Disclaimers: Scarecrow and Mrs. King is copyrighted to Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Production Company. This story, however, is copyrighted to the mentioned authors. This story is for entertainment purposes ONLY. If you would like to add it to an archive, please just let us know.
Summary: This story takes place after the series has ended. It's a "sequel" of sorts to our story "More Than Meets the Eye." A man from Lee's past turns Amanda's family life upside down.
Author's Notes: We did extensive research surrounding the Vietnam War and events that took place during that time. Some scenarios mentioned really did occur; we just added the wonderful world of SMK to them. Any airplane scenes mentioned we checked with a flight expert to handle any reality issues as we wrote. A very special thank you to Tammy for beta reading and being a true part of helping us write this story.
Timeframe: Thanksgiving the year they were married.
Rating: R (some suggestive situations and language)
Giving Thanks for What We Have
By Diane & Amy (Two Phantoms)
Chapter 13
Phillip lay on the cold, damp cot shivering, not only from the lack of heat in the room, but also from the fear that continued to mount in his body. It had been, at his best guess, over two hours since anyone had come by to check on him. The last person to visit had been the man who called himself "Weasel."
Phillip closed his eyes from the memory of the man's sharp, cold eyes staring into his soul as he'd unlocked the cuffs that had bound his hands to the radiator. Weasel had said nothing to him…he didn't have to. The threats and taunts were evident in his eyes. Weasel had left the room with one last look towards him. The look held a promise of death if Phillip defied him by trying to escape.
Phillip opened his eyes at the sound of his stomach rumbling from hunger. He tried to sit upright in the darkness of the room, only to find the pain in his arm to be too great. As he continued to lie on the cot, he rubbed his bruised arm and whispered words of desperation. "Mom…please find me. I'm so scared."
Just then, he heard the click of the door, and the man who had abducted him entered, carrying what appeared to be a tray of food. "So, young Phillip, how are you finding your accommodations?" Weasel asked, a glimmer of evil humor shining in his eyes.
Phillip only stared back defiantly. He couldn't, however, control the shivering. He was so cold, but damned if he'd show this man any fear.
"Still trying to play the tough guy, huh? Well, I guess I owe you that pleasure. I just thought I'd let you know that my men reported back to me a few hours ago. Your mom knows how to follow directions; she should be here soon with the prize that might just free you."
A feeling of hope ran through Phillip's body. His mom was going to save him after all. He'd known she'd find him. Then the thought of his mom getting mixed up in any of this and having to deal with this strange, evil man scared him to death. "Don't you hurt my mom…or…"
"Or what?" Weasel let out an evil laugh. "You'll hurt me? You'll tear me in two? I sincerely doubt that young man. As long as your mom does exactly as she's told, and by some twist of fate, I get my hands on your grandfather, I may just let your mother and you live." He laughed again as he laid the tray on the floor and headed out of the room.
Tears welled up in Phillip's eyes. He could only hope that his mother would somehow manage to save him. He wasn't quite sure how she would do it, but she was his mother after all. Besides, he knew that Lee and his mom had connections with government types. He was sure they were already looking for him.
Mustering as much of his strength as he could, he forced himself to slowly slide off the cot. He needed to eat in order to keep up his strength, not only for himself, but for his mom as well. Grimacing at the pain shooting through his arm, he headed over to the tray. It looked and smelled like a fast food burger and fries, so he sat on the floor and tentatively reached for a fry. Finding it cold but edible, he quickly unwrapped the burger and took a bite.
As he ate, he mulled over the words Weasel had last spoken. What was it he had said about his "grandfather?" He didn't have any living grandfathers, at least not as far as he was aware of. What was that Weasel man talking about?
~~~~~ ~~~~~
"What do you mean Frank's gone off somewhere? Where did he go?" Dotty West yelled at the agents standing guard at the main door.
"Sorry, ma'am, we're not at liberty to say," Agent Winston replied.
Anger flooded through her veins. "Don't give me that. You federal agents think you have the liberty to do whatever the hell you want. I want an answer. Where the hell did my husband go?!"
Kurt walked up behind Dotty and attempted to put his hands comfortingly on her shoulders. She quickly shrugged them off. "Don't try and get in the middle of this, Kurt. I've dealt with federal agents before." She turned an angry stare his way. "Do me a favor and please go check on Jamie," she requested in a calmer voice.
Kurt nodded, knowing by the look in her eyes that it was best to leave her alone and not add more fuel to the fire. He gently placed a kiss on her cheek before turning and heading in the direction of the kitchen.
Dotty turned her attention back to the agents at the door. "Where is your supervisor? I demand to talk to the agent in charge and get some answers!"
Agent Wilson glanced over at Agent Morris, who was doing his best to keep his eyes averted. Agent Wilson refused to turn his eyes back on Mrs. West, and instead, moved his gaze toward the living room. There was no way he was going to be the one to spill the beans about which agent was really in charge. In fact, most of the agents in the house would prefer that Mrs. West were confined upstairs. That way, none of them would be forced to face Scarecrow's infamous wrath if they should accidentally let his true identity slip. Not only that, but they were all getting a little tired of dealing with her constant rants and raves.
"Agent Tompkins, over by the phones, is actually the one in charge at the moment, ma'am. You can ask him all the questions you want." Morris answered. His desire to remove Mrs. West from his presence left his voice a bit terse, almost condescending.
Dotty chose to ignore the young man's tone and turned on her heels to search for Agent Tompkins. She made her way over to the two agents by the phone. "Which one of you is Agent Tompkins?" she asked, a little edge in her voice.
A tall, thin man with sandy blond hair rose from his seat. "I'm Agent Tompkins, Mrs. West. What can I do for you?" he responded in a pleasant voice. His years of experience had taught him not to bite back when dealing with an irate person. It didn't help matters. Besides, he had just received some disturbing information that he needed to pass along, and it was going to require some hand holding, which he knew none of the other agents in the room would volunteer for.
Dotty relaxed a little when she heard the kindness in the man's voice. "I'm trying to find out what the devil has happened to my family, and no one seems willing to give me any straight answers."
Tompkins put a gentle hand her shoulder and led her over to the couch. "Have a seat, Mrs. West, and I'll tell you what you want to know."
Dotty sighed in relief. Finally, someone was going to give her some idea of what was going on. "Thank you, Agent Tompkins. You have no idea how horrible this can be, everyone you love running off without a word, possibly doing more harm than good."
The blond man let out a small smile. Being pleasant had always helped him get what he wanted, and he very much wanted to keep this woman from causing his agents to do something they might later regret. Taking a seat on the chair next to the couch, he turned and faced the older woman. "Now, what is it you want to know?"
"For starters, Agent Tompkins, where is Frank West? What has become of my daughter and her fiancé, Lee Stetson?" she asked without taking a breath.
Tompkins was a little taken aback by her using the words "fiancé" and "Lee Stetson" in conjunction with each other. Could the great Scarecrow finally be tying the knot? And to his wonderful partner, Mrs. King, to boot? Now, that was indeed something to put into the record books.
Shaking off the initial shock, he looked pointedly at Mrs. West. "Well, we still don't have confirmation about the whereabouts of your daughter or Mr. Stetson, but Nighthawk…sorry, Mr. West, has headed to the airport. We just received word that there was a possible plane crash, and he is heading up the search party."
Dotty's eyes grew wide, and her heart sank. "Was my daughter or Lee involved in the crash?"
Tompkins had been prepared for that question. He moved to sit next to her on the couch and put a comforting hand on her arm. "It's possible that your daughter was aboard one of the planes that appears to have crashed. We don't have any reports on the seriousness of the situation, yet, but believe me, we have our best men out there looking for them. We'll make sure your family is brought home safely."
Standing in the kitchen doorway, watching Jamie roll cookie dough with Lorna, Captain Kurt suddenly realized that he could no longer hear Dotty's angry voice echoing in the hallways. He quietly slipped out of the kitchen and headed back to the living room, arriving just in time to hear the agent inform Dotty about the crash. He rushed over to the couch and sat on her other side, putting his arm around her shoulders.
Dotty eagerly accepted his strong arms around her and buried her head into his chest. "Oh, God! Please let her be okay!" Dotty cried.
"Shh…I'm sure everything is all right," Kurt whispered. Turning his attention to the agent at the end of the couch, he asked, "Is that why Captain West disappeared? Has he gone in search of the downed plane?"
Tompkins looked back at the man. "Yes, but we haven't heard anything new since he left with two other agents. Why don't you take Mrs. West upstairs; let her get some rest. I promise to let you know the minute we hear anything."
Kurt nodded in agreement. "Come on, darling. Why don't we go lie down? Once you're rested, I'll come back downstairs and take care of Jamie, okay?"
Dotty pulled back a little and shook her head. "I'll be all right. Jamie needs to have us both around. Maybe Lorna has a game or something we can play. Something to keep our minds from thinking bad thoughts." She rose from her seat and headed towards the kitchen.
~~~~~ ~~~~~~
Fear gripped Lee's heart as he watched the plane carrying his reason for living drop like a rock towards the wooded area below. "No! God! I can't lose her. Damn it!" he shouted out loud. "What did I do? How could I have been so careless?" He let the Mooney side-slip, not bothering to pull the nose up as he followed the other plane's descent. "Get the gear down! Use your flaps, damn it!" he yelled to the other plane.
"Stetson, get a grip! Lee!! Scarecrow!!!" Richard shouted back, trying to get the attention of the panic-stricken pilot. His right hand was wrapped in the strap above the door while his left grasped the edge of the dash.
Lee flashed a face full of worry and fear towards the agent in the co-pilot's seat.
"It won't do us any good if we crash, too. How are we gonna save her if we don't land this thing safely?" Richard tried to reason with him.
Lee knew Richard was right. Tearing his eyes away from the Bonanza, hoping with all his heart that the lowered landing gear he thought he saw on the other plane was a reality and not just wishful thinking, he took a deep breath and dragged his attention back on his own plane. "Richard, whatever you do, do not loose sight of where the…" he paused, almost unable to continue, "where they…land."
Richard reached over and touched Lee's arm with his left hand. "I promise, I won't lose sight of them."
Putting an extreme amount of faith in Richard's word, Lee concentrated on regaining control over their own rapid rate of descent. The contact between the two planes' wings had been minor, but it didn't take much to upset the delicate balance between control and disaster. The sluggish response from his plane told him that something had happened to the control system; however, the fact that he had gotten some response indicated the damage wasn't too severe. And if the damage to the Mooney wasn't severe, maybe neither was the damage to the Bonanza.
With a semblance of control, Lee kept the Mooney headed in the general direction of the other craft. He searched the heavily-wooded area for a break large enough to set down in and thought he saw something resembling a parking lot out in front of them, a parking lot that just happened to be next to a large observation tower. Beside him, Richard kept his eyes glued to the plane carrying Amanda as it began to skim the tree tops at least a quarter mile ahead and slightly off to their right.
Noticing various log cabins and a few recreational vehicles scattered among the wooded area surrounding them, Lee realized they must be near one of the state or national parks in the area. "It's a good thing it's off season. I think I found a place to land," he remarked to his passenger.
Richard felt the muscles in his body begin to relax. He hadn't realized how tense he himself had been until Lee had returned to being a pilot and not a frantic husband. Nodding his understanding, he kept his eyes focused on the location of where the second plane had just disappeared into the trees. When a large puff of dust and smoke rose up through the trees, he tensed once again, as the Mooney veered suddenly.
"God, Richard! What was that?" Lee asked, while trying to steady both his nerves and the small plane. The ground was beginning to rush beneath them as they neared the lot, and Lee was having second thoughts about the chosen landing spot.
Richard gathered his courage and tried his best to reassure his pilot that there was still some hope. "That's where the plane just disappeared." He pointed in the direction he had seen the Bonanza go. "I didn't see any flames, which is a very good sign." He turned his eyes, filled with reassurance, towards Lee. "With any luck, they just went down in a field and kicked up a bunch of dirt."
Lee shuddered. "Okay, okay. I need to land this plane now and go find my wife." He swallowed the fear lodged in his throat. 'I won't do anyone any good if I let my emotions get the better of me now.' Pushing all thoughts of Amanda, harmed or worse, from his mind, he let his agent instincts take over and concentrated, once again, on bringing them down as safely as possible.
Richard remained silent as he watched an unusual calm come over the features of the younger man. He was a trained agent and knew that the man sitting beside him was no longer Lee Stetson, the worried husband, but rather Scarecrow, the no-nonsense agent.
~~~~~ ~~~~~~
Amanda knew things had gone from bad to worse as she heard the desperation in the voice of the pilot and Simon's screams of defeat directed at Lee. The sudden jolt and metallic twang that sent a bone-jarring shudder through her body followed by the sudden lurch as the plane began losing altitude at a terrifying rate, brought her instincts into action. Realizing that she was practically kneeling on the floor, she grabbed the seat behind her and pulled herself back up to her seat.
Fighting back the fear that was beginning to overwhelm her, she managed to fasten her seatbelt. Tearing her gaze away from the frantic movements of the two men in front of her, she looked out the wind, only to see her husband's plane faltering in the air beside them. She swallowed the scream that rose in her throat at the thought of him crashing into the woods below.
"Shit!" the pilot yelled. "I can't get control! This things gone crazy." He reached out and flipped a switch, and a new grumbling sound shook the whole craft. "Landing gear's down. Flaps. Flaps!" He again reached out and pressed down on a switch. After a moment, another vibration shook the plane, and he released the switch. "Okay," he muttered as he watched the gauges, "we're slowing." He looked out at the rapidly approaching ground. "but, we're not going to make it to the clearing, Simon! I've lost almost all steering capabilities after that brush with the Mooney!"
Simon tightened his grip on the dashboard in front of him as he gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes at the pilot. "We don't have much of a choice. We're landing here, and now, whether we like it or not!"
Continuing to stare out the window, Amanda released a silent prayer of thanks at the sight of Lee's plane above her in the distance. An odd wave of relief flowed through her body when she saw that he was beginning to even out his plane, while hers continued its downfall. It surprised her that she was so calm facing her own death, but the knowledge that he would make it eased her fears. Touching the glass before her, she whispered, "I know in my heart that Lee will make it to safety. He'll survive and take care of my family." Wrapping her arms around her knees, she closed her eyes and said her final prayers as she felt the plane thrashing and bouncing through the trees around them.
~~~~~ ~~~~~~
No sooner had the wheels touched ground and the plane had come to a complete stop, then Lee yanked on the emergency break and was rushing out of the plane before Richard could remove his seatbelt.
"I'm going to the tower and get some help!" Lee called back to his passenger.
Richard quickly undid his seatbelt and climbed out of the cockpit. He stood on the wing and turned his body to face the wooded area where the plane carrying Amanda King had gone down. Darkness was quickly falling, transforming the woods into a place for the damned, rather than the happy vacation spot so many people had shared. Shrugging off the chill that overtook his body, he turned away from the swaying trees and followed his fellow agent toward the observation tower.
Lee was met at the bottom of the tower by a park ranger. "What the hell are you doing landing a plane in MY parking lot!?! Do you have any idea how many government regulations you've just broken, buster!?!"
Lee yanked his government identification from his back pocket and shoved it in the ranger's face. "I am the fucking government! Don't even think of quoting me regulations. Just shut up and listen!"
The ranger quickly thought twice about saying any more as he took the identification offered from the ranting man and stepped back a few paces.
Lee swept his left hand through his hair as he searched the parking lot for a vehicle to suit his purposes. "There was a plane crash a few miles back in your woods, in case you hadn't noticed," he stated, his voice showing a bit of sarcasm. Staring intently at the young man, his voice turned serious as he continued his commentary, "One of the occupants of that plane is an agent! I need you to help us pinpoint the exact location of that downed plane!"
Nodding his head in agreement, Richard stepped behind Lee and made eye contact with the confused young ranger.
Seeing the older man for the first time, the ranger felt a little reassured that he wasn't going to be pummeled by the agent in front of him. He motioned for them both to follow him up the steps. "I saw the plane go down a few minutes before you landed. To be honest I figured you guys were drug runners or something with the way you were flying. I've already contacted the F.A.A., and the local authorities. They should be here anytime now."
Richard rolled his eyes at the thought of them being drug runners. Seeing Lee's back stiffen as they jogged up the never ending steps he was surprised that a mouth full of curses hadn't started escaping from the desperate man's lips. Keeping his thoughts to himself as they reached the top of the steps, he eyed the meager technical equipment offered by the ranger's tower.
Lee stopped in front of a map of the surrounding wooded area. Keeping his eyes focused on the map, his voice was low and demanding as he asked, "So, where exactly did the plane land?"
The ranger went to stand beside the agitated man and pointed to a small area of open field. "About six miles from here. If they were lucky, they hit on clear ground and not in the trees. We haven't seen any signs of smoke from a fire, so you can at least be assured the plane didn't blow-up."
Lee drew in a deep breath and exhaled loudly. Taking his left index finger, he traced the small area of clearing. Turning to look down at the ranger, he locked eyes with him. "I need access to your phones. I need to call my agency and get a team up here to get her out. I'll need a first aide kit, hiking supplies, flashlights, lanterns, and I'll also need your jeep. The one I saw in the parking lot."
Nodding his agreement, the ranger grabbed his coat as he pointed to the desk by the wall. "There's the phone. I'll head out to the truck and load up some supplies. The group of folks I told you about should be here before long and you can start your search."
Lee watched as the man hurried down the stairs before heading to the phone. Picking up the receiver, he looked over at the quiet man who had shared his roller coaster ride over the past few hours. "I'm not waiting on some damn rescue team! I'm going after her myself!"
"I figured as much," Richard again nodded in agreement. "I can't believe I'm going to say this, but…I'm going, too. The in-flight escort that was coming to support us should be closing in soon. I need to call the tower and let them know our situation before we head out."
Lee smiled for a brief second in thanks and dialed the familiar number of the Agency. "Scarecrow here. Put me through to Melrose!"
Hearing the click of the phone before he could even get his boss' name out, and then the immediate ringing, let Lee know that Billy had left word for his call to be patched through to him immediately.
"Lee, where the hell are you?" Billy's voice came over the phone.
Lee flopped into the chair behind the desk and rubbed his face as he listened to the worried tone in his boss' voice. "Billy, her plane went down in the woods surrounding the White Pine Trail State Park. I've landed at the ranger tower on the south end." Looking up at the board above the desk, he found the exact location, "It's site #398 in the park."
Pausing again, he looked over at Richard and then continued, "Fire and I are going in after her. I need you to send a team here to help out. I don't know how bad it is. All we could see was smoke and dirt when we flew over their location. Send out a medical helicopter and have the N.E.S.T. team ready for us."
Billy rested his elbow on his desk and placed his forehead in his palm. "Will do, Lee. Is there anything else?"
Lee closed his eyes and momentarily leaned his head against the back of the chair. "Pray for her. Scarecrow out." With that said Lee hung up the phone and stood from the chair. "Make your calls, Richard. I'm heading out to the Jeep to make sure we have everything we're going to need."
Richard placed his hand on Lee's shoulder as he passed by him. "We'll find her, Lee. You can count on that. Just don't let your emotions get in the way of your instincts."
Lee's hazel eyes held a clouded look as he lifted them to meet Richard's. "I know we will because we aren't leaving these woods until I've done just that." Placing his hand on the older man's shoulder he continued, "Don't worry about me, Fire. Scarecrow, the agent, has seen and done this type of thing a million times before. He'll do it again, and when he finds her, Lee Stetson will be the one thanking God that she's all right and carrying her home."
Richard watched the man before him slowly exit the room. He seemed almost mechanical in his movements as he walked down the stairs. What he'd seen in that man's eyes had reassured him that the agent was fully in control; however it scared the hell out of him to think what would happen if the beauty that kept the beast at bay had died when her plane had gone down.
Thinking of Weasel, Simon, and all the other evil in the world, Richard picked up the phone. Starting to dial the number for his agency, he vocalized what was going through his mind into the musty air of the room. "May God have mercy on their souls if anything has happened to Amanda King." As if in response to his words, a large clap of thunder roared above and shook the walls of the tower.
Chapter 14
The bare tree limbs swayed in unison with the wind, oblivious to the small aircraft that had made a fresh indention into the forest floor, and now lay, slightly askew, on its belly. Darkness overtook the woods as the storm quickly approached with a force intended to make its observers sit up and take notice.
Amanda jolted upright in her seat as the sound of thunder echoed through the metal aircraft. Squinting her eyes against the pain that seared through her head, she tried to focus on her surroundings. Reaching up with her right hand, she brushed back the stray hair that fell into her eyes. Her words were barely above a whisper as she looked out of her window into the dark sky. "Thank you, God, for hearing my prayers."
Ignoring the sticky substance that covered her hand when she pulled it away from her forehead, she immediately tried to free herself from the seat. Surprisingly, her seat belt unbuckled with ease, but as she tried to ease out of her seat, she found that a heavy object had pinned down her right foot. Using her hands to feel where her foot was trapped, she realized the large cylinder that had been standing upright on the floor to her left had broken from it's strap, fallen onto her foot, and gotten wedged under the seat, effectively holding her captive.
Panic, once again, rose in her body at the thought of being trapped in a plane that was God knew where. On top of that, she had no idea whether her captures had even survived the crash. Gritting her teeth against the avalanche of pins and needles in her foot as she frantically felt around the aircraft floor. "If I can just find a light."
As if a higher power were listening to her, another flash of lightning illuminated the cabin, causing her eyes to catch the glint of a flashlight wedged between the pilot's seat and the door. Grabbing the light, she turned it slowly forward, catching a glimpse of an "O2" sticker on the cylinder. Shaking her head, she pondered the irony of being held captive by something that, under other circumstances, could easily save her life.
When she turned her attention to the cockpit, the sight she beheld made her stomach churn. It didn't take long to realize her flashlight was illuminating what was visible of the pilot. The plane had crashed into a tree, sending him through the windshield. Whether he'd been wearing his seatbelt or not prior to the crash was a mute point; he wasn't wearing it now. The only part that remained in the plane was his legs and feet, which were covered in blood.
Gulping back the nausea, she turned the light to where she had last seen Simon. He, too, had been thrown forward in the crash, but his seatbelt had held, keeping him "safely" inside the plane. She couldn't tell whether he was still alive, but she had no plans of sticking around to find out.
Putting her common sense to use, she looked for anything she could use to pry the oxygen canister up enough to slip her foot out and get out of the plane. Not finding anything in the area surrounding her compartment, she leaned forward into the cockpit, having to twist her foot to do so.
Ignoring the searing pain that shot through her foot and quickly traveled up her leg, she proceeded to scan the front of the plane. A smile crossed her lips as she noticed that the hand-hold next to the passenger door was dangling crookedly, barely held in place by a single screw. Leaning carefully over Simon's still inert body, she stretched her left arm as far as she could, grasped the loose handle, and pulled. Just as the handle came free, a gruff moan escaped the lips of the man in the co-pilot's seat.
~~~~~ ~~~~~
Lee's fingers nervously tapped the steering wheel of the jeep as he waited for Richard to exit the tower. "Damn it, Fire. Get your ass out here!"
His patience hung on a thin wire as he started the engine and moved toward the entrance of the tower. Looking up at the lightning-filled sky, he ruthlessly shoved the fear that Amanda might not make it out of this one behind one the walls she'd spent the last five years tearing down. He was going to need some of the old, reserved agent to come shining through if he was going to rescue his partner. Pushing the gas petal with his right foot and holding the brake with his left, he revved the engine to alert Fire of his presence.
Richard heard the loud moan of the jeep near the door as he hung up the phone. Taking his gun from its holster, he checked to make sure it was loaded before putting it back inside his jacket. He lit a cigarette and inhaled a large puff, before starting his decent towards the waiting vehicle. He wasn't looking forward to informing Lee that the last word he'd gotten from the rescue crew was that, due to the storm, all rescue efforts had been put on hold. Sighing deeply, he left the safety of the tower and quickly approached the jeep.
Before Richard had completely shut his door, the Jeep's tires screeched as Lee threw it into Drive. Settling into his seat, he noted how reserved the driver appeared to be. Trying to take his mind off of the deafening silence inside the car, Richard retrieved the map of the park from the dashboard. His thoughts raced with ways to tell Scarecrow that any back-up assistance to find his wife was null and void until the threat of the approaching storm system was over.
Deciding that telling him of their ill-fated luck would do more harm than good, he retrieved a flashlight from the dash pocket and turned it on to get a good look at the map. Continuing to stare at the wrinkled pages before him, Richard cleared his throat. "So, does this road lead to the clearing?"
Lee's eyes remained focused on the road before him as he nodded in agreement. "Most of the way. According to the ranger, we'll have to go the last quarter mile or so on foot. The trail has been littered with fallen trees due to storms like this over the past few months."
Suddenly noticing that Lee had secured his seatbelt, Richard fastened his own then leaned against the passenger window and tilted his head to look at the rumbling sky. "It's going to start raining cats and dogs soon. You think you can find your way around this dark-ass place in the rain?"
A smirk crossed Lee's lips as he glanced at the uncertain man beside him. "Not much different from 'Nam. The only real difference is that here we have a few supplies and a couple of working flashlights. The real bonus is that this time I don't have to worry about running across any landmines."
Richard's eyes twinkled with the smile he so wanted to bestow on the man beside him. He wanted to ease some of the thick tension in the small confines of the Jeep. "So, I take it you have your 'Trail Blazer' badges fully secure and in place."
Knowing that Richard was trying to lighten the mood, Lee tried not to attach the reference to Amanda's camping experience to what the agent had just said. Instead, he reached behind his seat with his right hand and gave the green backpack a hard slap. "Yep. I even had that ranger throw in a waterproof match."
Richard's forehead wrinkled as he watched Lee body relax slightly. "Just one?"
Nodding, Lee continued to pat the small bag behind him as he thought back to the Peter Sacker case fondly. "That's all a good Trail Blazer needs."
Deciding not to delve into the subject, Richard turned to look at what Lee was referring too. "Have one of those for me?"
A low chuckle came from Lee's throat as he pointed to the much bulkier bag in the back seat with his right thumb. "Yep."
Richard's eyes grew large at the site of the monster bag prepared for him. "What in the hell is in that thing?"
Lee turned his head to the right and looked into the shocked eyes of the older agent. "Everything but the kitchen sink."
Grumbling to himself, Richard turned his eyes back on the road just in time to see one of the trees Lee had been referring to blocking their path. "Shit, Scarecrow! Look out!"
Lee's eyes immediately focused back onto the road, and he jerked the vehicle hard to the left trying to avoid hitting the large obstruction. His reaction had been too late, and the Jeep found itself lodged against the large oak. Slamming his right hand against the steering wheel, Lee closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. "I guess the rest of the way on foot starts now."
Thankful he'd been wearing his seatbelt, Richard quietly unfastened it and opened his door. Opening the back door on his side, he retrieved the heavy backpack Lee had indicated was his and walked around to the driver's side. "Let's get going, Scarecrow."
Lee opened the door on his side and retrieved his own bag. "Yeah, I guess we should follow this trail as long as we can."
Walking together through the woods, the men again remained silent as they wondered what lay ahead. Lee sighed as he looked down at the dried leaves that littered the forest floor. He couldn't help but feel he was once again following the Yellow Brick Road, and this time he didn't think it would lead him to the Emerald City.
Richard, too, was having similar thoughts of the Wizard of Oz as he looked over at the trees that rustled loudly in the increasing breeze. The way they swayed to the melody of the wind made it appear as if they had taken on a life of their own. Scowling slightly at the images that flowed into his mind, he suddenly had the overwhelming feeling that there were eyes peering through the darkness from the trees themselves, following his every stride.
Fully expecting the branches, that now resembled arms, to begin tossing apples at the men on the trail, he stared straight ahead as his nostrils picked up a hint of smoke that drifted in the air, presumably from the downed plane. New images of the Wicked Witch of the West drifted before his eyes. Slumping his shoulders slightly, he looked up at the flashes of lightning and half expected her to swoop down and set fire to the man called Scarecrow, who was now a few paces in front of him.
Shaking his head warding off the bizarre turn his thoughts had taken, he quickened his pace to catch up with his rescue partner. Feeling a chill creep through the outer layer of his jacket to the skin beneath, he somehow knew his new identity in all of this was Toto, who this time, was now faithfully following Scarecrow to find Dorothy.
~~~~~ ~~~~~
Frank West looked out the tinted glass window of the agency van as they approached the hospital. After several tense phone calls, the two agents with him had finally been able to locate a medivac chopper at the local hospital. "So which one of you boys can fly this bird?"
The two agents looked at each other with lopsided grins. Placing his arm along the back of his seat, the agent in the passenger seat turned to look at the stressed man sitting in the back. Pointing to the driver with a wide grin, he began to explain, "Old Tom here is an excellent pilot. He was one of those flyboys for the Air Force before he joined us. They nicknamed him 'Tomcat.'" Stopping his dialogue momentarily to look at the smirk on the driver's face he continued, "They don't call him Tomcat just for his flying techniques either."
Rolling his eyes, Frank rested his head back against the seat and shrugged his shoulders. "I know all about flyboys and their 'Tomcat' habits. Been there, done that!" Lifting his head he locked eyes with the agent. "So, if his name is Tom, I bet I can just guess what your name is."
The agent's smile couldn't have gotten any wider as Tom let out a throaty laugh. "Jerry Flanigan at your service!"
Frank leaned his head back against the seat and released a loud sigh. "I can't believe I am going to rescue my daughter with Tom and Jerry. This has to be a sick joke. Can this day get any worse?"
Continuing the laughter that Tom had started, Jerry shook his head and turned back to face the front of the vehicle. "Well, at least it's not Tom, Dick and Harry out to save the world."
Frank grumbled a few discreet words as he closed his eyes. "No. Dick's already in the woods with Scarecrow trying to save a wayward farm girl who's far from home!"
Feeling the car come to a stop, Frank opened his eyes. Seeing the large building and Tom waiting for the attendant to hand him a pass, he asked, "What are we stopping here for?"
Tom briefly glanced back at Frank before putting the car back into motion. "The chopper is at the top of this parking garage. We'll go to the top level and meet with the hospital attendants. Then we can check in with the flight tower and check the weather conditions. From the looks of things, there's a nasty storm front heading our way."
Frank rolled down his window and looked up at the darkening sky. "Weather be damned! I don't care if we have to fly through a tornado." He paused as Tomcat turned around briefly as if to start protest, then held up his hand, "This isn't open for debate. We won't return back here until I've found my daughter and Lee Stetson. Is that understood?!"
Tomcat looked over at Flanigan, and both men reluctantly nodded. Turning his attention to the opening gate, Tomcat moved the van towards the parking garage and towards what he feared to be an impending doom.
~~~~~ ~~~~~
Amanda clicked the flashlight off and froze, listening intently for the sounds of breathing from the co-pilot's seat. Holding her breath, she leaned closer to the seat. 'Please, God. Just let him stay knocked out for a few more minutes.' Not hearing any more noises from the injured man, she continued to bring the handle towards her.
Keeping the light off, she used her sense of touch to wedge the handle, which was a solid curved piece of metal covered by vinyl, under the oxygen canister before her. Taking one last silent deep breath, she began to push down on the end that she held in her hands with all her strength. As she felt the canister begin to lift slightly, she jerked her foot out from its entrapment in one swift motion. Pain filled her body as she forced herself to ease the cylinder back into place.
Determined to get out of the plane before the giant awoke, she held the flashlight tightly to her chest and eased her way to the pilot's side of the plane. Wedging her small body between the seat and the pilot's mutilated parts, she managed to reach his window. She tried to open the door, only to find that the force of the crash had caused it to jam shut. A few of Lee's choice curses drifted through her mind as she realized that the only options she had left were to either crawl out the broken windshield over the pilot, or to climb over Simon's still body.
Tugging at her lower lip with her teeth, she decided that going over the pilot's limp form was the best option. Still trying to ignore the pain that ripped up her leg from the damage caused to her foot, she managed to place her hands on the dashboard beside his legs. Feeling the glass shards prick at her palms, she rapidly lifted them and began a search for something to cover her hands with. Unable to see anything except during brief flashes of lightning, she decided that her only option was to tear some of the pilot's bloodied clothing from his legs to protect her hands.
As quietly as she possibly, she tugged at the material that had been partially ripped by the glass. Successful in her attempt, she wrapped the sodden material around her hands and began to pull herself out the front of the plane.
Safely out of the wreckage, Amanda reached out and clung to the tree where the nose of the plane had all but imbedded itself in the crash. Still afraid to turn on the precious flashlight, she continued to use the more frequent flashes of lightning to feel her way down the tree by using parts of the plane for support. Finding her feet near the ground at last, Amanda glanced back at the object she had been so sure was going to take her life not moments earlier. Taking a deep breath to prepare for the pain she new would come once her feet were firmly on the ground, she gingerly placed her feet on the dusty earth and started her retreat.
Once she was a few meters from the plane, she tried to quicken her pace, only to be hindered by the swelling in her ankle. Stopping briefly, she sat on the edge of a fallen limb, and removed the flannel shirt that covered her turtleneck. Using her teeth like scissors, she tore a strip of the material from her shirt. When it was free, she quickly wrapped it tightly around her foot and ankle, neatly tying her shoelaces to keep her shoe in place. Once the job was done, she balled up the torn shirt and discarded it beside the limb she was sitting on and rose to began her trip into the darkened forest. She needed to find a safe place to rest and inspect her wounds better.
~~~~~ ~~~~~~
Agent Tompkins had just finished debriefing William Melrose on the current situation. He smiled as he remembered Billy laughing when he had told him about Mrs. West. "Oh yes," Billy had agreed, "she can get pretty demanding when she wants to know something and no one will give her any straight answers."
That was certainly true. He was glad that Mrs. West was still in the kitchen with Lorna. Lorna had a way with keeping folks occupied; that was one of the reasons the Agency had assigned her and her husband to oversee the White Swan. The sudden shrill of the telephone brought him out of his thoughts.
Tompkins signaled to his agents to be on the ready, just in case it was Weasel. Reaching down he put his hand on the receiver in the living room and nodded for Lorna's husband, Mick, to pick up the phone simultaneously with him.
"White Swan Bed and Breakfast, how may we help you?" Mick asked into the phone.
"I'm looking for Mrs. Amanda Stet…King," the gruff voice replied.
Tompkins motioned to the agent next to him to start the recorder.
"I'm sorry. She's not available at the moment, may I take a message?" the older gentleman answered.
"She'd better not be there. Let me speak to Scarecrow," Weasel demanded.
Knowing it was probably Weasel on the other end, he motioned Mick with his hand, indicating that he wanted to take the call.
Mick nodded in understanding. "Hold on. I'll see if I can find him for you." Putting the receiver down he walked away, letting his footsteps be heard on the hardwood floor.
Tompkins waited a few moments before clearing his throat and speaking into the phone, "This is Tompkins, may I assist you?"
"No, damn it! I demand to speak to Agent Scarecrow." Weasel's voice was anything but amused as he began to feel like he was getting the run around.
"I'm sorry, but Scarecrow isn't available at the moment. He's currently pre-occupied and cannot be disturbed." Tompkins told the man. He figured it was best to be as vague as possible and hope that Weasel bought it.
"Well as soon as you see the 'Great' Scarecrow, pass this message along to him. He should keep his nose out of my way, or else his stepson will pay the ultimate price." Weasel slammed the phone down and stared at the door to his prisoner's dungeon.
"Oh yes, my fearless young man. Your stepfather had better not interfere with your mother's retrieval of the film. I plan on letting you live just long enough to have a nice reunion with your mother, but if Scarecrow messes up my plans again, I will leave your lifeless body as a reminder to him of just how heartless I can be." He let out an evil laugh and headed upstairs to set his back up plan into motion.
~~~~~ ~~~~~
Opening his eyes to the darkness, Simon ignored the condition of the pilot beside him and immediately turned his attention to the seat behind him. Groping around in the dark for something to light up the interior, his eyes widened as he felt the abandoned ropes his captive had obviously discarded. "Where the hell is the damn flashlight?"
Releasing his seatbelt, he turned to his left and leaned between the seats. As he searched the back, his fears that the body of Amanda King was not in the plane were confirmed. Finding his duffel bag, he retrieved a flashlight and looked at the conditions of the plane. Aiming his flashlight towards the pilot's seat, he began to shake his head. "Damn! Hate you had to die, old buddy. Oh well, c'est la vie. I don't have time to worry about you; I need to find my little treasure."
Simon picked up his duffel bag and pulled back into the cockpit. His eyes dimmed as he noticed the handle missing from near his door, then he looked towards the seat where he'd last laid eyes on Amanda. His flashlight made a glow over the fresh blood that adorned her seat and followed the crimson path that led to the floor. "I see the little bitch has a few injuries, from the looks of this. This could actually be a fun hunt." Turning his attention toward the woods, he called out, "I don't know where you've gone, you little harlot, but believe me, I will find you!"
Shoving his way back to the passenger side of the plane, he forced his door opened and slid off the wing onto the forest floor. Feeling the fresh rain pellet his face, images of Vietnam flickered, like celluloid in an old projector, through his mind. Licking his lips, he dropped his bag to the ground, unzipped it, and retrieved a few items he knew he would need for the hunt. As he placed his gun into his waistband, he looked up, again, at the groaning sky and the magnificent lightning that filled it. "Yep. Just like old times!"
~~~~~ ~~~~~
Lee abruptly stopped his heated pace and removed his backpack. Taking a brief look at the man trailing behind him, he opened his supplies and found the compass.
Within moments, Richard stood beside him, removing his heavy bundle, and took a seat on the log before them. "So, Scarecrow, are we on the right track?"
Lee's eyes narrowed as he looked into the wooded area ahead. "Yeah. Don't you smell the smoke?"
Richard nodded as he watched the concerned expressions play across the agent's face. "Yep. I picked up a hint of it in the air a few yards back."
Lee shoved the compass back into his backpack and took a seat beside Richard. "It won't be long until the rain reaches us. How long did the air support say it would be before they could get here and radio us with the exact location?"
Richard turned his eyes away from Lee and looked intently at the ground. Shuffling his feet in the dried leaves, he took a cigarette from his breast pocket and lit it. The tension of the past few hours had made his actions quite shaky. "They're not coming until the storm passes over and there's no more threat of wind shears."
Hearing that efforts to find his wife had been put on hold, Lee stood and swung his backpack over his shoulders again. "To be honest, I really didn't expect them too. Doesn't really matter now anyway; we shouldn't be too far from the plane. From what the ranger told me, and judging by the compass reading, we should only be few kilometers away."
Watching Lee head down the trail once again, Richard placed his cigarette between tight lips and put his heavy burden back over his own shoulders. As he quietly followed the man before him, he felt the first few raindrops sprinkle across his face. "Wonderful!" he muttered and then raised his voice to catch the attention of his fellow traveler, "Scarecrow, I don't suppose the ranger gave us some parkas, did he?"
Lee snapped his head around to look at the man behind him. "Stop complaining, and let's pick up the pace, shall we? This storm is going to be full-fledged by the time we get there if we don't get our asses in gear!"
Richard shrugged the large backpack in a better position on his back and started to quicken his steps. "If I didn't have to carry half the world on my back, I could probably move a little faster.
Lee ignored the comments from behind him and looked at his compass again. "We're still heading in the right direction, and the smell of smoke is getting stronger!" As he gazed up again to get his bearings, he caught the glimpse of the small Bonanza seemingly sticking out of the large oak up ahead. "Come on, Fire! I just spotted the plane…straight ahead."
Richard took that extra step needed and stood beside Lee. Dropping the backpack to the ground, he retrieved his gun and placed his hand on his fellow agent's shoulder. "We need to take this nice and easy, Lee. We don't know what the hell is waiting for us up there!"
Lee's eyes narrowed as he looked down at the older man. Clenching his teeth against the remarks that flowed through his mind, he nodded and retrieved his own gun. "Turn out your light." Motioning for Richard to weave around to the backside of the plane by going to the left, Lee proceeded to head straight for the plane using the trees as cover.
The hair on Lee's neck stood on edge as he surveyed the plane in the darkness. The nose appeared to be heavily embedded in the tree before it, though the tree had been violently gouged by the spinning propeller, and the shadow of a body lay draped awkwardly across it. Continuing to use his agent instincts as a guide, he fought the urge to rush ahead and find out exactly who had lost their life. Moving slowly to the passenger side of the plane, he stepped up onto the wing, leaned against the open door, and prepared to make his move.
Richard had made his way around the pilot's side of the plane as Lee reached the passenger door. Seeing the pilot's rain-soaked, lifeless body, Richard moved towards the back of the plane, trying to see the remaining occupants through the windows.
Lee listened to Richard's movements on the other side of the plane and then, without another moment's hesitation, swung the passenger door open in one swift motion with his gun cocked and aimed low for any possible danger. His eyes searched the interior, using the light provided by the lightning, and momentary relief flowed through his body at the site of empty seats. "She's not here!"
Richard kept his eyes open to the wooded area that surrounded them as he made his way completely around the plane to the passenger side. Nodding, he couldn't keep the concern from his voice as he spoke. "She's alive, Lee, but I don't see Simon's body."
Lee retrieved his flashlight from the waistband in the back of his jeans and clicked it on. Leaning back out of the door, he used the bright light to survey the surroundings, and new fears replaced the relief he'd felt only moments before. "There's a lot of blood back here, Richard."
Richard had turned on his own flashlight and was inspecting the front of the plane. "Yeah, there's a lot up here, too. The thing to remember is…is that she's not in here. She's alive and moving. We just need to find her and…pray that that bastard isn't with her."
Lee nodded and leaned back into the plane. Within moments, he noticed the cut ropes that lay sprawled on the floor amongst what appeared to be a detached handle, shards of glass, and an up-ended oxygen canister. He edged into the plane and reached back to pick up the now-frayed ropes. Holding them in his hand, he swore he could feel the warmth of his wife's skin…and could even make out the indentations the ropes had made on her beautiful wrists. "They had her tied up," he growled.
Richard had rested his hip on the wing keeping his back to Lee, watching out for any unexpected guests. Leaning back against the plane, he could hear the torment that Lee was suffering from the tone of his voice. "She's alive, Scarecrow. Just keep remembering that." The plane shifted as he stood to walk down the length of the wing. "Let's concentrate on finding your partner!"
Shaking his gun slightly in his left hand, Lee sat in the doorway, his feet resting in the passenger seat. Taking a deep breath to calm the emotions that he was allowing back into the game again, a sudden hint of gasoline filled his nostrils. Pushing himself out of the door, he stood on the wing, his senses on full alert.
Hoping his harsh tone of voice had brought Lee back to his senses, Richard absently pulled out his cigarette pack and shook the remaining cigarettes to the open hole at the end. Pulling one of the precious sticks out of the pack, he leaned back against the wingtip and pulled out his lighter.
Lee's eyes widened as the light of his flashlight shone over Richard's face and then flashed on a thin pool of yellowish liquid that painted a portion of the wing behind him. "Richard! Don't--"
Chapter 15
Standing before the rust-colored door, Weasel argued within himself about what to do with the current situation. 'On one hand, I could just tie up my loose ends now and drift off to some tropical island. I've already received half the money I was promised for the retrieval of that damn list. It's really all I need to live life well for the remainder of my years. On the other hand, if I do kill the kid now and split, I wouldn't get the chance to see the look on Scarecrow's face when the time comes for his ultimate demise."
Chuckling to himself at the surprise he held for Scarecrow, despite the anger he held over not hearing from Simon, Weasel reached out and turned the knob on the door before him. Secure in the fact that the door was locked, he proceeded to the room just to the left to make a few phone calls. The possibility of Simon making stupid mistakes was always high, but he had usually checked in on a regular basis one way or another. Unless of course, Simon had taken things a bit to far with the King woman and didn't want him to find out.
Taking a seat behind the makeshift desk, he picked up the phone and began to start his search for his missing ward. His thoughts wandered to the list that the King woman should have in her possession. He knew that, before long, his associates would be knocking at his door for reassurance that it had been destroyed. With the other half of the money he was to receive upon fulfilling his promise, he would be able to live like a king for the rest of his life. As he picked up his tattered books of associates, he immediately saw the number he should try first. Picking up the phone, he punched in the numbers for his contact at the F.A.A.
~~~~~ ~~~~~
Amanda's head began to swim as unconsciousness threatened to take control of her body. Keeping her eyes as focused as she could with the pounding in her head and the pounding of the rain, she decided if she were to continue her race for freedom, she would need to stop and rest.
As she leaned against the tree, the smell of pine needles filled her senses. The simple smell brought back happy memories of times spent with her boys on camping adventures. Relaxing somewhat with the thoughts, she eased her way down to sit on the soft pine needles that made a comfortable resting spot. She had been able to push the pain of her right foot from her mind while she had been escaping into the night, but with her body beginning to relax, the pain began rushing back with a vengeance.
Turning the dimming light of her flashlight towards her foot, she felt somewhat relieved to see that her shoe was still intact, but her ankle seemed to continue with its extensive swelling. Not knowing how far she had traveled and uncertain of how long it would take her to find help, she began to have doubts that she would make it out of this adventure alive.
Leaning her head back against the prickly bark, she closed her eyes. 'I have to get over this and get back on my feet. Phillip needs me to save him.' Keeping her eyes closed, she reached into her shirt and retrieved the coveted item. As she felt the soft material that contained the list of names, she thought of another man who needed her. She knew he would come for her…he always did. 'Lee, if I make it out of this, I promise to never run off on my own again.' Sighing she returned the small black bag to its hiding place against her body.
Opening her eyes against the force of the rain, she tightened the material around her shoe and began to stand. Feeling nausea threatening to take over, she swallowed it back and scolded herself. "You can do this, Amanda Stetson! You've come too far in your life to sit on your butt and feel sorry for yourself now!"
She used the tree to help counter her shaking legs, and after an iffy moment, she continued to stand. As she kept a tight grasp on her flashlight, she brushed her left hand against her soaked pants to try and remove the sticky residue that the pine tree had left attached to her hands. Taking a step away from the tree, she pushed even harder at the pain and finally succeeded in driving it back into the far reaches of her mind.
Hearing the words of his prey, Simon's smile glistened in the rain, and after only a minute of concentration, he caught sight of her in a lightning flash, almost dead ahead of him. He had enjoyed his little hunt for her and found himself surprisingly disappointed that it had been so short. As he watched her begin to slowly move amongst the trees, he decided that perhaps now was not the time to recapture his little bird. Her body was weak, and before long she would have to stop and sleep for the night. 'I believe I'll wait until she feels safe enough to sleep to surprise her.'
Remaining at a safe distance behind her, his mind filled with the thoughts of how he would obtain the information she held. How he would enjoy each moment of her agony, and how he would savor watching the light drain from her eyes. 'Weasel be damned! I know he'll be pissed if I listen to my own desires and then destroy his bait for Scarecrow, but I don't care. I'm tired of taking orders from that man…he'll get his list, just not my prey.' He laughed inwardly and followed Mrs. Stetson into the darkness of the woods.
~~~~~ ~~~~~
Jumping from the plane, Lee landed mere inches from Richard's face. He slammed his fist against the slick wing as he stared at the small white stick that landed on the ground in front of him. "Damn it! Are you trying to kill us!?!"
Bending down to retrieve the soaked cigarette, Richard's hands began to tremble as the realization hit him of what he'd just been about to do. "Sorry."
"Fire! What the hell is wrong with you!?!" Lee demanded once his fellow traveler had safely put the lighter away. "Don't you know anything? This plane has crashed! These wings are nothing but giant fuel tanks, and even in this damn rain, I could tell there's a leak in this one. Besides that," he continued on his tirade, "didn't you smell the damn fumes?" Lee stared at Richard, half expecting a smart-ass comment.
Instead Richard only stared back apologetically, shaking his head slowly, "I said I was sorry, Lee. I wasn't thinking." He turned his attention towards the surrounding trees. "I guess my mind was elsewhere."
Lee realized what Fire was referring to. Turning his head back toward the front of the plane, stuck so ominously in the shredded, defenseless tree trunk, his thoughts quickly returned to his wife, out there somewhere, waiting for him to come and find her. "Come on! We don't have time to waste. We need to find Amanda." Moving towards the passenger side of the plane, he bent down and picked up his previously discarded backpack. "Gather your stuff and meet me by the tree."
Richard looked questioning at the man bellowing orders then walked the few steps up the trial to retrieve his backpack.
"Don't ask questions, Fire. We'll move off in circular rotations. I'll go clockwise, you go counter-clockwise." Lee replied to the look in Richard's eyes.
Bending down to retrieve his own heavy burden, Richard called out, "What are we looking for?"
"You'll know it…" Lee started to say, but then stopped as a sudden burst of memory overwhelmed him, a flashback to all the times he'd said "You'll know it when you find it" to Amanda.
"You'll know what?" Richard asked as he met Lee at the front of the plane.
Shaking his head, Lee pushed those memories to the back of his mind. "Just look for clues. Clues that'll tell us which direction Amanda went. Big, little, a footprint, a broken twig, anything." As he spoke, his hazel eyes were already trying to scan the eerie darkness around him. "Every time we meet, we'll take a few more steps away from the plane and continue our rotation."
Richard nodded his acceptance and moved four paces forward beside Lee before starting his own trek in a counter-clockwise rotation. They met four times and moved outward before either one spotted a clue.
After twenty minutes of no progress, Lee was becoming annoyed. He'd done nothing but keep his eyes glued to everything that appeared in the white light of the flashlight. Ignoring the rain soaking him to the bone, his only thoughts were on which direction Amanda had gone.
Every time lightning flashed, his eyes had to readjust to the flashlight beam, and every second of readjustment made his search for clues painstakingly slow. Frustration getting the better of him, he kicked a rock by a nearby log. No sooner had his foot made contact with the object than he stopped short. The feel of the object he had just kicked was too soft to be a rock.
Quickening his pace, he moved in the direction the object had flown. Finding it a few feet from the log, he bent down and picked it up. "Oh, my God. Fire! Over here!" Lee called out into the nigh, as he hugged the precious object to his chest. Closing his eyes, he inhaled the special fragrance into his nostrils. As he opened them again, a sudden realization came to him. Her perfume still lingered, even under the harsh weather conditions. She had to have left it only a short time ago.
Richard reached him within moments. "What is it?" he asked, concern evident in his voice. However, concern quickly turned to curiosity as he beheld the sight of a torn flannel shirt Lee presented to him. "It's a shirt. I was…"
Lee pulled the soaked flannel back against his body. "This is Amanda's shirt." His eyes drifted shut as another memory came forward. "I gave it to her." Opening his eyes, again, he stared at the man before him. "Don't you realize…this is the clue we've been looking for? It means she headed off in this general direction." He swung his arm in an arc, signifying a wedge that was narrow where they stood and ever widening as they started to move away.
Richard nodded his understanding. "I guess this means no more going round in circles," he mumbled.
Lee ignored the older man's comments and, keeping the shirt clutched in his hand, looked up at the sky. 'Please God, let her still be all right. Please, keep Simon away from her.' Turning his attention back to the forest in front of him, he motioned with his head. "Come on Fire. This way!" he bellowed. Then, as he walked, he looked down at the torn shirt and sent a silent promise to his wife. 'Don't worry my love, I'm coming for you.'
~~~~~~ ~~~~~~
Amanda could no longer keep up with her own slow pace. Her body was too exhausted and her foot was no longer willing to cooperate. "Just a few minutes of sleep is all I need." A soft smile crossed her lips as the lightning illuminated a shabby campsite a few feet before her. It was a large, though old, canvas lean-to that was apparently kept intact for wayward hikers. Using the last of her strength, she managed to make her way inside the molded canvas.
Had she been more aware of her surroundings, she would have been pleasantly surprised that the inside of the shelter was completely dry. As it was, she only knew she was safe from the storm, and her body immediately began to shut down as she sank to the hard floor. With her head cradled against the inside of her right arm, she quickly drifted into a restful slumber.
Simon smiled as, during a momentary glow of lightning overhead, he saw her nearly fall to her knees as she entered the shelter. The rain seemed to have let up, if just for a moment, and he was able to make out the outline of the shelter even between lightning flashes. Quietly making his way closer to the flapping tent door his prey had neglected to close, a wave of pity overtook his natural disposition of hatred. He brushed it away as quickly as it had come and blamed it on his own need for warmth from the night storm.
Assessing his surroundings, he brushed back some of the debris from the ground and found several small sticks that were mostly dry and could probably be used to start a fire. As he quietly moved the tent flap back, he watched for any movement from her body. Not seeing any, he decided that exhaustion had taken over and he could do as he pleased. Setting the firewood in place, he struck a match against the back of the small pack he carried. Vietnam had taught him to be prepared, and he had found his past experience to be most helpful in his day-to-day life.
Simon relaxed at the edge of the tent as he fanned the small blaze with his hand. He would allow her to rest and regain some energy before he woke her. 'I don't like my prey to be too weak and defenseless. I like to have some fun before the kill.' Retrieving his gun from his back pocket, he placed it on his lap with a protective hand on the trigger. "Goodnight, sleep tight, and when you wake, we'll see what bites."
~~~~~ ~~~~~~
Nighthawk sat in the co-pilot's seat watching the dark storm clouds passing ominously outside his window. Thoughts of his daughter and son-in-law, out there in this mess waiting for the rescue crews to arrive, only drove his own desire to reach them that much stronger.
Turning in his seat, he looked behind him and spoke to Jerry. "Any word from Dulles?" Jerry only shook his head. "Well, keep trying to get in touch with the Dulles tower and get Melrose. We need to know where they touched down." Nighthawk ordered.
"I'll keep at it," Jerry replied. Then, once the old man had turned his head back around, he rolled his eyes. 'Don't know why we're being forced to take orders from some old veteran who doesn't even have agent status. Who cares if he has war experience?' Staring intently at the back of the older man's head he mumbled under his breath, "That doesn't give him the right to put our lives in danger."
Watching the clouds once again, Nighthawk thought about Dotty and the kind of tirade she must have gone on when she realized that one more of her family had run out without a word or care about any of the remaining family members. He suddenly felt a twinge of pity for the agents still within the safe walls of the White Swan. 'I doubt, when Dotty gets through, the walls will still be standing.'
Smiling at that thought, Nighthawk turned his attention to the agent known as "Tomcat." 'I'll give him credit; he knows how to fly this thing.' As they began to approach the stormy atmosphere, he said out loud, "This type of atmosphere isn't much different than dodging enemy fire. Why don't you let me take the controls, and you can scour the ground for any signs of an S.O.S."
Tomcat started to protest, but then decided that if he gave Nighthawk the controls, he'd stop nagging poor Jerry to get Dulles on the line. "Okay, but these new birds are different than the ones you flew in 'Nam. So, holler if you need me." He waited to feel Nighthawk take control before removing his right hand from the cyclic and then finally, his left from the collective. He was just about to look at Jerry and make some sort of silent remark, when his partner's voice filled the cabin.
"Got it! By my calculations, we're not far from there. Thanks Melrose, Flanigan out." Jerry finished jotting down the information and then turned his attention to the two pilots in the front. "They're somewhere in the White Pine Trail State Park. Scarecrow's plane landed safely by some ranger's tower and then he and Fire set out to find where the plane carrying Mrs. King went down."
A spark of hope went through Nighthawk as the feel of the chopper became familiar to him. He'd called in some favors and played on the sympathy of friends through the years to get back "in the saddle" and keep his piloting skills intact. 'Lee made it alive. If only we knew for sure that Amanda was safe, too. No time to dwell on that now.' Speaking out loud, he said, "Well, boys, looks like we have a rescue to make. Flanigan, what are the coordinates of the park?"
Jerry passed the coordinates to Tomcat, who quickly adjusted the instruments and made notations on the map. Nighthawk operated the chopper with ease as he turned the nose in the direction that would lead him to his waiting family.
~~~~~ ~~~~~~
Scarecrow's legs began to plead with his brain for rest as he crept around the trees and through the unforgiving storm. Glancing to his left to see the familiar light of his current partner's flashlight, he started to head in his direction.
Fire quickly noted the approaching light and aimed his gun in that direction. Seeing that it was, indeed, Scarecrow, his body relaxed, and he flopped down on a nearby rock. "Scarecrow, I'm not sure if we're aren't doing more harm than good. If we keep trying to track them down in this storm we could be covering up more evidence that might lead us to her quicker; once the storm lets up."
Lee looked down at the weary man before him and let his emotions come slightly into play. Knowing that Richard was probably right, and since his own body screaming for rest, he took a seat beside him. "I just feel as if we're really close to finding her. I'm afraid if we wait this storm out, we'll lose too much time…too much precious time."
Richard clicked his flashlight off and kept his eyes turned down towards the earth beneath him. "I know. I'm just thinking if we could get some helicopters to patrol over this area and perhaps a few dogs in here to help with the hunt, we'd be better off."
Ignoring the stinging in his eyes from the rain, Lee kept his eyes focused on the surrounding area. "I know it sounds weird, Richard, but I can feel her close by. I know, in my heart, that if we give up now, we'll be too late."
Smiling at the words spoken by the man beside him, Richard nodded his agreement. He had watched the partnership of Stetson and King develop over the past five years. Each day that he sat back in the shadows and observed, he began to understand their relationship better. He had no doubt that Lee could "feel" Amanda's presence. Whether the couple knew it or not, their mental link, that intangible something that connected them, was what had saved both their lives so many times in the past, and he knew that nothing short of a world-wide disaster would keep it from continuing in their future.
Pushing to his feet, he realized for the first time that the rain had slowed to a sprinkle and gave Lee a pat on the back. "Well, get your ass in gear so we can go find that stubborn partner of yours."
Lee glanced up at the man in front of him with a lopsided smile of appreciation. Standing up to join Fire, Lee's eyes widened and the grin dropped away. "Do you smell that?" Not waiting for a response from his companion, he headed off in the direction of the odor.
Richard looked in the direction Lee was headed. "Smell what?!? Wait up!"
~~~~~ ~~~~~
Amanda smiled in her sleep as she smelled the smoke from the fire that burned in Lee's fireplace. In her dream, she and Lee were lying together, next to the fireplace, sharing a romantic evening.
Simon watched as the look of happiness crossed her features. Placing his hands on the canvas floor, he crawled beside her and began to caress her cheek with his rough fingers. Amanda's body reacted to the contact by leaning in to his touch. "Mmmm…Lee."
Simon softly laughed at her whispered words. Placing his mouth directly over her ear, he whispered, "I'm afraid not."
Amanda's eyes shot open as she realized the voice was not that of her husband. Her lips parted to release a blood-curdling scream she found that her voice was lost as she looked into the cold eyes of her hunter. Simon roughly grabbed her hands with his and pinned her to the mat. "What's the matter, bitch? Cat got your tongue?"
Amanda struggled to break free from the bulky man that confined her, but he was too strong, and she was still too weak. Deciding that perhaps her best chance for survival was to listen to the madman and take her lead from what he said, she relaxed her body beneath his.
Simon once again laughed at the fire he saw rise up in her eyes. "Give up?"
Amanda's mind told her to react with spiteful words, but her instincts kept her in line. Finding a whispered voice she slowly nodded. "Yes."
Simon narrowed his eyes as he watched her immediate surrender. He was leery of her feeble attempt to escape his grasp and how easily she gave in. "You're not fooling this old dog, bitch. I know what's going through that pretty little head of yours, and you can just forget it."
Amanda closed her eyes briefly and tried to hide the intentions that were so clearly evident in the depths of her betraying brown eyes. Gritting her teeth, she reopened them to the smiling man's face that hovered inches from hers. "What do you want from me?"
Simon leaned back, pulling her hands up with his. When she was in a sitting position, he took both of her hands in his right and gently stroked her hair from her face with his left. "First I want the list you went to retrieve." Stopping to remove his hand from her matted hair, he placed his left index finger on her dried lips and continued, "Then I want you. If you do what pleases me, I'll let you live to see your son again."
Refusing to let him get the best of her, Amanda held his intense stare with her own. "I didn't find the list!"
Simon shrugged his shoulders and pulled her body tightly to his. Grabbing a hand full of her hair from the back of her head, he snapped her head backwards so her eyes met his. "Ya know, I really don't care anymore, whether you did or didn't find that damn list. It's been a long time since I've held something this soft and warm in my arms."
Not allowing her to respond, he pressed his lips to hers and demanded entrance with his tongue. Amanda gasped as she felt his hot mouth intensify its request. Reacting with fear, she opened her mouth and allowed his tongue complete entrance…before taking it between her teeth and biting with all her strength.
A roar of pain could be heard echoing through the woods as Simon jolted his head back away from the tearing teeth. Flinging her body to the floor as if it were a rag doll, he spat the blood that was quickly filling his mouth to the floor. "Want to play rough, little girl?" he growled, spitting blood again. "Well, you came to the right place."
As he wiped the dripping blood from his chin, he moved closer to her. Closing any space that had been between them before, he grasped the collar of her white turtleneck sweater between his fingers and yanked, tearing the front of it from her body. An approving smile replaced the snarl he had worn, as his eyes absorbed the creamy skin before him. "Damn, this is going to be fun!"
Amanda was dazed from being thrown to the floor of the tent, and her body was still too weak to effectively resist the attack she knew was to come. Closing her eyes, she forced her thoughts to her children and her husband. 'If I can live through this, perhaps his defenses will go down and I can escape.'
Clenching her fists tightly closed, she refused to look at him as she felt his fingers begin to touch her skin above her bra. "So, beautiful…" His hand was hot and rough against her flesh as he pushed against the lacey material, then he suddenly stopped. "What the hell!?!"
Amanda's eyes immediately opened as she heard the distinct yell of her husband within the same quarters she now lay. The first image she laid eyes on was that of her husband dragging the vulgar man from the tent and through the fire that burned at the edge. Ignoring her body's cries of weakness and pain, she quickly moved out of the tent into the returning rain to help Lee.
The darkness had enveloped them as the small fire was suffocated by Simon's weight. Lightning again flashed, and Amanda's eyes fell upon a sight that scared her worse than death. The glint from a knife shone in the wake of the lightning flash as Simon placed it against her husband's neck. Simon had penned Lee to the forest floor with his weight, rendering him slightly unconscious and removing any chance Lee had of retaliating.
Amanda could no longer hear any sounds from Lee. Frantically searching for anything to draw Simon's attention, she retrieved a large limb from the ground and began to charge at him. Hearing the panicked screams from his captive, Simon turned to face her as she struck him with the limb. Being caught by surprise, the large man was thrown off balance by the small force, and he rolled onto the ground next to Lee.
Reacting quickly, Simon jumped to his feet and looked down at the semi-conscious man. As he released a loud laugh, he pointed his knife towards Amanda, pulling her, once again into his arms, he began to reach towards her chest.
A shot rang out above the animalistic cry that left Simon's lips. Another shot cracked the darkness as the giant fell to the earth. Amanda rushed to her husband's side not caring who had fired the shot that saved her life. "Lee! Lee! Answer me!"
A loud moan exited Lee's mouth as he moved his hand to rub his now throbbing temple. Amanda reached out and hugged her husband, all thoughts of her own pain far from her mind. "Lee! Oh, Lee." Suddenly, the knowledge that she was now safe and once again by her husband's side allowed the fear and anxiety to flow from her in the form of tears.
Lee felt Amanda's body begin to shake, and he reached out quickly to envelop her in his arms. "Shh...it's all right," he soothed as his eyes fell upon Fire holding the smoldering gun at his side and leaning down to ensure that Simon was no longer a threat. Seeing Fire nod that Simon was indeed dead, Lee tightened his hold on his wife.
Amanda felt the strong arms tighten around her and heard the soothing words of her husband. After hours of hell, she finally had a reason to smile. "Oh, Lee. I'm so sorry. If only I hadn't…but I had to," she sobbed.
Lee reached up with his left hand and gently stroked her damp hair. "Hey, let's not worry about that now. Come on, we need to get in out of this cold and figure out a way to get back to civilization."
Amanda felt his arms loosen around her, and she slowly pulled herself into a sitting position. As she began to raise herself up onto her feet, she faltered as the pain once again set in and shot through her like rockets. Lee, seeing the pain his wife was enduring by her jerky movements, quickly rose and went to assist her. Noticing for the first time her almost-bare front, he removed his jacket and placed it around her shoulders, pulling it tight and zipping it to just under her chin. When she was once again covered, he picked her up and started to carry her towards the safety of the dry tent.
Richard had begun to move towards them when he heard the distinct rumble of a chopper above. He changed direction, running over to where Lee had discarded his backpack and began rummaging for something to signal their location. "Scarecrow! There's a chopper overhead. Did the ranger give us any flares?"
Lee stopped in his tracks as he and Amanda both strained to hear the sound of salvation from above. He turned his head around to look at Richard. "Yeah, he did. But they're in your pack, not in mine."
Richard quickly dropped Lee's backpack and ran back to where he had left his, moments before he had shot Simon down. Pulling out the flare gun, he slammed the cartridge in place. Aiming he fired it into the air at a 45 degree angle, and prayed that it would be seen through the inhospitable weather. Without hesitation, he loaded the gun two more times and fired in the same direction.
When Lee saw the final flare go up, he turned and carried Amanda into the tent, setting her on her feet slowly and gently. When she quickly reached for his arm to steady herself, he wrapped his arms around her and eased her down to the floor.
"Do you think they'll see them, Lee?" Amanda asked, as she held onto her husband's left hand with both of hers. For a moment, she hugged it close to her chest. Then images of another man's hand in almost the same position flashed into her mind with frightening clarity, nearly causing her to fling his away. Catching herself, she beat back the memory with a shiver and pressed Lee's palm tightly between her breasts. Almost immediately, the familiar warmth, the beloved touch, soothed her fears.
Sensing something in his wife's action, Lee tightened his right arm even more protectively around her and kept his other hand pressed possessively against her, even when her almost desperate grip loosened. "I'm sure they will." Lee replied, trying to be as optimistic as possible. Usually it was his wife providing that kind of moral support.
Amanda's eyes had now adjusted to the darkness enough that she was able to turn her head and see the uncertainty in her husband's features. "I really am sorry, Lee. If I hadn't gone off on my own like that..." Lee started to protest, but she tightened her grip, again. "With Phillip missing and Weasel making threats, I just feared losing you, too…"
The meaning behind her last words weren't lost on Lee. He knew she still feared for Phillip's safe return. Leaning down, he kissed her lips. "Don't worry. We'll get back in time to save Phillip." The wind outside picked up as they heard the loud hum of the chopper approaching.
Finding some reserve strength, Amanda stepped out of her husband's embrace, unzipped the coat and pulled the black bag from its hiding place. Holding it out for Lee, she whispered, "Well, if we can get this back to Boston and use it to lure Weasel out…I'm sure we can."
Lee accepted the pouch, and without questioning, knew that the list Weasel sought was inside. No longer worried about her immediate safety, his mind raced with all the things he'd wanted to say to Amanda once they were back together again. "One of these days, Amanda Stetson, you and I are going to have a long talk about staying put and following orders." His tone wasn't angry, but firm as he spoke.
Amanda knew what he meant. "I know, Lee, but…well…you know I'm always going to listen to my instincts above any amount of reason."
As a flash of lightning lit up the tent, he took in the innocent face he so cherished. Unable to hide the humor he suddenly felt, he let out a robust laugh. "I love you, Mrs. Stetson. I'm going to go out and see what's keeping our rescuers." He bent down and placed another kiss on her lips, before handing the pouch back to her and slipping out of the tent.
"I love you, too, Lee." Amanda called after him.
Lee reached the outside just in time to see Richard greet two of the agents from the White Swan. He recognized the one as Agent Flanigan, and as he got closer, he saw the other was the Agency's resident flyboy, Tomcat.
Jerry saw Lee approaching and headed to meet him. "I see you guys have gotten everything under control." Lee nodded. "We just told Fire that we radioed these coordinates to Dulles. Melrose is sending a ground team from the ranger's tower here shortly. Where's Mrs. King? Is she all right?"
Lee turned towards the tent. "Yes, she's fine. A bit banged up from the crash, but she'll be as good as new, once we get her to the N.E.S.T team."
"Tomcat and I will stay behind with Simon's body and wait for the ground team to get here. Why don't you take Mrs. King and Fire, and head back to Boston? The chopper's just beyond those trees in the clearing. Just listen for the motor; you can't miss it."
"Thanks Flanigan. We'll do just that." He patted the man's shoulder and started back towards the tent. Just before reaching the flap, he called out to the agent. "Who's staying with the chopper?"
"Nighthawk," Jerry replied over his shoulder as he continued to move closer to the lifeless body of Simon Olson.
Lee smiled as he entered the tent. "We've been rescued." He bent down to pick Amanda up before she could even start to stand. "Oh, no you don't. I can tell you're in pain. I think I'll carry you to the waiting chariot."
Amanda decided that protesting at this point would be pointless. "Why thank you, dear knight." She smiled as they both realized the true meaning behind her words. Lee would always be her "knight in shining armor."
They met up with Richard just outside the tent. "Shall we? I understand there's a very anxious pilot waiting to make sure you're all right, Amanda," Richard explained as they walked in the direction of the chopper.
Amanda looked questioningly at Richard, and then at Lee. "You don't mean…" She cut her own words off as she saw the gentle face of her father peering out from the windshield of the medivac.
The minute Lee placed her in the chopper, Amanda maneuvered herself over to the pilot's chair and placed a kiss on her father's cheek. "Daddy, I can't think of anyone else I'd rather see coming to our rescue. Thank you."
Frank looked lovingly at his daughter, "Anytime, Panda, anytime. You don't think I could sit still and do nothing, any more than your husband there could, do you?" He chuckled as he watched Lee enter the cockpit and sit down in the co-pilot's seat.
"Tomcat and Flanigan are staying behind to wait for the clean-up crew." Lee explained, as he saw the questioning look in Nighthawk's eyes. "Therefore, you'll be needing a co-pilot."
"It'll be just like old times," Nighthawk replied, as a broad smile crossed his lips.
Amanda looked at Richard and took a seat in the back of the medivac. Richard just shook his head and chose the seat beside her. "I think we're in for one heck of a ride," he mumbled.
Amanda had heard him and quietly remarked, "Yeah, but it's got to be a thousand times better than the one I just had." As their eyes met, they both broke out into a chuckle.
As the two pilots prepared for take off, Nighthawk looked over at Lee, and remarked sarcastically, "Can I just say what a pleasure it was to be stuck with 'Tom and Jerry?'"
Lee glanced over at his father-in-law, a wide grin across his lips. "Hey, I never said the Agency was perfect," he replied in voice full of humor. He leaned closer to Nighthawk and said quietly. "I'm just glad that their partnership already had the moniker before Amanda and I got together." Turning his head around, he winked at his partner and mouthed 'I love you.'
She returned his wink and the exchange, mouthing, 'I love you, too.' Then out loud she said, "All right, my knights, let's get back to Boston."
To be continued…