You know, I can't tell you that," Amanda laughed.
"I know, I just thought I'd try. You haven't changed a bit. You are as beautiful, if not more beautiful, then the day you left," Doug said, as he caressed her cheek.
Lee's good mood was quickly squelched when he walked into the bar and saw Doug gently caressing Amanda's cheek.
He started to head in their direction when he heard Kelly yell, "Hey, big guy! We're over here."
Lee glanced at the small gathering at the table and turned in their direction.
"What do you want to drink, Lee?" Jill asked, as she rose to go to the bar.
"Straight scotch."
"I'll get it," Jill said, as she headed towards the bar. She could tell by the intense gaze Lee had on Bri that she needed to keep Doug and Lee separated.
"Are you excited about the race tomorrow?" Doug asked Amanda.
"Nervous is more like it. I haven't been in a racecar since..."
"I know, and I'm sorry Bri. I know this is hard on you."
"It's not too bad. I got through today, so I'm sure I'll be fine tomorrow. Jill told me it was just like riding a bike, you don't forget. I found out today she was right."
"You must have remembered every bit of it, because you tore that race track up," Doug laughed.
"I did do pretty good, didn't I?" Amanda joined in his laughter.
"I wonder what in the hell is so funny?" Lee grumbled, as he took a gulp of his scotch.
"Lee, Doug is part of Bri's past. I don't think you have anything to worry about." Kelly placed her hand on Lee's arm.
"Yeah, that is what she said," he paused, as he realized who was talking to him, "What makes you think that?" Lee pulled his gaze from Amanda and Doug to face Kelly.
"I've seen the way she looks at you. She has never, and I mean never, had that type of love in her eyes before. I'll tell you one thing, Lee Stetson. She worships the ground you walk on and you had better take care of her. If you don't you will find the Angels at your doorstep and we will make your life a living hell," Kelly warned.
"I'll second that," Jill smiled at Lee.
"I'll bring up the rear on this one," Kris joined in.
Lee huskily laughed. "Don't worry. I'll take care of her. I wouldn't want a bunch of angry Angels on my doorstep."
Amanda turned towards the familiar laugh. A slight smile came to her lips as she met Lee's gaze.
Doug turned to look at the table full of friends. "Want to go join them?" he asked.
"Do you mind? I know you wanted us to catch up on old times." Amanda smiled warmly.
"It wouldn't be old times if that bunch wasn't around." Doug laughed.
"Alright." Amanda stood and started towards the table.
Doug gently took her arm to stop her. "Wait. Listen, Sabrina, they're playing our song."
Amanda smiled at the music. "You remembered."
"I could never forget 'Colour My World'. You made me wait in line for two days to get us tickets to the Chicago concert." Doug laughed, as he led her to the dance floor.
Amanda smiled up into his eyes, as they swayed to the soft music. She allowed him to pull her close, as the memories of the past flooded her mind.
"Alright, Kelly. You'd better give me some idea as to what is going on before I go over there and physically remove him from Sabrina."
"Oh, Lee. Don't be such an old fart. They are just reminiscing. That used to be 'their' song."
"Their song, huh?" Lee watched as the music came to an end. "I may just have to think of one for us," he mumbled under his breath.
"What was that, Lee?" Kris asked.
"Nothing." Lee gave her his brightest smile.
Doug led Amanda from the dance floor and joined the group.
"Hello, Angels. It's been a really long time." Doug smiled at the three women seated at the table.
"Too long." Kelly laughed, as she stood and hugged Don.
"Way too long." Jill joined them.
"I agree," Kris said, as she too joined in the group hug.
"I'm going to get one big head with all this attention," Doug laughed, as he made the most of it.
All five joined Lee and Don back at the table. "Doug this is Lee Stetson. He is here from D.C. to help us with this case," Kelly said.
"Nice to meet you, Lee." Doug extended his hand.
"Same here." Lee accepted it and gave him a firm handshake.
Doug then took notice of the other man at the table and was about to mention how familiar he looked, when Kelly continued the introductions.
"This is Don Bosley, our Bosley's brother. He's helping us while his brother is on vacation," Kelly lied, not wanting to divulge any more information than was necessary.
The two men shook hands. "Nice to meet you as well."
"So, you are from D.C. I guess you and Sabrina work together then?" Doug asked, returning his attention back to Lee.
"Now, Doug. You know we can't get into the details of our case," Kris jumped in.
"I know. Sabrina has already warned me," Doug replied never, taking his eyes from Lee.
"I'm actually kind of tired. It's going to be a big day for all of us tomorrow," Amanda said, as she gave Jill a pleading look.
"Yeah, me too. I think I'll turn in," Jill smiled at Amanda. Kelly and Kris nodded in agreement. "Well I guess we'll all meet at the race track in the morning," Jill said to the others as she rose to leave.
"Sabrina, would you care if I came to the pits tomorrow to root you on?" Doug asked.
"That would be nice, Doug."
"Can I walk you to your room, Sabrina?" Doug asked.
"Sure," Amanda said, as she gave Lee a reassuring smile. "Goodnight, everyone." Amanda turned and left the bar with Doug.
Kelly watched as Lee's body tensed. "Lee, she just needs a moment alone with him to tell him how things are now."
"I know, but it still irritates the hell out of me," Lee seethed.
"Don't worry about her. I'm on my way up now." Jill gave Lee a pat on the back before heading out of the bar.
Don looked at the three remaining agents. "Do you think this is really going to work?"
"Don't worry about it, Don." Kelly patted him comfortingly on the arm.
"I can't help it. If I hadn't been so stupid…" Don turned his worried eyes towards Kelly.
"Look, we all make mistakes. We'll get your brother back and then you can straighten things up between the two of you," Kris reassured him.
"Let's finish our drinks and head out ourselves." Kelly held up her glass.
Lee remained quiet, as he watched the door Amanda had just left through. He trusted her with his life and he knew he could trust her with his heart. He just didn't know how much he trusted Doug.
"Did you notice that Jill left us to pay the bar tab again?" Kris laughed.
"Yeah." Kelly started to stand up to go pay the bill.
"This one is on me. It's worth every penny to see a little of Sabrina's past," Lee smiled mischievously, as he pulled out his wallet and headed to the bar.
Nick Sporelli sat in the shadows of the bar. A dark smile crossed his features, 'so, the Angels have made an appearance once again,' Nick reflected.
He raised his glass in a silent toast to the women before finishing his drink, as he took note of who made up Donald Bosley's new pack of friends. He waited until the last of the party had gone before he left to make arrangements to meet with the Peterson brothers. He wanted to share his 'new found' information.
***** *****
"Amanda, may I come in for a little while?" Doug asked, as they reached her door.
"Doug, under different circumstances, I might say yes. I think I need to explain a few things," Amanda said, as she placed her hand on his shoulder.
"What?"
"I have really missed you," Amanda started.
"I've really missed you too," Doug said, as he started to lean in for a kiss.
"No, Doug. I'm sorry, but I've started a new life. I have someone very special in my life back home," Amanda explained, as she smiled sweetly at him.
"I don't think he is back home, Bri," Doug said grimly.
"What?" Amanda asked.
"I think he was sitting in that bar tonight. I felt a few daggers in my back while we were on the dance floor," Doug said seriously.
"Oh, Doug."
"Don't 'oh Doug' me. I saw the way you and Lee looked at each other. I'm not glad that he has your heart, but I am glad you're happy," Doug smiled weakly.
Amanda gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, Doug."
"I'll see you tomorrow, alright?" Doug asked, as he turned to leave.
"I hope you'll still come to cheer me on, Doug. I'm going to need your support."
"I'll always be there for you, Sabrina. Nothing will ever change that," Doug said, as he walked down the hallway to the elevator.
***** *****
"What is so damn important that you had to meet us in the middle of the night?" Bryant Peterson asked, as he looked around the dimly lit alley.
"You're not going to believe who I saw at the hotel bar tonight!" Nick exclaimed.
"Well, are you just going to stand there? Out with it!" Richard grumbled, as he kept his hand securely over his gun.
"Don Bosley! He was sitting at a table with Kelly Garrison and her bodyguard."
"What?" Bryant asked, as he continued to scan the area for unwanted company.
"Yeah, and to top it all off, Charlie's Angels were there, too."
"Let me get this straight. Kelly Garrison, her bodyguard, Charlie's Angels, and Don were all together at this bar," Richard said, counting each person's name on his fingers.
"That's what I said," Nick fumed.
"Oh yeah, and there was one other dude that I didn't recognize. He was all over Sabrina Duncan. I figure he's just some new boyfriend."
"This could be very interesting, indeed. We may just be able to kill several birds with one stone," Bryant contemplated.
"What are you thinking?" Richard asked.
"Shhh…" Bryant hissed, as he went to check out the crinkling sound on the other side of the dumpster.
Richard pulled his gun and followed his brother. Bryant kicked the man that lay under the newspapers. "Just some poor old drunk bastard."
"Nick, do you think you could take Sabrina out in the race?" Bryant asked, as he motioned for his brother to return to the other side of the dumpster.
"I did it all those years ago. I can do it again," Nick smiled evilly.
"Good. You just concentrate on that. My brother and I have our own little plans," Bryant smiled at Richard.
Richard returned his brother's smile and slapped him on the back, "I think I see where your twisted mind is going."
"What?" Nick asked.
"You just keep your mind on your little task and leave the rest to us. We still have a lot of money riding on Jill Monroe, and I assure you that you will be well compensated for your trouble," Bryant said, as the brothers walked to their car.
***** *****
Lee twisted and turned on the crisp linen sheets as he tried to relax and drift off to sleep. Thoughts of Amanda's promising kiss, however, refused his body the rest it needed.
He glanced at the phone on the nightstand. 'Perhaps a quick phone call just to make sure she's okay. It definitely couldn't hurt,' Lee thought, as he reached for the phone and called the hotel.
"Hello? Hyatt Regency," the operator answered.
"Aman…Sabrina Duncan's room please," Lee mumbled.
"NO!" Amanda screamed as she jolted up in bed. She rubbed her face, trying to erase the images of the fire from her mind.
"Sir, there is no answer in her room. Would you like to leave a message?" The operator asked.
"Will you please ring her room one last time?" Lee asked, as all types of possible disasters ran through his mind.
Amanda turned her clouded eyes to the ringing phone. "Hello?"
"Are you alright?" Lee asked, relieved she had answered this time.
Still trying to shake the images, Amanda answered, "Yes, Lee."
"Where have you been? I've been trying to reach you for the last ten minutes."
"I'm sorry, Lee. I was asleep. I must not have heard it," Amanda said, trying to hide any effects the dream might have had from her voice.
"That's alright. I was just worried about you."
"Thank you, but really, I'm fine."
"I just called to say goodnight."
"I miss you too, Lee," Amanda smiled at the real meaning of his words.
"I love you, Amanda."
Amanda felt her heart flutter each time he spoke those three little words to her. "I love you too, Lee."
"I...I'll see you in the morning."
"Goodnight, Lee," Amanda said, as she hung up the phone.
Rolling over on his side, he commanded his body to rest. He closed his eyes and focused on how lucky he was to have a woman as special as Amanda love him. His body slowly drifted off to sleep with the image of Amanda's love-filled brown eyes peering into his soul.
*** Chapter 6 ***
Lee squinted in the bright morning sunlight as he walked down the front steps of the mansion.
"Beautiful day for a race." Kelly joined him in the yard.
"Yeah," Lee replied, as he placed his sunglasses on.
"When is that extra agent going to show up?" Kelly asked.
"She'll be here around 10:30."
"That's pretty close to race time. I want to get to the track before it starts."
"Don't worry, Kelly. There is no way in hell I'm going to miss any part of this race." Lee flashed her his hundred-watt smile.
"I didn't think you would," Kelly laughed.
"So, what are we going to do with ourselves for the next four hours?" Kelly asked, as she looked at her watch.
"I was thinking maybe we might go out and find us a bookie to do a little pre-race betting. We want to keep up your image as the gambler. Then maybe, a quick trip to the track. Just to make sure things look right for the race," Lee said, as he turned to take a seat on the bottom step.
"Now, it wouldn't be because you think you might get a glimpse of that fabulous racecar driver, Sabrina Duncan, would it?" Kelly laughed and joined him on the steps.
"Well, that would be an added benefit," Lee said quietly.
"So, what's Sabrina's new life like?" Kelly asked.
Lee looked at her innocently, "What do you mean?"
"All I can get out of her is that she works with you and has two boys. I want to know all of the juicy details."
"I really think that Sabrina should be the one to tell you that," Lee said seriously.
"Oh come on, Lee. What do you and she do for this 'Agency'?" Kelly poked him in the side.
"We kind of do the same thing you guys did as a team. We help out those who need it, but it is usually on a national security level. I really can't say much more than that," Lee explained, trying to be as vague as possible.
"I know she has it in her blood. Sabrina was always one to enjoy the rush of intrigue," Kelly laughed. "So, when are you going to tell her that you love her?" Kelly asked, as she looked at her reflection in his sunglasses. "You can't hide behind those sunglasses forever."
"Kelly..." Lee stammered.
"Well, I'll tell you one thing, Mr. Secret Agent Man. You had better not wait too long. She is a patient and understanding woman, but there are a lot of fishermen in the sea of love that would sell their soul to net your little fish," Kelly laughed, as she stood to go inside to get ready to leave.
Lee shook his head and watched Kelly enter the house. The women of Charlie's employ were anything but shy about saying what they had on their minds. He knew he loved Amanda with all of his heart and apparently others could see how he felt as well. Perhaps, it was time for him to make a life long commitment to her. He couldn't imagine what his life would be like with out her, and he definitely wasn't going to let any other man have the opportunity. He removed his sunglasses and looked at the bright sun. It was definitely time for him to break down the remaining walls he had built up over his thirty-six years of life. Amanda King already had his heart and soul. Was he ready to take the next step? 'Mrs. Amanda Stetson, that has the perfect ring to it.' He smiled at the thought, as he walked into the house to find Kelly and start the day ahead.
***** *****
"Are you ready, Bri?" Jill knocked on Amanda's door.
Amanda opened the door for her friend. "I'm ready."
"You look just like you did before you moved back east. Charlie did an excellent job fitting you for your race gear," Jill laughed.
"Yeah. It's just like the uniform I used to have." Amanda turned around to show off the outfit.
"Are you sure you're ready for this race?" Jill asked.
"I made it through yesterday. I think I can make it through today."
"Just remember you're not the one who is supposed to win today," Jill teased, as they walked down the hall towards the elevator.
"Yeah, well that doesn't mean I can't give you a run for your money." Amanda said, as she joined her friend in laughter.
"Where are Don and Kris?" Amanda asked, as they entered the lobby.
"I sent Don on ahead this morning. The pit crew members are supposed to be early risers." Jill waved down a cab for Amanda.
"If he's anything like Bos, I bet he loved that," Amanda laughed.
"Well, he sure wasn't real happy with me this morning. Kris went early, too. She wanted to check out the other drivers ahead of time to keep up her reporter image. Here's your cab. I'm going to go grab my car. I'll meet you at the track," Jill said, as she waved goodbye to Amanda and headed for the parking garage.
***** *****
"Hey, Bryant. Kelly Garrison and her bodyguard are over at Smokey Bill's now placing a big bet on Sabrina Duncan," Richard whispered into the phone.
"Good. All the more for us," Bryant laughed.
"Do you want me to try and take her now?" Richard asked.
"Don't be stupid. It'll be easier at the race with the distraction Nick is going to give us. Before the cops figure out that she is missing, we'll have her safely tucked away," Bryant smugly said.
"What about the big guy with her?"
"You know the old saying 'The bigger they are the harder they fall'," Bryant laughed, as he hung up the phone with Richard.
"Well, Lee. I think that bet raised a few eyebrows," Kelly whispered, as she glanced at Richard hovering over the phone.
Lee looked down at his watch. "Yeah. This took a lot longer than I thought. It's already 10:30. I guess the trip to the track is out of the question."
"She'll be fine, Lee. She is a professional remember? Let's get back to the mansion and meet up with your agent friend." Kelly placed her arm around his as they left the dive.
***** *****
Amanda watched while her pit crew made one last check over her Porsche. She glanced at the other teams as they made their final preparations. She caught a glimpse of Jill arguing with her crew chief about the tires and shook her head.
"Jill will never change, Bri." A deep voice filled with laughter came from behind her.
Amanda turned to hug the man behind her. "Bobby! I can't believe it. You made it."
"Did you think I would let my little Bri spin her tires without me?" Bobby picked her up and swung her around.
Amanda pulled back to look into his big brown eyes. "I didn't think that Charlie had been able to find you."
"Let's just say old Charlie is not the only one with little birds to tell him everything." Bobby flashed her a bright smile as he sat her back on the ground.
"Thank you, Bobby. I can't tell you how much this means to me," Amanda said, with tears coming to her eyes.
"Let's not get mushy, Bri. You know I don't like that kind of stuff," Bobby teased.
Amanda warmly smiled up at the giant of a man. "I know."
"Well, I had better make sure these rookies get your car ready!" Bobby laughed and turned his attention to the car. Amanda watched as Bobby grumbled and fussed at the men around her car.
"Everything is a go, Bri," Bobby returned to her side.
"Thanks, Bobby. I'll try to keep it out of the ditches," Amanda nervously laughed.
"It would make our job a lot easier." Bobby joined in her laughter.
"You know, it's kind of like reliving the past, Bobby," Amanda said, glancing up to watch the fans fill the stands. "The excitement, the cheering, and the danger." As she spoke the last word, a chill went up her spine and she looked back towards her car.
Bobby engulfed her shoulders with his large arm. "Yeah, but it's not the past, Bri."
"Yes, I know, but I can't help feeling that something will go wrong." Amanda looked up into Bobby's understanding brown eyes.
"You just keep your pretty little head focused on that track and everything will turn out fine." Bobby squeezed her shoulders a little tighter.
"Thanks, Bobby," Amanda smiled, as her body relaxed in his comforting grip.
***** *****
Francine glanced at her watch and tapped her foot against the marble floor. "Where on Earth is he?"
"Talking to yourself again, Francine?" Lee asked, as he entered the main foyer.
"I've been waiting here for you for over an hour," Francine fumed.
"I'm sorry, Francine. Kelly and I lost track of time," Lee winked at Kelly. "Francine Desmond met Kelly Garrett. She is a member of the Townsend Detective Agency," Lee finished, smiling at Francine.
"Nice to meet ya', Francine." Kelly extended her hand.
"Nice to meet you, too." Francine accepted the gesture. "Now that the introductions are over, Scarecrow, how about some answers?" Francine turned her attention back to Lee.
"Scarecrow?" Kelly gave Lee an inquisitive look.
Lee shrugged his shoulders. "My codename."
"Hmm... If your 'codename' is Scarecrow then I can only imagine what Bri's is," Kelly laughed.
"Bri?" Francine raised her eyebrow.
"Sabrina Duncan. You know, Lee's partner," Kelly explained.
"You mean A…" Francine started to say.
"Francine, I think you and I need to have a moment alone," Lee quickly interjected.
"Is she talking about..." Francine began again.
"I said, I think you and I need a moment alone, Francine." Lee smiled at Kelly, as he took Francine's arm and headed towards the library. He had a few things to explain to Francine and he didn't want extra ears around.
"More secrets, Scarecrow," Kelly laughed, as she watched them go down the hall.
"Just a few, Kelly." Lee returned her laughter.
"If his name is Scarecrow? I wonder if Sabrina's is, Dorothy?" Kelly laughed to herself, as she sat on the steps to wait for them.
"So what's all the hush-hush about, Lee?" Francine pulled her arm away from him.
"Look, Francine. Amanda has a past here in California and a present in Virginia. The two just don't seem to know about each other, so to speak," Lee said, as he started to pace the library.
"I don't get it, Lee? What's the big secret?"
"Amanda's name while she is here is Sabrina Duncan. She worked for the same detective agency as Kelly and two other women when she was in college. It was a lot like the work that we do now. If word got out about her real identity, her past enemies could come back to haunt her and her family," Lee explained, taking a deep breathe.
"You and Amanda work together too much, Scarecrow. You are starting to sound just like her," Francine said seriously.
"Someone else just recently mentioned that to me," Lee said with a softer tone.
Francine frowned at Lee. "I do understand the situation with her identity, but it's hard for me to comprehend that Amanda has a secret past. Let alone that she was some kind of super detective."
"Well, believe it or not, it's all true." Lee focused his attention on the contents of the bookshelf, as he tried to hide the smile that crossed his face. He was enjoying the discomfort Francine felt at the knowledge that Amanda did indeed have 'training'. A lot more than Francine had ever thought she could possibly have.
Francine started walking towards Lee. "Was that really her yesterday in that race?" she asked, trying to make more sense of the whole situation.
"Yep. She did some pretty amazing driving, too." Lee turned to face Francine, as a proud smile crossed his face.
"She couldn't even drive a stick until last year. Not to mention that fiasco when she was at Station One and nearly killed me in our driving course?" Francine asked, as she searched Lee's face for comprehension.
"Francine, we all have our pasts to deal with. Amanda had some things happen in her past she had to deal with. One of which she had to overcome before she could drive in that race yesterday. That performance is what put her in good standing for today's race," Lee said sternly.
"I don't suppose it would do any good for me to ask what that was," Francine asked, as a frown returned to her face.
"Nope, need to..." Lee started his speech.
"I know. I know. Need to know," Francine mumbled.
"I am serious about not letting anyone here know about her life in Virginia. They all know she was married, has two kids and works for the Agency. Other than that they still think her name is Sabrina Duncan. We need to make sure it stays that way." Lee searched Francine's face for understanding.
"Lee, I am a professional. Her secret is safe with me," Francine reassured him.
"Thanks. Did you bring the information I needed?" Lee asked.
"Of course," Francine snapped. Reaching into her briefcase, she pulled out a manila envelope and handed it to Lee.
After accepting it, Lee opened the library door for Francine. "Let's go find Kelly and see what we can come up with. I'll fill you in on all of the other details on the way to the track."
"I was wondering how long you were going to have your secret meeting?" Kelly teased, as she saw them enter the foyer.
"Kelly, this is a list of the drivers in today's race. I thought we might find out more of what Jill will be facing by giving it a quick once-over. I also had the Peterson brothers checked out. You know their haunts and habits, their known associates and assets in the area." Lee handed Kelly the first page of the list.
"I've already looked through this package during my long flight here. Did you know that Billy sent me coach?" Francine angrily looked at Lee.
"I'm sorry to interrupt you, Francine, but I think you need to look at this Lee."
Lee paled, as his eyes fell upon one particular name. "What the Hell is Nick Sporelli doing in this race? He wasn't in the preliminary race," Lee asked, as fear began to race through his mind.
"He's a replacement driver. I read that somewhere in that packet," Francine stated.
"Shit! It's already 11:30 and the race starts at noon."
"The track is forty-five minutes away!" Kelly exclaimed.
Lee grabbed Kelly's hand and headed for the door. "We have to get in touch with Bri and Jill before that race starts!"
"There's a cell phone in the Governor's sedan. We can try calling the track from there." Kelly quickened her pace to keep up with Lee.
Francine didn't question their actions. She followed them to the car totally confused by this sudden change of events.
*** Chapter 7 ***
Thirty minutes before the race, two boys sat watching ESPN with their dad. As the Laguna Seca 200 coverage began, images of the drivers were put on the screen.
"Returning to the racing circuit after a thirteen year absence, Sabrina Duncan, who won yesterday's qualifying race, has chosen to start in third position today," the announcer's voice proclaimed.
"Hey, Dad," Jamie said, turning to face his brother and father, "That woman looks exactly like Mom."
"Don't be a dorkus, Jamie." Phillip poked his brother. "That woman can't be Mom. It may look like her, but our Mom can't even drive a stick"
"I didn't say it WAS Mom. I just said she looked like her," Jamie defended his comment.
"Phillip, don't call your brother names," Joe King said to his boys. "Jamie made an observation and that is all. Why don't we turn the television off and go outside and play some basketball?"
"Yeah! Ok!" chimed his two boys.
Joe turned off the television, but not before he looked at the images one more time. He shook his head. Ever since he found out about her involvement with the Agency, he never knew what Amanda was capable of these days. Turning, he went to join his sons outside.
***** *****
Kris took another look up at the stands and then at her watch. There were only fifteen minutes left before the race started and she hadn't seen any sign of either Kelly or Lee. Not wanting to think bad thoughts, she headed towards the pits to wish her favorite drivers luck.
"Jill, weren't you being just a little hard on your crew?" she asked, after witnessing her sister's tirade.
"Kris, sometimes I wonder whether they know which side of the tire is which," Jill replied, frustrated. "Besides, it's how I make sure I come out on top. If I don't scold them before a race, they think that something is really wrong."
Kris laughed, "So you're telling me you're superstitious then?"
"You can never be too sure when it comes to racing," Jill laughed with her sister. "So, any sign of the Peterson brothers?"
"Yep, they're sitting in the same spot as yesterday," Kris informed her, as she pretended to take notes.
"Any sign of Kelly and Lee?" Amanda asked, as she approached her friends.
"No, not yet, Bri," Kris replied. "Don't worry, they'll be here in time to see you race."
"I know, it's just that I have a really bad feeling," she explained. "Call it a sixth sense, but I just know something is going to go wrong."
"Maybe you should start yelling at your crew too," Kris laughed, as she looked at her sister.
"Don't be crazy. Bri has the best crew chief around. I saw Bobby over there, she couldn't be in better hands," Jill said reassuringly, as she extended her hand for Sabrina to shake. "Good luck, Bri. Everything will be just fine."
"Thanks, Jill," Amanda returned the shake. She would have preferred a hug, but figured that would be out of character for competitors.
"Driver's prepare to embark. Five minutes to start time," the official's voice came over the loudspeaker.
"Good luck, you two. I am going to head back into the stands and wait for Kelly and Lee." Kris waved at them as she turned to leave pit lane.
Amanda and Jill headed back to their cars. As Amanda reached her garage, Doug was waiting for her.
"I just wanted to wish my favorite driver good luck," he said as he handed her a single white rose.
"Oh, Doug, thank you," Amanda gasped. She took the rose and kissed him on the cheek.
"Knock 'em dead," Doug replied, as he started to hug her. He didn't realize exactly what he had said until he saw her face pale. "Oh, Sabrina, I am so sorry. I really didn't mean it like that. What a time to put my foot in my mouth, huh?"
Amanda shuddered at his words. "It's okay, Doug, really. That was a long time ago. I have a job to do and I plan on finishing what I started," she replied, accepting his hug. As she spoke the words however, she wasn't sure which one of them she was really trying to make feel better.
Breaking from the embrace, she opened the car door and got into the driver's seat. As she turned the key in the ignition, Bobby nodded that all was ready. She put on her helmet and pulled out of the garage.
As Amanda drove out of her pit and into the lane, she was unaware of the driver four cars behind her. Preparing to start in tenth position, Nick Sporelli had decided to play it cool and stay out of sight until the time was right. 'No use spooking my prey too soon and ruining all the fun,' he thought to himself.
Amanda pulled her car into third position. Looking down at the rose Doug had given her, thoughts of Lee entered her mind. She smiled at the memory of Lee's face when he had seen her with Doug. The reassurance of his feelings for her gave her the strength she needed to get through this race.
The official waved the start flag. She put her left foot on the clutch, shifted into first gear and put her right foot on the accelerator. As her car picked up speed, she once again felt the rush and excitement that came with the thrill of the race.
Kris watched the racers cross the start line before heading towards an open seat not far from the Peterson brothers. As she ascended the stairs, she caught sight of Kelly and Lee entering the stands. Heading up to meet them, Kris saw the frantic look on Lee's face.
"Lee, Kelly, what's wrong?" she asked, as they reached each other.
"We have to stop that race!" Lee almost shouted.
"I don't think that is possible, Lee. The racers are already on the first lap." Confused and worried, she looked from Lee to Kelly.
"Lee, here, got extremely agitated as soon as he read the list of drivers in today's race," a tall blonde answered. "The way he was driving to get here, you'd think he was the one in today's race."
Kris saw the evil look Lee gave the woman who had just spoken. Turning to look at her, she asked, "Excuse me, but who are you?"
"Sorry, Kris, this is Francine Desmond, an associate of Lee and Sabrina's," Kelly made the introduction.
"Can we cut the small talk!?! A…Damn it! Sabrina's life is in danger," Lee growled, through clenched teeth. He was growing more frustrated by the minute. Amanda had a killer on her tail and he had no way of warning her.
Kris, Kelly and Francine looked at each other and then at Lee.
"Well, if you'll tell me what's going on, maybe we can figure something out," Kris stated, trying to find a way to calm Lee down. They couldn't afford to blow their covers.
Kelly looked around at the crowd in the stands and noticed how close they were to the Petersons. "Let's get away from all the big ears around here in order to have this conversation."
When they reached the entranceway, Lee began explaining, "I asked Francine to bring me a list of the drivers in today's race. I wanted to make sure we weren't up for any surprises. Apparently there was a last minute substitution after the qualifying race yesterday," Lee began, as he ran his hand through his hair in frustration.
"Nick Sporelli is now in that race, Kris," Kelly continued.
"No, you have to be wrong," Kris replied, shaking her head.
"Here's the list of drivers," Francine said, as she handed the sheet to Kris. "I still don't understand what the problem is. The whole ride here was one of complete silence. Even though Lee drove like a maniac, it still made the twenty-five minute drive unbearable."
"Sorry, Francine. I guess our thoughts were on trying to get here in time to pull Sabrina out of the race," Kelly apologized. "You see, fifteen years ago, Nick Sporelli was responsible for causing Sabrina to crash. She came out alive, but another driver was killed as a result of the accident."
"Oh." Francine was still in shock by the idea of Amanda as this other person.
"Charlie arranged for Nick to be permanently suspended from Formula One racing after we proved that he had deliberately caused the accident. Nick never quite forgave us for ruining his racing career," Kris continued. "We always thought Sabrina's disappearance was somehow connected to that race."
"Charlie explained later that she'd left to start a new life. We never did get to tell her that the authorities found Nick responsible for the accident, and not her," Kelly finished, turning to look at Francine.
"Well, how the hell did he get reinstated?" Lee snarled, through clenched teeth.
Francine shrugged her shoulders, "I couldn't tell you that, Lee. I'm just the messenger."
"We aren't going to get anything accomplished standing here," Kris replied. "For the moment, I think we need to get back to playing our parts. Lee, you and Kelly head to your seats…"
Lee cut her off, "If you think I am going go sit by and do nothing, you're crazy!"
"Lee, Kris is right," Francine stated, with the air of authority she was used to using around Lee. "You two take your seats and keep up your covers. Kris and I can head down to the pit and talk to Sabrina's crew. Maybe they can help us figure out a way to warn her."
"I don't have much of a choice do I?" Lee reluctantly groaned. He didn't like sitting idly by, but he knew he had a job to do, and his part wasn't that of a white knight.
"No, you don't," Kelly warmly said, as she turned towards him. "I don't like it either, but they are right. We still have to get Bosley back and to do that we need to keep an eye on the Peterson brothers. The longer we stand here debating, the harder it'll be for us to help Bri." As she finished speaking, she linked her arm in his and headed towards their seats.
As Kris and Francine headed down to the pits, they noticed the drivers were already into lap fifteen. Kris noted that Bri was close on Jill's tail, holding her position in third.
"I still can't get over that Amanda is a racecar driver," Francine mumbled to herself.
"What was that?" Kris asked, as they neared Sabrina's garage.
"Hmm, oh nothing," Francine replied, flipping her hair out of her face.
Kris wasn't so sure she liked this arrogant woman. "Hey, there's Bobby, Bri's crew chief. If anyone can figure out a way to help us, he can."
Walking up to Bobby, they saw he was in a conversation with Don.
Bobby broke his discussion with Don when he saw the two blonde women approach. "Kris, how's it going," he greeted her with a warm smile. "Your sister is doing just great out there."
He began to point at the track and then took notice of the concerned look on Kris' face. "What's wrong?"
"Bobby, Nick Sporelli's out on that track," Kris blurted out. "We have to warn Bri."
Bobby's mood went from cheerful to angry in a manner of seconds. "How the Hell? Forget it, I don't want to know," he bellowed and then turned to face the track.
"Is there a way we can contact her, a radio set up or something?" Francine asked. She was getting annoyed with stating the obvious and calming down irate men.
Bobby looked at Kris and then to the other woman. "I am sorry, you are?"
"I am getting a little tired of that phrase," Francine replied, a little exasperatedly. "I'm Francine Desmond, an associate of… Sabrina Duncan's." She had almost said Amanda, but remembered at the last second that everyone there didn't know her by that name. "I work with her back in D.C.," she finished.
"Nice to meet you, Francine, and sorry about the harsh words. Now, to answer your question, Sabrina doesn't have a headset radio, so I don't know how to contact her. Right now the only thing we can do is wait for her to come into pit lane. Usually by lap thirty, the drivers have to have something checked out."
"It looks like they are just entering lap twenty, so we shouldn't have to wait too long." Don stated. He turned to Francine, "Hi, I'm Don Bosley. I am kind of the reason that Sabrina and Kris are caught up in this mess," he finished looking down at the ground.
Francine turned to Kris with a questioning look.
"His brother is the one that was kidnapped by the Peterson brothers," Kris explained in a quiet voice, as she put a comforting hand on Don's arm. "Don't feel responsible for this, Don. We had no way of knowing Nick was associated with the Peterson's, or that he would somehow manage to show up in this race."
Doug saw Kris talking with Bobby, Don Bosley and another woman. He noticed the worried and angry looks that passed between them. He left his trackside seat, and headed in their direction.
As they entered lap twenty-five, Amanda became aware of the driver behind her trying to catch her down draft. She took a quick look in the rearview mirror and her heart stopped. The glare of the black car and the face behind the wheel were all too familiar. 'My mind is just playing tricks on me.' she thought, trying to shake the memories from her head. She once again glanced back at her rear view mirror. It was the same image, only much closer. "Oh, my gosh!"
Nick Sporelli decided it was now or never and gently rammed into her back bumper.
It took only a split second for her to loose control of the situation. The mix of emotions and the sudden impact of his car against hers caused her to slide down to the lane below.
As she tried to get a grip on her emotions, she noticed Bruce Stemple's only inches from her. She clenched the wheel and quickly moved back into the upper lane. Nick once again bumped into her, this time with more force causing her to tail spin. Amanda looked Stemple's way for a split second. The expression on his face, was the same as Nadeau's only seconds before the explosion. Determination overcame fear. She was not going to let another innocent driver be killed. She quickly regained control and swerved her car into an upper lane, just missing Bruce's car. However, in paying attention to Bruce's position she never saw Nick trying to get around her in the other lane. The increase in speed from her near miss with Bruce caused her to crash right into the front end of Nick Sporelli's car.
Lee had jumped out of his seat the second Amanda's car had spun out of control. He managed to breathe a sigh of relief when she missed hitting the other driver. His heart stopped, however, when he saw her slam into Nick Sporelli's car. Before he could utter a sound, the impact of the two cars caused Nick's engine to explode. Amanda's car was flung up and over, falling onto its roof.
Lee couldn't control the shout that flowed from the pit of his stomach and out of his mouth, "AMANDA!!!!"
He didn't care who heard him! All he knew was that he needed to get down onto that track. He was up and rushing towards the aisles, before Kelly had time to get out of her seat.
As Kelly pushed past the standing race fans to catch up with Lee, she was suddenly caught off guard by the arm that wrapped around her neck. "Lee!" was all she got out before a cloth was brought to her mouth, rendering her unconscious.
Lee turned around when he heard the anguished cry just in time to see Kelly being dragged off by Bryant Peterson. He was unaware of Richard standing next to him, until he felt a gun in his side. Richard removed Lee's gun from its holster and motioned his head for Lee to follow Bryant.
To be continued…