14

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 16

The parade of vehicles entered the parking lot of the Swan in the wee hours of the morning. Darkness still filled the sky, but within a few of hours the sun would streak its glory for all to see.

Amanda leaned against her husband's strong shoulder, having been lulled into a blissful sleep by the gentle hum of the tires beneath her. Lee's eyes had remained focused on her face for the majority of the trip from the airport. He had feared that this time would have been the one time he wasn't going to be able to rescue her from the clutches of danger, but he had, and that was all that mattered now. Smiling down at the sight of her slightly-parted lips and her thick, dark eyelashes that rested on her pale cheeks, a sense of calm returned to his body.

Hearing the stifled yawn of his father-in-law, Lee lifted his eyes from his wife and gently tucked her head under his chin. His friend had, once again, come to his aid in the nick of time. The man who shared the back seat with him and his wife was not only his rescuer, friend, and fellow agent, he was part of his family.

The words "his family" had a new meaning to him now. For many years, the term "family" meant the names that filled his contact book. Now, his family was more than just faces that he saw from time to time; they were the people he loved more than he ever thought possible. Seeing the brightly-lit house before them as the vehicle stopped, his thoughts turned to the one family member who currently was not under his protective eyes: Phillip.

Hesitant to wake his sleeping beauty, Lee watched the tired assemblage of agents file out of their cars and drag their exhausted bodies up the steps of the White Swan. As he watched Richard open the car door for Frank, he decided that it was inevitable. "Amanda…wake up, honey. We're back."

Amanda shifted slightly in his arms at the sound of his voice but only managed to snuggle closer to his body. Frank smiled at her actions then turned away, as Richard and Agent Sparks both assisted him into his wheelchair and headed towards the front porch. She had been through so much over the past forty-eight hours, Lee hated to disturb any rest she was getting. He was sure that the drugs the N.E.S.T. team had administered had something to do with her peaceful slumber.

The congregation of N.E.S.T personnel had met them at airport upon their arrival, quickly whisking her from the helicopter and his protective eye. A soft chuckle rumbled in his chest as he remembered the adamant, and often loud, protests she had bombarded the medical crew with. She had insisted that a bump on the head and a swollen ankle required nothing more than a couple of aspirin and perhaps an Ace bandage.

The team had reluctantly given in to her demands after they'd ascertained that her ankle contained no broken bones, but they had insisted that she have a complete scan in the morning if her concussion appeared to give her even the slightest problem. She had protested that the only reason her head looked so bad was because "head wounds always bleed a lot."

Deciding that trying to convince her to go to the hospital was a losing battle, Dr. Uric released her, but only on a few conditions. First, that she would not be alone at any time over the next forty-eight hours. Second, that an N.E.S.T. team member would accompany them to the Swan to be on hand for any medical emergencies. Third, that she would stay off of her feet as much as possible and apply ice packs to her ankle on a twenty-minutes- on-and-forty-minutes-off cycle.

Amanda had eagerly accepted the terms as she gingerly exited the ambulance with Lee's help. Lee had stood at the back of the ambulance accepting aid for the bump on his head as he anxiously awaited her release. As they started to walk away from the vehicle, Dr. Uric placed his hand on Lee's shoulder. "Stetson, I have something that I think even you can follow." Handing Lee the small square paper, he turned to go back to the ambulance.

Lee looked down at the scribbling and turned his head back towards the doctor. "RICE?"

Dr. Uric sighed as he started back towards the pair. "Yes, Lee, 'RICE.' If you read on…I explained the meaning. The letter R refers to 'rest,' the letter I refers to 'ice,' C refers to 'compression,' and finally E stands for 'elevation.'"

Amanda took the slip of paper from Lee's fingers and smiled her thanks as she encouraged Lee to continue forward. "If we stay around too long, Lee, he might change his mind and keep me here," she whispered.

Glancing out the window, now, at his father-in-law, who was wheeling his chair into the house, Lee recalled the final words of Dr. Uric, and he laughed out loud at the thought: "She's spending too much time with that damn Scarecrow and taking up some of his bad habits when it comes to doctors."

Amanda fluttered her eyelids open at the sound of his laughter, a soft smile etched in her features. She was safe in his arms once again. "Are we home?"

Lee placed his hand under her chin, tilting it up so he could look into her eyes. "Well, not home, but back at the bed and breakfast."

Amanda sighed as she slowly sat up. "Yeah. I guess it's time to go face Mother." She blinked and stretched, grimacing as several aches and pains reminded her of their presence. "I'm not looking forward to that, but…" she tried unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn, "I want to find out what's been going on with our sons."

Lee watched her actions closely, frowning when pain flickered over her face and then quickly hiding a grin at her distorted words as she tried to hide how exhausted her body was. When she looked over at him, he gave her a half smile, understanding completely how she felt about the situation with her mother. "Amanda, we will find Phillip and bring him home."

Amanda tightened her grip on the small bag that contained her son's future. She had not let it out of her possession for more than a minute since she'd left Arlington, which seemed like an eternity ago. "We've got what he wants. It should just be a matter of trading it now. Right?"

Flashing her a broad smile, Lee nodded his response, hoping his Stetson charm might cover up his uneasy feelings. It was never "easy" when it came to Weasel. "Ready to go in?"

Amanda nodded and held her arms out in front of her, stretching her fingers. She was just about to remove herself from her husband's arms and reach for the door handle when he tightened them around her.

"Oh, no, Mrs. Stetson," he said, drawing out his words sternly, "You just wait here. I'll come around and carry you into the house. Remember what Dr. Uric said about the letter E? Elevation!" Lee gave her a "don't even try arguing with me" look.

Amanda opened her mouth to protest but quickly found his strong lips covering hers.

As he broke the kiss, Lee looked into his wife's eyes, only to find them full of defiance. "Lee, really I'm fine. The N.E.S.T team did a wonderful job bandaging my foot. Besides, you can't be carrying me around twenty-four hours a day."

Lee shook his head. "Just humor me, please. Just this one last time. I almost lost you tonight, and I just want to remind myself that you're really here. Okay?"

Amanda looked back into her husband's loving eyes. She knew that the events of the last day had really taken its toll on him emotionally. Deciding that she wouldn't mind so much being in his protective arms a little while longer, she nodded. "Okay. But only into the house…and then maybe later up to bed." She smiled, and Lee winked back.


"I think that can be arranged. Just stay right there, I'll be around in a jiffy." Removing his arm from around her, he climbed out of the car and quickly walked around to assist his wife out.

Once they had all entered the house, Agent Tompkins approached them. "It's good to see you all back in one piece."

"Well, we wouldn't be if Nighthawk, here, hadn't come to our rescue," Richard replied with a look of gratitude as he glanced at the man in the wheelchair, who was now wheeling himself into the living room.

Lee gently settled Amanda onto the couch and then moved to get a pillow to put under her foot, which she was currently keeping elevated on the coffee table. Amanda nearly laughed at her husband's fussing, but instead sighed and nodded with gratitude at the soft surface and added height. When Nighthawk reached her side, she leaned over and placed a kiss on his cheek. "I'm so proud of you, Daddy."

Nighthawk patted his daughter's hand and looked around at the others in the front foyer. "No thanks needed. I'm finally feeling alive again, and I have all of you to thank for it. Now, I think we need to try and get some rest. We still have my grandson to save."

"Has there been any contact from Weasel?" Lee asked, moving closer to Tompkins.

Nodding towards the phone, Tompkins replied. "Actually, yes. He called about two hours ago. We got the message on tape. He wanted to talk to you, Scarecrow, but I'm pretty sure I convinced him you were still in town, just not available to take his call."

Amanda's mind snapped back into action at the mention of Weasel making contact, and she swung her foot off the table. Gritting her teeth against the pain that welled up in her foot from her sudden movement, she used the arm of the couch to help push herself up and kept her fingers resting on it once she was on her feet. "Well, what are we standing around here for? I want to hear what that…that man has to say."

Afraid that the armrest provided little support for her, Lee quickly closed the distance between himself and his wife. As he put a protective arm around her waist, he locked eyes with her. "Amanda, maybe it's best if we wait till morning." Knowing that Tompkins had to do some fancy talking, he was afraid the message might not be a pleasant one for Amanda to hear. Leaning forward, he said softly, "I need to help you get cleaned up and tuck you into bed."

Placing her left hand on her hip and poking her right index finger into his chest, she shook her head sternly. "Don't even think about it, Scarecrow. I won't be able to sleep until my baby's back, safe and sound, anyway."

Just then, Dotty appeared at the top of the steps. "I thought I heard voices," she mumbled as she started to rub the sleep from her eyes. As she looked closer at the group at the bottom of the stairs and leading into the living room, her whole body flooded with joy. Running down the stairs, she raced over to Amanda. Lee stepped back to allow his mother-in-law access to her daughter as Dotty wrapped her arms around her. She had already nearly knocked him down once in the past two days, and that was enough for him.

"Oh, thank God you're all right." Pulling back slightly she looked at her daughter's scratched and bruised face, and blood matted hair. "Or are you all right?" Dotty touched her cool fingers to the bandage that covered her head wound and then reached both her hands to her daughter's hair.

Amanda placed her hands on her mother's shoulder reassuringly. "It's just a nasty cut from the crash. I've been checked out thoroughly, and the doctors say I just need to keep it clean and get some rest."

Shaking her head slowly, Dotty pulled her back into a tight embrace. "I love you, sweetheart. First thing in the morning I'm going to start taking care of you." She paused and lowered her voice, "I feel sure that Lee wouldn't let me tonight even if I begged."

Amanda returned her mother's embrace and looked over her shoulder at the smug expression Lee now held. Narrowing her eyes at him, she whispered in her mother's ear. "You're probably right, Mother."

Now that the hug of reassurance and gladness was out of the way, Dotty's motherly instincts took over. Pulling back from the embrace, she held Amanda's shoulders in her hand, and looked her square in the eyes. "DON'T you ever do that to us again! Do you hear me?"

Amanda guiltily looked around the room. She suddenly felt like she was the little girl who had hidden Debbie Ann Macabie in her attic all those years ago. "Mother…"


"Don't 'Mother' me, young lady. You gave us such a fright. Poor Lee," she looked over at her son-in-law-to-be, "having to run off after you like that. I don't know where you get this 'go off on your own and fix things' idea from, but if you plan on making it a habit once every year, I would like a little pre-warning next time. My heart and blood pressure can't take it. Not to mention, it doesn't help to add more worry and despair to an already bad situation."

Then, without taking a breath, she released Amanda's shoulders and turned toward Frank. "And you. What the devil were you thinking, chasing off after them? Were you trying to be some…some hero?" She pointed an accusing finger at him.

Taking a deep breath, she turned, walked over to Lee, and kissed his cheek. "And you. You aren't much better than he is," she nodded her head in Frank's direction then let it drop slightly as though searching for words. "You both should really let these government agents take the risks. That's what they get paid for, you know." She missed the looks that traveled between a number of people in the room, including her daughter and the man before her. "But," she looked Lee in the eye, "thank you for looking out for this family. Now that I know you're all back, safe and sound, I'm going back to bed. I want to be able to hear Jamie if he wakes up and needs me. Goodnight all." She promptly turned on her heels and walked towards the stairs.

Everyone watched, speechless, as Dotty ascended the steps and headed back to her room.

"Good God! I don't think I've ever seen, or heard, anyone say so much in one breath," Richard remarked as soon as Dotty was out of sight.

Lee looked over at his wife and suddenly broke out into laughter. There was certainly no secret as to which side of the family Amanda got her rambling from.

Amanda shot her husband a look. Leaning against the couch to take some weight off her aching foot, she placed her hands on her hips, raised her eyebrows, and asked, "And what, dear husband, is so funny? I don't find Mother scolding any of us like we were ten years old anything to laugh at."

The tone of her voice just made Lee laugh even harder. Holding his side, he walked over, and still laughing, even when she swatted at him, he settled her back onto the couch. As soon as he'd returned her foot to the pillow, he remained leaning over for a moment, one hand braced on the table, the other resting gently on her leg, as he took a calming breath. When her good foot shoved at his calf, he merely shook his head and laughed again.

Tompkins watched the scene between Scarecrow and Mrs. King with renewed interest. His suspicions that Mrs. West's calling Scarecrow her daughter's fiancé was off the mark, that the newly announced engagement was simply a rouse the couple had created for the family to keep their true relationship a secret, had begun when Weasel had called earlier. Mrs. King's calling the great Scarecrow "husband" in front of everyone had just confirmed it.

Richard walked over to the younger man. "Are you all right?" Lee could only nod. "Do you want to share your joke with everyone else?" he asked, in a slightly amused tone.

Lee straightened and was just about to open his mouth and reply when Nighthawk spoke. "I think I can shed some light on the matter." Moving his wheelchair slightly away from his daughter, he looked toward Richard. "You see, I believe my son-in-law found your statement extremely funny because my daughter, here, has that same gift."

Amanda, fully aware of her reputation for saying the most without taking a breath, decided it was time to defend herself. "Yeah, well, at least it gets the job done. I mean, who's going to willingly interrupt someone when they're too amazed that the person never once took a breath? We know how to keep a person's attention."

Lee's grin faded when she'd started to speak; he'd expected her to get slightly mad. Looking into her eyes, he saw humor and annoyance mixed in them. He knew he'd pay for his fit later, but at least it had gotten their minds off of the current situation for a moment.

"Now, I believe there was some phone message we were just about to listen to." Amanda looked her husband square in the eyes. "Don't think for a minute that I was going to forget about it just because of Mother's little scene." Turning toward Agent Tompkins, she asked, "Now, where is that recording?" Again, she eased her foot to the floor and rose from the couch.

Tompkins glanced briefly at Scarecrow, who was obviously annoyed at his wife's actions, before turning to head towards the room where the recorder was located. The remaining agents in the room followed directly behind him. Amanda placed her left hand in Lee's right without looking at his face. She didn't need to the see the concern for her that was written in his features; she couldn't break down now. Her son needed her.

Placed directly in the center of the dining room table was the black tape recorder that held Weasel's message. Pulling out a chair at the head of the table, Tompkins looked to Amanda to take a seat.

Amanda gave Lee's hand a soft squeeze before releasing it to take the seat offered her. Lee stood directly behind her with his hands placed on her shoulders. "Let's hear it Tompkins."

"White Swan Bed and Breakfast, how may we help you?"

"I'm looking for Mrs. Amanda Stet…King."

Amanda listened intently as the conversation began and tilted her head back to look at Lee when the unfamiliar, gruff voice responded to the agent who had answered. Squeezing her shoulders as he heard the all-too-familiar voice, he looked into her eyes and, with a nod, whispered, "Weasel."

"I'm sorry. She's not available at the moment, may I take a message?"

"She'd better not be there. Let me speak to Scarecrow!"

"Hold on. I'll see if I can find him for you."

"This is Tompkins, may I assist you?"

"No, damn it! I demand to speak to Agent Scarecrow."

"I'm sorry, but Scarecrow isn't available at the moment. He's currently pre-occupied and cannot be disturbed."

"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."

Feeling Amanda's body tremble with each word Weasel spoke, Lee's trained emotional indifference went out the door as he glared over at Frank. Frank's eyes locked with Lee's momentarily before he turned his head to look closely at his daughter's face. Her usually sparkling eyes were discolored with red streaks of exhaustion, and just beneath her long lashes were deep, dark circles. Her flawless skin was frighteningly transparent and covered with scratches from run-ins with branches in the dark, and who knew what else. And it was obvious that the N.E.S.T team had been in a hurry because she was still smudged with dirt from the forest, and blood from herself, as well as from her abductor.

His own rage surfacing, he slammed his fist against the hardwood of the table. "Damn it! Don't you people have anymore leads than this? My daughter just risked her life to retrieve that damn list and this is all you have…some fucking tape!"

Amanda placed her hand over Lee's, giving it a gentle pat before standing to hobble over and sit by her father. Frank's elbows rested on the table with his head in his hands. "Daddy."

Frank looked up at the tears beginning to well up in Amanda's eyes. Reaching out with his arms he pulled her close to him. "I'm sorry, baby. I guess this old fart just blew his top."

Amanda hugged him with all the strength she had in her. "It's okay, Daddy. We're all exhausted."

Pulling back from his daughter, he caught Tompkins's eye. "Sorry about that."

Tompkins nodded his understanding and turned his head to look at Lee. Swallowing his reluctance, he went over to sit by Amanda. "Well, you did retrieve the list. We could have the people on that list put—"

Flinging his arms in the air, Lee began to pace behind Amanda. "You might as well issue a death warrant for Phillip! Just as soon as one of Weasel's goons gets a whiff of a Fed, that son-of-a-bitch will kill him for sure."

Lee stopped his tirade on the floor as he heard the sudden gasp in front of him. Quickly rushing over to his wife's side, he knelt down and took her hands in his. "I'm sorry, Amanda." He bowed his head as he continued, "I'm so, so sorry. I just lost my temper. I didn't mean to say that."

The physical and mental attack on her body for the past forty-eight hours exploded as both Tompkins's and Lee's words penetrated her brain. Tears began to fall down her cheeks as she jerked her hands from Lee's grasp and stood, leaning heavily on the back of the chair. "I'll be damned if anybody is going to put my boy in any more danger than he's already in. I didn't risk my life going back to Arlington just to return and cheerfully…no 'dutifully' hand this list over to the government and then sit and wait to see what happens. I want my SON! If you won't help me, I'll leave, again, and, by God, I'll get the job done myself!"

Frank's mouth fell open at the anger that flowed from his daughter's mouth. Her eyes were glazed as she left the table and began to limp towards Tompkins.

Lee stepped in front of her and gently placing his hands on her arms, trying to calm her. "Amanda, it isn't going to happen that way. You've got the list, and I promise I won't let them have it until we get Phillip back."

Amanda twisted free from his light grip and continued towards Tompkins. "I'm not going to stand by and watch this bunch of glory hunters risk my son's life. There has to be more you could've been doing than just sitting around here on your asses waiting for me to get back with that damn list!"

Shaking his head, Richard pushed himself off of the doorframe he had been leaning on while listening to the tape. 'You'd think a seasoned agent would know better than to piss off a mother.' As he approached Amanda, he couldn't help but feel sorry for the men her anger had turned on. Placing his hand on her shoulder, he turned her to face him. "Amanda, do you think that after everything Lee and I went through to get you back, that I would let my unit destroy what chance we have of getting Phillip back?"

Amanda hesitated as she looked into the eyes of the man who had not only saved her life, but Lee's as well. A small smile of thanks crossed her lips, and she looked over Richard's shoulder at Lee. A frown returned to her features as she noticed Lee's eyes narrowing at Tompkins.

Tompkins had taken this opportunity to motion the N.E.S.T doctor into the room. Although he sympathized to some degree, he had had enough of the women in Lee Stetson's family for one day. Nodding his head towards the doctor, Tompkins looked at Lee. "Maybe you should let him give her a sedative before she comes completely unglued. I had thought that her mother was bad, but—"

Before Lee could respond Amanda snapped her head back to face the man who had spoken the words. Her own words were low and angry as she stood only inches from his face. "First of all, you had better not bring my mother into this. She has nothing to do with your stupidity. Second…you think I'm coming unglued?" She paused, feeling her husband walking towards her, and took a breath. "Tell me something, Agent Tompkins. Do you have a family? Do you have children?"

Lee had seen the hypodermic in the doctor's hand as he stepped forward at Tompkins's signal. Lee immediately moved to put himself between the man and his wife. He knew that Amanda was venting pent-up anger and Tompkins had merely become any easy target the minute he had uttered his poorly-chosen words.

Berating himself for his own input into the bad situation, he held out his hand in front of the doctor. She would "wind down" soon enough and probably collapse from exhaustion; she didn't need any drugs to help her do that. Giving the doctor a tight-lipped smile, Lee took the syringe from his hand and handed it to Richard. "I'll let you know if we need you, doctor." Lee acknowledged to himself that if she needed to do any more venting, he would shoulder the responsibility.

Tompkins momentarily looked at the exchange between Lee and the doctor before shaking his head shamefully at Amanda's penetrating gaze. Amanda turned her head in disgust as she went to stand by her husband. "I didn't think so." Giving her husband an appreciative smile, she turned her narrowed eyes back to the regretful agent. "Maybe someday you will." Moving to stand beside the one solid foundation in her life at the moment, Amanda placed her head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sorry, Lee."

Lee enfolded her deeply into his embrace, tucking her head under his chin. "Don't worry about it, Amanda." He rubbed his hand soothingly over her back. "You didn't say anything that I wouldn't have."

Frank rolled his chair over to join the small group that had formed. "So, what's next, Fire?"

Richard shoved his hands in his pockets and slowly walked over to the table. Taking his right hand out, he picked up a bulky folder. "They got Jamie's pictures developed while we were gone."

A slight gasp left Amanda's lips as she looked up into Lee's loving eyes. "Oh, my gosh. Jamie!" She tried to pull away. "I need to go check on him."

Lee tightened his hold on her. "He's fine, Amanda." Kissing her cheek, he opened his embrace and, giving her his arm to lean on, began leading her toward the table where Richard stood. "You're mother is right next door to him, and we can go and check on him in a few minutes."

Giving Lee's arm a tight squeeze, she followed his lead with her eyes focused on Richard. "Did they show anything?"

Lee pulled the chair out beside Richard and coaxed Amanda to sit. Taking the file from Richard's hand, he placed it on the table in front of him and took a seat. Frank wheeled his chair next to him, as Lee's trembling fingers opened the cover.

The first few were of couples walking up and down the sidewalk, and a few were of kids on skateboards. The next was of a pretty girl smiling towards the camera. Lee stopped turning the pages and turned to look at Amanda. "Seems another of your boys has found an interest in the female gender."

Rolling her eyes at his attempt to take her thoughts away from their task, Amanda placed her head on his shoulder.

As Lee continued to flip the pages, Frank placed his hand on one of the pictures to stop him from continuing. "Weasel."

Tompkins had moved to stand behind the trio as they flipped through the pages. "Yes. There's another picture of the back of the van that showed us the license plate quite well."

Lee knew the man behind him was a highly-trained agent. Thompson had been doing this job longer than most of the people in the room. 'He must be exhausted,' Lee rationalized to himself that the fatigue caused by the events of the past few days was the reason for his sudden lack of knowledge and judgment.

Glancing over his shoulder at Richard, Lee raised his eyebrows. "And?"

Tompkins cleared his throat as he handed Richard a copy of the report. "The van was stolen. It belonged to a retired vet. His body was found in his home this…yesterday afternoon."

Amanda's eyes remained transfixed on the photo of Weasel. His name certainly fit the man in the picture. She could not pull herself away from looking at his eyes. Even in the photo she could see the deceit…the evil in them. Hearing Tompkins news of another death only made her dread for her son grow stronger.

Lee was beginning to regret each question he asked as he looked over at his wife. She had been through too much today to be dealing with this now. With Tompkins's last words, her face became, if possible, paler, and her eyes more withdrawn. "Amanda, why don't we stop this for tonight. It'll be daylight soon. We should try and get some rest so we can think straight."

Dropping the report to the table, Richard verbalized his agreement. "Lee's right. Looks like we've already sent a forensics team out to the man's house to look for any evidence that might lead us to Weasel. I feel sure we'll hear from the bastard in the morning, anyway."

Frank rolled his chair back from the table and headed towards the door. "Sounds like a plan. I'm going to head out to the front porch for a little fresh air. I'll see you guys in the morning."

Richard stepped behind Frank and placed his hands on his wheelchair. "Ya know, you really shouldn't be outside. We're on 'lock down' status."

A throaty laugh came from the man in the wheelchair as he turned his head back to look at Richard then Lee and, finally, Amanda. "I don't think your operation 'lock down' is working too well." Looking down at his watch, he turned his attention back to the grinning man behind him. "Besides, I'm sure your nicotine level is at an all-time low and you're in need of a cigarette right about now. Why don't you join me?"

Richard glanced back at Lee with a smile full of mischief. "I guess I could take a break. I'm pretty sure there aren't any gas tanks outside on the porch, are there?"

A rumbling laugh came from Lee as he stood to help Amanda to her feet. "I suggest you take a look around before you light up, Fire."

Confusion filled the faces of the rest of the group as Richard helped Frank out of the room. Amanda leaned into her husband's strength as they followed the two men. "What was all that about?"

Lee pulled her closer as they headed towards the steps. "It's a long story. Why don't we go up and check on Jamie then get you into a hot bath." He stopped suddenly and scooped her up into his arms. Though she didn't protest, which told him how exhausted she truly was, he whispered, "One last time."

Amanda nodded against his neck as they ascended the steps to their quarters. Once she let her eyes close, she found she had no desire to open them again for long time. She was content with losing herself in Lee's strength and warmth and realized how much she wanted to fall asleep in his arms. For the few short hours they had before dawn, she wasn't going to let her worries over who saw what, bother her.

Chapter 17

Kneeling beside her son's bed, Amanda's heart felt as if it would break at the sight of his tear-stained face. Lee stood quietly behind her, watching as she pulled the covers closer to his neck. Leaning in towards Jamie's face, she placed a feather-soft kiss on his moist cheek.

Lee held out his hands to help her up when she started to use the side of the mattress to support herself. Glancing, again, at her son, she noticed the edge of what appeared to be a small picture tucked beneath his pillow. Gently easing the item from its hiding place, she held it up in the light from the moon outside. A loving smile crossed her features as she looked up at her husband.

The unique tingle that Amanda's love for him always caused entered his body as he looked at the simple picture she held in her shaking hands. The moonlight made the images on the photo clearly visible. It was different than the one he had seen the night before of their family. That one had contained Joe. This one was a picture of Phillip, Dotty, Kurt, Amanda, and himself the morning before they'd taken Dotty to see Nighthawk.

He didn't remember Jamie taking the picture, but it captured a happy moment. Naturally, Phillip had the hood of Kurt's rented Caddie open, inspecting its capabilities. Kurt was leaning under the hood with him to protect his interests as Dotty leaned over his shoulder with her hands wrapped around Kurt's waist. He and Amanda stood to the side, wrapped in each other's arms, watching the scene before them.

Lee gently took the picture from her hands and carefully slid it back under Jamie's pillow. He stood still for a few moments as he watched the even breathing of his stepson. Looking at the young life before him, he couldn't imagine what his life would have been like if he hadn't been brave enough to take that first step with Amanda. His life was so complete now that he had a family of his own. The only thing left to do was get Phillip back, and the world would be right again.

Glancing up at Amanda's soft smile, Lee softly touched Jamie's hair with his fingertips. Jamie stirred slightly under his touch, and Lee quickly withdrew his hand.

Amanda hadn't thought her heart could love the man before her more than it already did, but after seeing the look in Lee's eyes as he looked at her son, her heart almost overflowed. His eyes didn't hold the look of a man looking at a child that came as part of a package deal; instead, his eyes held love, and just a touch of wonder. Amanda had known that he loved her children, but at that moment she knew that they were not just her sons anymore, but his as well.

Lee turned to find her watching him with an expression he couldn't quite grasp. Her exhaustion was extremely obvious, both in the tightness of her face and the overall depression of her physical appearance. The tears that glistened in her soft brown eyes, he assumed at first glance, were probably brought on by thoughts of her other son out there alone and frightened. But, as he looked closer, he noticed an intensity in her gaze that made him frown slightly.

Amanda saw the look of confusion on his face and gave him a reassuring smile. Mouthing "I love you," she took his hand tightly in hers and began to lead him slowly out of the room.

As they reached the doorway, they heard a small voice come from behind. "Mom?"

They turned to see Jamie sitting up in bed, rubbing his eyes.

Amanda smiled and, taking a deep breath, released Lee's hand. Forcing strength and grace into her step, she crossed the room towards her son. "Hi, sweetheart," she whispered as she reached the bed. Sitting down, she took her son's hand in her right.

"You're all right?" Jamie asked in a quiet, but unsure voice. He looked behind her and saw Lee standing next to his bedside.

Leaning over, she placed a kiss on his cheek. "Yes, sweetheart, I am."

Jamie's eyes were adjusting to the dimly lit room. Once his mom had pulled away, he noticed the bandage around her head. Reaching up with his other hand, he gently touched the white gauze. "Are you sure?"

Amanda nodded, and with her left hand, took his other hand in hers. "It's just a small bump. The doctor's put the bandage on it to keep the scratch clean. Now, go back to sleep, and I'll see you in the morning. Okay?"

Jamie yawned, removed his hands from his mother's grasp, and pulled her into a tight embrace. Looking over at Lee, he whispered, "I'm glad you're home safe too, Lee."

Lee felt his heart swell. How this one woman's family had changed him; he'd never have believed three years ago. Taking a step closer, he put his hand on his stepson's head and tousled his hair. "Me too, chief. Me too." Lee moved his hand down, and took Jamie's hand in his. Giving it a quick squeeze, he let go and put his hand in his pants pocket. When Jamie pulled slowly out his mother's embrace, another yawn escaped his lips, and Lee couldn't help but smile. "Why don't you get some rest? I don't know about your mother, but I'm beat."

Jamie nodded and slid back down under the covers, resting his head on his pillow.

Amanda tucked him in and kissed him on the cheek. "Goodnight, sweetheart." Rising, she took her husband's hand and, once again, headed for the door.


"Goodnight, Mom...Lee," Jamie responded. "I love you, both."

"We love you, too," Amanda and Lee said in unison as Lee quietly shut the door. Amanda turned to her husband, new tears welling up in her eyes. She had never heard Lee tell either of the boys he loved them before. If her heart had been overflowing earlier, now it was ready to burst.

Amanda swayed slightly as she watched him wipe moisture from his eyes before turning to face her. Seeing her unsteady movements, he swept her off her feet and proceeded to carry her toward her bedroom just down the hall. Not a single word of protest left her lips as she felt the reassuring arms pulling her closer to his body. Wrapping her own arms around his neck, she snuggled her face into the hollow under his chin.

A soft chuckle rumbled in his chest as he felt her body go limp before they had reached the room. Entering, he walked over and carefully placed her sleeping form onto the king-size bed. Allowing the worry wrinkles to increase in his forehead as he noticed her disheveled appearance, he gently sat down beside her. As he touched his fingers to the bandage that wrapped her head, he grimaced at the sight of blood beginning to seep through. "Amanda."

Unconsciously, she moved her head to rest in his right palm as she pressed closer to him. Leaning over, he touched his lips lightly to her cheek. "Amanda," he said quietly, his breath stirring a few whispy curls, "I'm going to run some bath water." He straightened slowly, reaching out to caress her jaw with his left thumb. "I hate to wake you up, but if you don't soak in hot water and let me change your dressing, you're going to be as stiff as a board in a few hours."

Amanda heard his words and felt his touch through her dazed state. Groaning she tried to sit up, but Lee's gentle but firm hands her shoulder stopped her efforts. As if from a distance she heard his deep, husky voice, "No. You stay here. I'll be right back to get you and help you undress." Making a soft sound of agreement, she nodded weakly and then smiled when she felt him place a swift kiss on the end of her nose. She moved slightly when she felt the bed move as he stood to head towards the bathroom.

While waiting for the tub to fill with water, Lee looked at himself in the medicine cabinet mirror, which was rapidly fogging up from the steam of the heated bath water. His eyes narrowed as he studied the reflection of the man that Amanda depended upon to bring her son home. A sudden flash of regret swept through him as he remembered what this weekend was supposed to have been. He had been consumed with the love and contentment that her family brought, but was he being selfish?

'Perhaps, we shouldn't have announced our engagement to the family. What if I just bring them more pain by being a permanent fixture in their lives?' He clenched his jaw and gripped the edge of the sink with white-knuckled fierceness 'If I hadn't gotten Amanda involved in this damn Agency to start with, her family wouldn't be in this mess.'

Amanda stood silently outside the bathroom door as she watched her husband torture himself over the events of the past few days. She watched as he clenched his fist and brought it down hard against the marble of the antique sink.

Bringing both hands to his face, Lee tried to rub the exhaustion and nightmares from his mind. As he turned on the cold water, he placed his hand on the steam-covered mirror and wiped a steak across it to see himself once again. "Damn you, Stetson. You should have left her alone!"

Amanda shrank back around the corner of the door and rested against the wall. She had seen him this way on a number of occasions after her abduction by Addi Birol, and though it made her heart ache, she knew he just needed time alone to vent his anger and frustration. Taking a silent deep breath, she limped slowly back to the bed and began to remove her shoe. Thinking back to all the other cases she had been on with him where her life had been endangered, she realized that this particular brand of mental self-abuse, had probably occurred more often than she'd been a witness to.

Lee splashed the cool water against his face, feeling it take affect on his senses. 'You didn't leave her alone because you can't live without her.' Looking one last time at his image, he turned his attention to the water nearing the edge of the tub. Turning the water off, he left the bathroom and headed over to the bed to assist his wife.

A soft smile replaced his grim expression as he saw her sitting on the edge of the bed, tugging unsuccessfully at the zipper of the warm-up jacket she now wore, trying desperately to remove it. "Want some help?" Seeing Amanda's tired, but grateful smile and nod, he made the few strides needed to reach her. Sighing with the relief he continued to feel at having her back safely in his presence, he deftly pulled the zipper down to reveal her creamy skin beneath. His relief was short-lived, replaced by white-hot fury when the bruises that had begun to envelop her body came into view. "Oh, Amanda," he finally managed to choke out.

Amanda placed her cool hand on his cheek as she looked into his horrified eyes. "I'm all right, sweetheart."

Lee tried to return his facial features to the softness they had only moments before. Taking her hand, he helped her stand and, making sure she was steady on her feet, unbuttoned her jeans. The pants, borrowed from the N.E.S.T. team, and a touch on the large side for her small frame, fell into a heap at her feet, unnoticed, as the two held complete eye contact with one another. Amanda broke the contact when she felt a small wave of dizziness threaten her balance, and she eased her way back down onto the bed

When she began to tug weakly at the bottom of her jeans, trying to pull them over her feet, Lee knelt before her and completed the task. His eyes moved from her face to her legs, and he felt the cold, greasy hand of nausea wrap around his stomach at the sight of the bruises that covered her legs and inner thighs. Thoughts of another man coming so close to touching her…to… He closed his eyes against the image of violence, unable to speak the words, even to himself. Almost as quickly, he opened them and focused on her bandaged foot as he began to unravel the Ace bandage, he kept his eyes averted from his wife's face.

Amanda gently took his head into her hands and titled it to up to look at her. "I'm fine, Lee. I know what you're thinking, and what you're putting yourself through. I wouldn't change a thing in my life. I'm glad I was the one you choose that day at the train station. I'm glad you continued to call me to work with you. I'm glad that we became best friends." She watched her fingers move against his skin, "I'm glad that we fell in love. I'm honored to be your wife. I thank God everyday that he blessed me with you. I wouldn't change any of that." She locked eyes with him. "Not for anything in the world."

Shaking his head free from her grasp, he stood and began to pace before the bed. "None of your family would be here, in this mess right now, if I had left you alone."

Amanda sighed as she pushed herself off the bed, catching his arm as he walked by for support. "True." Lee's eyes opened with shock at her unexpected words as he stopped, careful not to over balance her. Amanda smiled reassuringly as she took his hands in hers. "We could be dead." A shudder went through Lee at the thought of losing her. Amanda continued her tight grasp and continued, "It would have happened even if I didn't know you. Weasel would have returned to seek revenge upon my father and search for the list. My family, including myself, could be dead right now if you weren't in my life."

Lee brought his eyes up to meet her eyes. They were filled with such intense and passionate love that his own knees threatened to fail him. "Thank you for loving me, Amanda Stetson."

Amanda buried her head in his shoulder as he swept her off her feet and headed for the bathroom. "Thank you, for loving us," she whispered.

Lee gently kissed her cheek and then assisted her out of her existing clothing and into the warm, cleansing water. He watched as she closed her eyes and breathed the fresh floral scent of the bubbles into her lungs, noting the moment her body began to relax. After a moment, he removed her head bandage and began to gently wash the blood and dirt from her hair. Ensuring the area was clean, he made sure her skin and hair were dry before placing clean white gauze over the wound. Once he had finished with that, he moved down to the other end of the tub and delicately took her injured foot out of the water.

Amanda watched as he washed it and then propped it up on the side of the tub with a towel underneath. She realized that he had done all of this without speaking a word, only his touch and eyes telling her of his love. Lee saw her watching him and paused to place a soft, kiss on her nose. She smiled up at him and was surprised when he placed another, more yearning, kiss on her lips and then abruptly left the room.

Poking his head back in the doorway, Lee took in the precious features of her face, and whispered, "Call me when you're ready to get out." Winking, he left her alone to soak in the tub.

After only ten minutes, Amanda could feel her body threatening sleep and softly called out for him. Lee was quickly by her side, now dressed only in jogging pants. Reaching into the now-cooling water, he lifted her slight form and held her closely to his bare chest. The water from her body clung to his muscles as he carried her to the bed. Placing her on the towel he had brought out earlier and spread on the mattress, he wrapped another around her shoulders.

Amanda remained quiet as he proceeded to slowly dry her body with a third towel. The feelings that jolted through her senses were not unfamiliar to her; his touch always ignited white fire through her body. She gently reached out to touch his unshaven face when his hands, engulfed in the soft towel, reached her breast. Taking her hand in his, he placed a delicate kiss to the inside of her palm before continuing his task.

His eyes were filled with his own longing, but he held himself in check, knowing that she was too weak to play out what they both wanted. There would be time for them to fulfill each other's desires after this nightmare had ended. Satisfied that she was dry, he rose and went to the other side of the bed. Looking lovingly at his wife, he pulled down the covers and then quickly returned to her side and lifted her into his arms.

As soon as he set her down on the crisp sheets, she pulled his head down to capture his lips with her own. Within seconds their lips joined in a frenzy of intense need. Lee regretfully pulled away as he felt his control slipping. "We have an eternity to make love together. You need your rest now."

Amanda grasped his fingers as he pulled away from placing a simple kiss to her forehead. "Eternity."

Still holding her hand, he remained by her side until her eyelids drifted closed and the even sound of her breathing assured him that she was asleep. Feeling the chill of the fast-approaching winter that was beginning to seep through the walls, he stood and went to rekindle fire in the fireplace.

Crouching before the small blaze, he felt the heat begin to sink into his body. His hazel eyes reflected the flickers of the flames as they grew from his addition of more wood. Glancing back towards the bed, a feeling of anger matched the intense flickering before him. Amanda had been right about Weasel coming after her family someday. Perhaps it wouldn't have been now, or even next week, next year, or five years from now, but he would have eventually come. Nodding slightly, he acknowledged that had he not been a part of her life, Weasel probably would have killed the family to get what he desired.

Throwing the last piece of wood into the crackling fire, he began to feel the grit and grime that covered his own body. He headed towards the bathroom to wash away the dirt of the day and, hopefully clear his mind of vivid, horrific images of his family's death, if only for a few minutes.

Amanda twisted in her sleep as her senses tuned in the smell of wood burning. Her eyes locked with the madman before her, seeing the promise of what was soon to come. His meaty hands jerked her clothes from her, and his eyes savored the flesh before him. His hot breath touched her breasts as he drew nearer in anticipation of his ultimate prize. "NO! Oh, God, NO! Please, don't touch me!"

Lee's hand jerked at the sound of terrified screams coming from his wife. Dropping the razor from his hand, he bolted into the bedroom and to her side, finding a sight that ripped at his soul. Her arms flailed wildly at the invisible man before her. Her head thrashed against her pillow, loosening the bandage around her head he had secured, not long before. Her legs kicked at the covers as if they were a weight that pinned her down as she cried out for freedom.

Quickly pulling her into his embrace, ignoring the pounding she continued against his chest, he tried to bring her from her nightmare. "Amanda, honey. It's Lee. I'm here. Wake up!"

Amanda's eyes flashed open at the sound of his deep voice, but her mind was still lost in her dream. "Please, don't touch me!"

Lee tightened his grip around her as her panicked eyes pleaded with him. "Amanda! It's me!" Seeing no response in her eyes, he shook her lightly. "Come on, baby. Wake up!"

Though her breathing was still ragged and her arms remained rigid, her eyes began to focus on the man before her. Her body went suddenly limp against him, and her head fell forward to rest securely against his chest as he whispered comforting words into her hair. His soul burned in torment as he heard her muffled cries. "It's okay, honey. It's okay." He tightened his embrace. "You're safe, now."

Amanda's body began to shake violently as the smell of burning wood again drifted to her senses. "The smoke…he built a fire…I thought it was you…we were home…his eyes."

Glancing at the crackling wood that burned heavily in the fireplace, Lee cursed himself for lighting the fire. His mind went back to the tent when he had pulled Simon out into the returning rain, and the smell of the smoldering fire returned to his own senses.

Gently rocking her in his arms, he continued to murmur soft words of reassurance that he was there now and he would protect her. He stroked her hair until he no longer heard her soft sobbing. Gently easing her sleeping body back to the bed, he stood to go and extinguish the fire.

Taking the small fireplace shovel, he placed burned ashes over the raging fire until it smothered itself. He then stood and headed to the bathroom to wipe off his face and turn off the main light. Returning to the bed, he pulled her soft body tightly against his rigid one and let sleep begin to take over. His last thoughts were that Simon Olson was a lucky man to have died so quickly. If he were still alive, he would have made his last breaths a living hell.

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

Amanda squinted her eyes against the rude morning light that poured through the window. The excited voice of her son, Jamie, drifted to her ears as she heard him exclaim to Dotty that his mother was back. She heard her mother scolding him, telling him to be quiet and not to wake his mother, that she needed her rest. A smile of happiness at the familiar sounds of her family found its way to her face.

Gently rolling in her husband's embrace, she turned to face him. "Good morning."

Lee opened his hazel eyes and immediately absorbed some of the joy that emanated from her body. "Good morning, beautiful. How do you feel?"

Amanda's lips tightened as she stretched her arms out above her head then proceeded to stretch her legs. She enjoyed the feel of his hard body as she moved against him. "Sore."

Relishing in her familiar cat-like actions, he steeled himself against his body's equally familiar response. He reluctantly released his grip from her waist, and brought his hand up to touch the bandage around her head that she had loosened only hours before. "How about your head?"

Amanda placed her hand over his exploring fingers. "Sore."

A soft chuckle rumbled in Lee's chest as he sat up in bed, swinging his legs over the side. "I guess, I need to get up and going." He could only resist the urge to take pleasure in his wife for just so long, before giving in.

Amanda wiggled her body across the bed so that the skin of her upper body rested against his back. "I heard Jamie this morning."

Lee turned his head back to look at her smiling face. "Going to eat, I presume."

Amanda swatted his back playfully as she sat up, allowing the covers to fall to her waist. Stretching her arms above her head, she heard a soft moan come from her husband's mouth as he pulled her close and rested his head between her breasts. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his shoulders, resting her cheek against the top of his head, and her hands began to massage the tense muscles in his back.

His soft, warm breath caressed the skin of her right breast as he wrapped his arms around her waist. His voice was hushed, almost a whisper as he began to kiss the area his breath had just been. "How I wish we could stay like this forever."

Amanda smiled into his hair as she continued to work her magic on his muscles. Closing her eyes to the awakening feelings he was causing, she began to lean back into the soft comforts of the bed. She needed to feel him, have him possess her body and soul. To take the memory of Simon Olson from her mind and replace it with his tender lovemaking.

A loud knock on the door and a booming voice brought the couple back to harsh reality quickly. "Scarecrow!"

Lee slowly brought his longing eyes to meet his wife's. "Real life, huh?"

A soft giggle escaped her lips as she playfully pushed him away. "Afraid so, Scarecrow."

Another demanding knock brought curses to Lee's lips as he jumped from the bed. Ignoring the fact that he was only wearing jogging pants, he raked his left hand through his disheveled hair as he swung the door open and stepped into the hallway. "What!"

Richard stifled a grin at the flushed face that loomed before him. Clearing his throat, he glanced around Lee's overpowering form to see that Amanda still lay in the bed facing the door, eyes wide and covers pulled up to her chin. "Didn't interrupt anything—"

Waving his hands before the man, Lee growled through clenched teeth. "What in the hell do you want anyway?" Watching Richard wave to Amanda, Lee moved slightly to his left, effectively obstructing Richard's view into the room.

Shrugging his shoulders, Richard placed a winning smile on his face. "Figured you'd want to get an early start." Chuckling, he pivoted and headed back towards the staircase.

Lee nodded his agreement at the energetic man, then turned to enter the room. "Glad to see you've had your coffee this morning."

A robust laugh filled the stairwell as Richard called back up the steps. "Two pots!"

As Lee shut the door, he noticed that Amanda had slipped from the bed, using one of the sheets as cover, and entered the bathroom. Deciding he needed proper attire for the day's events, he tapped lightly on the bathroom door. "Are you okay?"

Amanda tried to cover the pain she felt as the soreness kicked into full swing with a cheerful voice. "Just fine. I'm changing."

The crack in her voice did not go unnoticed by the Agency's finest. "I'm heading down to my room to change. I'll be back here in a few minutes to help you downstairs. Just take it slow." He smiled at the thought of the look she was giving him through the closed door, and chuckling to himself, he headed for the door.

~~~~~~ ~~~~~

Leaning against her husband, Amanda stood at the bottom of the stairs and watched the busy activity surrounding them. Her eyes searched for her son, but she was unable to see him. "Richard, where's Jamie?"

Richard smiled warmly at the couple that had finally left the safety of their cocoon. "I sent him, your mother, and Kurt to the marina."

Lee's body immediately tensed at the revelation, and he raised his voice. "What the hell?"

Richard immediately went to Amanda's side to assist her when he saw Lee starting towards him. "I sent four agents with them. I'm sending them out on a boat. I figured it'd be a safe place to keep them today. I feel sure all hell is going to break loose, and I didn't think you would want the rest of your family in the middle of it."

Lee's temper eased at the quick explanation. "Sorry, Fire. I'm a little edgy today. Thanks."

Amanda smiled her thanks as the two men assisted her into the living room and settled her back on the couch, propping her re-wrapped foot up on the pillow Lee had fixed for her when they had first returned to the White Swan. Her eyes focused on the surrounding men in search of her father. "Where's my father?"

Richard rolled his eyes at the mention of Nighthawk. "That old fart is off doing some 'investigating' of his own. I sent Tom and Jerry with him." Lee held a questioning look. "They got back an hour ago, assuring me that Simon's body was under lock and key at a morgue in White Plains." He laughed at the memory of the three men leaving. "Believe me, I got a few hateful looks as they proceeded out the door. I don't think those two get along well with their new companion."

Lee began to ask for the latest update when the shrill ring of the phone brought the entire room to silence. Lee's hand hovered over the receiver until he got a nod from the man in charge of the recording. Picking up the phone, he gave Amanda a reassuring smile. "Stetson."

"About damn time you picked up the phone, Scarecrow."

Lee watched Amanda's eyes dim as she watched his reaction to the call. "Where's Phillip?"

"I want that damn list now!"

Lee stood silent for a moment to collect his building rage. He realized he had to choose his words carefully, as he didn't want to let Weasel know Amanda was back and Simon was dead, if his enemy didn't already know. "I want Phillip."

"Nice try. You don't get your son until I get that list. I don't suppose you've heard any news from your pretty wife, have you?"

Lee's suspicions were confirmed. Weasel hadn't heard anything. Deciding it was best to lie, he let a hint of concern show in his voice. "Why do you ask, Weasel? What's it to you?"

"Oops, sorry. Gotta run. Our time for chatting has run out. Can't stay on here too long and let you trace the call. Now can I?"

Lee looked over anxiously at the man who was tracing the call when he heard the dial tone. "Sorry, Scarecrow. Twenty seconds short."

Lee looked at his wife's pale features then back to Tompkins, who now hovered over the man in charge of recording the conversation. "Play it back. Maybe, there's something we can use."

Tompkins nodded, keeping his eyes averted from Stetson's partner. He had no intentions of rekindling the argument that had started between them the night before. As the words played into an empty room, Amanda locked eyes with Lee. "Did you hear that?"

Lee's eyebrows furrowed at his wife as she walked over to join her on the couch. "What?"

Amanda pointed to the clock above the mantel as she listed to the tape. "That. It's the town clock striking eight."

Lee listened a few more seconds before agreeing. "Yeah. At least now we know he has Phillip in town. Now, if we could just narrow it down to—"

The slamming of the front door brought all eyes in the room to the man in the wheelchair. "Don't need to do any narrowing down. I've got the bastard."

Lee jumped to his feet and went to look at the paper Frank extended to him. Amanda gingerly placed her foot on the floor and followed. "What is it, Daddy?"

Lee began to pat Frank on the back as he looked up at his wife. "How did you pull this off?"

Frank raised his eyebrows as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I pulled in a few favors." Turning his eyes back to Amanda, he continued, "Turns out that a number of parking tickets were turned in at the station house that clearly indicated the plates of the van Weasel stole. When they found out the original owner was a retired vet and recently murdered, they were more than happy to let me see the information. The van has been illegally parked in front of a fire hydrant on Eleventh Street for the last twenty-four hours. The hydrant just happens to be right in front of an abandoned warehouse." He saw the fire of excitement burn in his daughter's eyes. "They were about to tow it, but I convinced them to leave it where it was. I didn't want him to get the urge to run."

Richard walked over and grabbed a map of the town from the front desk. After reviewing it for a few minutes, he looked up and turned his attention to the agents in the room. "We'll need to be careful. We don't know how many men Weasel has working for him. Carl, Lewis, you two will scan this end of the street." Looking up from the map, he searched for Tompkins. Catching the man's eye, he motioned Tompkins over and pointed to the other side of the neighborhood. "Tompkins, you and I will search this side. Scarecrow," he paused, catching the seasoned agent's attention, "you can take any of the other men and search the middle--"

"Excuse me?!" Amanda broke in. She made sure her movements showed no sign of pain from her ankle. "If memory serves me right, I am Scarecrow's partner. He won't be going searching for my son without me."

Lee left Nighthawk's side and walked over to her. He had to try and make his wife understand the seriousness of the situation. "You are not going, Amanda, and that is final. You need to stay off your foot. You're in no shape to hunt down this mad man. If I need to call Billy and have him order you to stay, I will. I'll even call the good doctor in here, right now and have him--"

"Don't even think about it, Stetson." She pressed a finger decidedly into his chest. "I am your partner, and that is my son Weasel has." Realizing the full impact her earlier words had, and what her next ones would mean, she suddenly dropped her angry tone and continued in a quieter voice, "Besides, you may need me as 'bait.' Or at most, I need to be there when it's all over to comfort our son."

Lee knew it was going to be hard to convince her, even if her reasons were valid. He wanted her out of the line of fire and didn't want to have to worry about her. "Amanda…"

"This is not open for debate, Lee," she interjected, before he could protest any further. "If you don't take me, I'll evade the 'good doctor' and the rest of these freshman agents and follow you, anyway. I know where the area is." Seeing the look of defeat in Lee's eyes, she smiled. Turning, she headed toward the door. "I'm going to head upstairs and grab a few things. I'll meet you," she looked directly at her husband, "in the car."

Richard looked at Lee once Amanda had left the room. "She's one stubborn lady, isn't she?"


Nodding, Lee's eyes never wavered from the obstinate form of his wife as she climbed the stairs. He knew that she was suffering from her injuries, but damned if she was going to let anyone know it. As she reached the top of the steps, he turned his sharp eyes to look at the agents busying themselves with the preparations for the full-scale manhunt. His ears burned at the hauntingly familiar sound of his comrades loading their guns before going into battle, while his thoughts remained focused on the job to come.

His eyes, once again, returned to the stairs where his wife had just ascended. The years of his Agency training had brought him the instincts needed to know when the shit was going to hit the fan. Raking his left hand through his hair, he began to feel the hair on the back of his neck rise. Feeling a penetrating gaze at his back, he turned around to face Nighthawk.

A grim smile etched the older man features. "I have the same gut feeling, Lee."

Sighing, Lee began to walk towards the extra supply of weaponry that was being laid out on the dining room table. Nighthawk followed the bleak young agent as he, too, tried to shake the unnerving feelings that had overtaken him. Lee's hazel eyes scanned the display of weaponry before him. Searching the table for the extra ammunition he would need, he spoke over his shoulder to Nighthawk. "Looks like a damn buffet, don't it?"

The tips of Nighthawk's aging fingers gently glided over the butt of a Colt .45 before he turned his eyes up to his son-in-law. "It's not going to be pretty, son."

Lee suppressed the shiver that threatened to control his body and immediately released his emotional connections to the case. "This is going to be bad, Nighthawk. I can feel it in my bones. It's going to be very, very, bad."

Chapter 18

Glancing over at his unusually quiet wife, Lee tightened his grip around the leather steering wheel of the blue sedan. He had asked Fire for a separate vehicle, away from the other agents' prying ears so he could try, one last time, to talk some sense into his stubborn wife. 'I know she's mad, but damn it, so am I.'

Pulling the visor down to block out the powerful rays of the morning sun, he remembered his earlier pleas for her to stay at the White Swan. He had even tried to get her father to join his efforts to make her understand how dangerous this could be. However, his old friend had simply shrugged his shoulders and replied, "I know my girls, and believe me, they have a stubborn streak in them so wide sometimes, it makes our own look weak in comparison." He had then wheeled himself into the living room and left Lee to his own devices.

Naturally, as fate would have it, Amanda had been making her way down the steps just as he had begun his ploy to get her father's help. He involuntarily flinched at the memory of the exact moment when he had opened his mouth and inserted his foot. "Frank," he said, "she's just going to get in the way. She's not able to take care of herself in the shape she's in, and for that matter, she's not able to distance herself from what has to be done. Not only will I have to worry about Phillip, but I'll have her to worry about her too!" Her eyes had locked with his for one split second before she stormed out of the house and to the car, showing him the hurt, pain, and betrayal she felt from his words.

Ignoring the snickers and "knowing" looks between his fellow agents, Lee decided not to continue his debate with her then; instead, he had to focus his attention on their main objective, which was to rescue Phillip and bring Weasel down, once and for all. Just the thought of Weasel made his skin crawl, and he wanted his wife as far away from that bastard as possible. However, she wasn't making it easy for him to do that.

Nighthawk was staying behind on this mission, afraid that his presence would only add fuel to the fire if Weasel saw him. Lee had agreed with that thought, especially since there would be nothing for his old friend to do but sit in the car and wait. He had felt a measure of relief when Richard had informed him that Agents Tomcat and Flanigan were going to be guarding the house along with Lorna and Mick, just in case things backfired at the warehouse and Weasel made an attempt to get to Nighthawk.

Once the final preparations had been made, and the search and rescue group had been assembled, the small army of men had left the safety of the White Swan and headed for their respective vehicles. Looking back to the house as he placed his hand on the door handle of the driver's side, he locked eyes with his father-in-law. The fading brown eyes told the whole story of what was to come. He had seen that look on so many soldiers during the Vietnam War: fear, defiance, loss, and the knowledge that death was near.

Nodding once at the older man, he opened the door and climbed in. Amanda's eyes were focused on the street beside them, refusing to look at him, but he could see the remnants of tears that still clung to her cheeks. Cursing himself for loosing control of his temper, and his tongue, he started the vehicle and followed the other sedans out of the parking lot.

Glancing, again, at his wife, his thoughts wandered to the events of the past few days and the fear he felt in almost losing her. This time, he felt as if he was going to lose her for real. His senses had been sending him warnings since the phone call from Weasel earlier. They were the same inner warnings he had chosen to ignore when they had gone in to catch Addi Birol last year. He had ignored them then, and it had almost cost him the woman beside him, the reason for his existence. He wasn't about to let that happen again, no matter what. He had to find a way to keep Amanda out of harm's way.

~~~~~ ~~~~~

Weasel paced back and forth in the cold hallway of the warehouse. It was now almost 8:30 in the morning and still no word from Simon. Continuing to glance at the ivory phone on the desk in the room adjacent to young Phillips "cell," his anger mounted. "Damn! If Simon has done something to Mrs. King…Stetson, he'd better have run, and run far. It's too late for me to ditch and run. I need that list, or my future is as over as his will be."


He had left a message with his F.A.A. contact over five hours ago and had hoped to hear something from him by now. The not knowing was killing him. "First Simon, now Jones at F.A.A. Not even the great Scarecrow seemed to have any information," he mumbled out loud. Of course, he had not been able to stay on the line for very long, but the tone in his nemesis' voice had pretty much told him that he was still looking for his wife. Unless, of course, Scarecrow was as good an actor as he was an agent.

Stopping outside the door to Phillip's room, he decided it was time to find out just what cards the boy's family really held. Taking out the key, he unlocked the door and opened it. As he stepped inside, he noticed the boy was still lying on the cot in the same position he had been in the last time he had checked on him.

A smile spread across Weasel's face. 'I may end up having some fun after all. The boy's defensive streak wore down earlier, and it won't be any problem to just give him a little of this special truth serum. After the initial "hit," it should take affect in less than thirty minutes, and perhaps I'll learn a few more of Scarecrow's secrets. Once I get information I can use, I'll just kill the boy. I could leave the body on the side of the street for all to see.' He let out an evil laugh at his own thoughts. 'I'd love to see the look on Scarecrow's face when he realizes that I've just destroyed his wife's mental state with that single gesture.'

Phillip refused to flinch when he had heard the door open, deciding it would be in his best interest to pretend to be asleep. The less he had to look into the horrid eyes of that evil man, the better.

Weasel's fingers eased over the butt of his gun as he pulled it from its holster. 'Or I could just kill him now. What could a small boy tell me about the great Scarecrow?' The feel of the metal against his skin always renewed the animal instincts in him. As he crept towards his sleeping captive, he could smell the fear in the air.

Narrowing his eyes at the boy, he had second thoughts. 'I have time. Couldn't hurt to do a little digging into some of Scarecrow's secrets.'

As he eased his gun back into its holster, he left the room momentarily leaving the door open. Phillip slowly opened his eyelids at the sound of the retreating footsteps, turned, and looked over his shoulder. Ignoring his own discomforts, he bolted from the bed and headed for the door.

Just as he reached the threshold of the door, the wall of human flesh that blocked his freedom knocked him back to the floor. Weasel smiled at the fact that the boy still had enough courage to attempt an escape. "I see you've picked up a thing or two from Stetson."

Phillip pushed himself up from the floor, forgetting his fear as he rushed at the evil man. "Let me go!"

Weasel wrapped his arms around the weakened boy's neck as he laughed at his feeble attempt. "Now just hold still, this won't hurt a bit."

Phillip cried out in pain as he felt the sharp needle inserted into his arm. "What are you doing!?!" he screamed, trying to break away.

Weasel remained silent as he held the thrashing boy tightly in his arms. A smile of satisfaction crossed his face as he felt the change in the boy's struggles. Where he had been fighting Weasel's grip, wildly pushing at his arms and kicking at the floor, he soon sagged and had trouble lifting his arms, his feet sliding out from under him. Finally, he hung limply in Weasel's arms, muscles jerking spasmodically now and then.

Licking his lips at the pleasurable rush this struggle had provided him, Weasel dragged Phillip over to the cot and threw him down roughly. "I'll see you in about five minutes, after you wake up. I have a few questions for you, my young buck." His left hand touched Phillip's hair just as he heard heavy footsteps storming down the hall.

"Weasel! Weasel, where the hell are you!?!" The deep voice of Dolenz reverberated down the hall.

"In here!" Weasel shouted in reply.

Dolenz entered the room with a distressed look on his face. "Two blue sedans just flanked the end of the street, and another two parked on either side. Four men jumped out in a search pattern, and from the looks of the type of weapons they were carrying, they're hunting more than a wino or two."

"Damn! How the hell'd they find us?" Weasel shot Dolenz a look filled with hate.

Dolenz just shrugged his shoulders. "Don't know, boss, but our guys are already in position. We're just waiting to see where they head."

Weasel took one last look at the still form of his captive before turning and heading out of the room, Dolenz on his heel. Locking the door, he faced his henchman. "Make sure all the doors are covered and send out a few to monitor things from the outside. I'll keep a watch from in here."

Dolenz nodded in understanding and headed to give orders to the other men. Weasel watched him go and then headed upstairs to get a better view of the street. Jingling his keys in his left hand, his right remained tight around his gun. Heading to the room he had prepared for his visitors, a wolfish smile crossed his face. "I'm ready, Scarecrow? Are you?"

~~~~~ ~~~~~

Lee anxiously watched Fire and the other agents exit the sedans in front of them. It was now or never. Turning to his wife, he put his hand on her arm to keep her from exiting the vehicle.


She turned determined eyes towards him, "Lee…"

"No. Amanda, listen to me. I want you to stay in the car. There's nothing for you to do in there right now, and I don't know what we're going to run up against. I want you to stay in the car. You can call in the local police if we need them. Fire put them on the ready."

Amanda opened her mouth to protest, but Lee moved his other hand to cover her lips with his finger. "This one isn't open for debate. You're here," he gently tapped his finger against her warm skin, "you can be of more use to Phillip out here." His third and final light tap ended with a lingering caress that trailed down over her lips and down her jaw line, ending under her chin. He locked eyes with her and said, softly but firmly, "Please."

Staring into the hazel eyes she loved so much, Amanda knew, as much as she wanted to argue, that her husband was right. She had replayed his hurtful words through her mind the entire trip and knew that he had only said them out of love and concern for her. She also knew, deep down, that he truly needed her to stay behind so he could concentrate on Phillip. Reluctantly she replied, "Okay…but on one condition." She saw Lee raise his eyebrow. "I mean it, Lee." She reached out and placed her hand over his. "If you're not out in fifteen minutes, I'm coming in after you, back up team or not."

"You promise to give us fifteen minutes and then call the locals?" Lee inquired, not quite sure he'd believe her even if she said yes.

She just nodded, squeezing his hand. "Now go and get our son."

Lee leaned over and kissed her fully on the mouth. Hesitating before he pulled away, he reached around to his back and pulled out a small pistol from the waistband of his jeans. "Amanda, take this."

Amanda didn't refuse the offering as she took it from his steady hand. "I hope I don't have to use it."

Lee leaned forward one last time and brushed his lips to hers before turning to go. "I just want you to have something to protect yourself. I love you." Shutting the door, he prayed that she would remain safe, and inside the car.

"I love you, too," she answered and then, almost as an after thought called out, "Be careful!"

Lee glanced back as her words of safety reached his ears. Giving her a lavish wink of

reassurance, he disappeared through the warehouse doors along with another agent. Amanda looked at the illumination of the clock in the dashboard and began her countdown. Keeping her right hand snuggly wrapped around the weapon, she kept her eyes were alert to her surroundings.

~~~~~ ~~~~~~

Weasel's eyes narrowed as he watched Scarecrow enter his domain. "Luck of the draw today, Scarecrow. Welcome to my parlor!" Hearing footsteps behind him, Weasel glanced back, then said. "Put him in the chair next to the far wall." Turning his attention back to his monitors, a low growl came from his chest.

Phillip's head lolled back and then fell forward as Dolenz set him unceremoniously onto the wooden chair. Not a single muscle in the boy's body twitched as the man balanced him in a sitting position, tied him securely in place, and then stood watching him, making sure he was still breathing.

After a moment, Weasel turned and walked over to glare down at the unconscious boy. "Has he said anything?"

Dolenz shook his head. "Nothing."

Sighing, Weasel leaned down and put his hand on the boy's shoulder, giving it a light shake. "We have guests, Phillip. It appears your mother has decided to join the game after all." He paused, watching for any kind of response, then, receiving none, shook the boy roughly. "Your family has caused me too many problems, and now you're just one more item to the list."

"Maybe you gave him too much of that serum, boss," Dolenz said, then stepped back at the look in Weasel's eyes. Turning, he walked over to make sure the camera was properly focused.

Weasel reached down and grasped Phillip by the chin, tilting his head back. "I'd hope to get a few words out of you before Scarecrow arrived, but," he pulled his hand back, letting the boy's head fall forward, again, "it appears," he glanced over at Dolenz's back, "perhaps I did miscalculate the dosage."

Narrowing his eyes at his employee, who was nervously tapping his foot, Weasel tilted his head slightly to the side. "I almost forgot one of my play toys. Hand me that brown box next to the camera."

Dolenz's hands shook slightly as he picked up the shoebox sized package. "Is it safe to move it?"

Pointing his slim finger towards the bottom of Phillip's chair, Weasel laughed at Dolenz's worry. "Just don't drop it, or we might beat Scarecrow to hell after all."

Placing the box under Phillip's chair, Dolenz turned to go out the door. "I'm going to go check on things."

Weasel continued his laughter as he watched his employee scamper from the room, then turned his attention back to the monitors and the activities outside.

~~~~~ ~~~~~~

Lee's body was rigid as he pressed himself against the gray walls of the warehouse in search of his stepson. Frustration strung him tighter and tighter as he searched each room, only to find them vacant. Present findings would have the average person believe that the warehouse was empty, and that, perhaps, this was not the building at all. Pressing his earpiece tighter into his ear, he waited for word from the others for any indication that Weasel had been spotted.

"Strike Leader, this is Team One." A spark of hope brought him up short as he heard the Secret Service agent's voice crackle in his ear, but then he sighed at the man's next words. "All clear in the brick house."

"Shit." Fire's annoyance was obvious over the radio. "Maybe this is some ploy Weasel is using to throw us off track."

Lee all but growled in disgust as he tried to keep the thought from dashing his remaining hopes. Reaching the steps that led to the upper level of the warehouse, he motioned for the agent accompanying him to take the left side while he took the right.

"Strike Leader, Team Two. No sign of the wolf at the stick house."

Lee closed his eyes briefly then looked up the lengthy stairwell before him. A sense of danger crept back into his body. Flattening himself against the wall, he began to climb the steps that he hoped would lead him to Phillip.

~~~~~ ~~~~~

Amanda watched the clock as it ticked off the last of her fifteen-minute wait. She had heard the transmissions from the other teams and knew that there was a distinct possibility that Weasel was playing with them. Picking up the phone she called in the back up team. After getting confirmation that they were on their way and would be there in ten minutes, she returned the receiver to its base. Retrieving the list from her jeans pocket and sliding her gun into the sock of her uninjured foot, she opened the car door, stepping out into the street. Taking a deep breath, she extended her arm to hold the paper out in front of her. "Time to raise the stakes."

Weasel's face showed admiration for the guts the woman in the street held. She had apparently escaped Simon, and perhaps that is how they had found out about the warehouse sooner than he had planned. Nodding to the man across the street in the shadows of the building, his strategy to gain all of his objectives was put into motion.

Amanda felt the shadowy presence behind her, but she kept a tight grip on her instincts to run or reach for her gun. She needed to allow him to take her to Phillip. It was their only chance of getting him back. Holding up both her hands at the feel of a gun to her back, she began to move foreward. "Where is Phillip?"

She received a smug snort for an answer then felt a hand on her shoulder. When she stopped and didn't turn around, her captor slid his hand down to her elbow and, bending, retrieved her gun from its hiding place under her pant leg. "You feds need to learn a new hiding spot for your guns."

Nudging her, with his gun still in her back, in the direction of the warehouse Lee had entered, he shoved her small gun into his waistband. She prayed that Lee would find Phillip before all hell broke loose, and that they would all make it out of the warehouse alive.

~~~~~ ~~~~~

Lee's eyes locked briefly with his fellow agent as they listened to the confirmations that the other agents were leaving their positions and joining them at theirs. Pointing his gun to the left side of the hall, Lee nodded his meaning for the other agent to take that side to investigate. Lee counted the empty rooms as he moved from one to another. "Three." As he left the third room, he heard a familiar muffled cry as he reached the fourth. Taking a deep breath, the muscles in his jaws clenched as he came to terms with who it was. 'She didn't wait in the car.'

Glancing over to see that his partner had heard the same sound, they both moved in unison to flank the outside of the door. Lee held up one finger after another to the man beside him as he mouthed, "One…two…three"

The two men exploded into the room as the door slammed back into the wall from the force from Lee's shoulder. Frantic eyes searched the room, only to find it empty. "Damn it!" Lee snarled. "I know I heard Amanda!"

Lee felt a slap on his shoulder and turned to find his fellow agent trying to get his attention. His eyes focused on where the man pointed. A small television sat on the windowsill surrounded by miniature speakers. "Hello, Scarecrow! I've been waiting for you!"

Lee took two long strides to reach the equipment, remaining quiet as he watched and listened to the madman. Weasel chuckled at the hatred that flashed across Scarecrow's face. "It seems you've come up empty handed. What a pity."

The muscles in Lee's jaw tightened as he watched the camera swing from Weasel's smug expression to focus on his wife and son bound by ropes to chairs.

"You see, Scarecrow, I've got what I want, now. Your sweet Amanda delivered it to me herself. Now, I could just kill your wife and son, and be off, but what fun would that be? I have a game in mind."

Lee maintained a composed appearance as his eyes narrowed at the man once again on the screen, but inside, his body was exploding with rage. "What do you want?"

Weasel brought his face closer to the camera. "As I've said, I have what I want. The question is, what do you want?"

Lee could hear the calming voice of Richard in his earpiece as he tried to figure out what game Weasel was playing. "Scarecrow, we're on the lower level of the warehouse. The police are on their way. Don't let him taunt you. He can't get out; we have every exit covered."

Lee's eyes remained glued to the screen as he heard his partner leave the room and continue down the corridor. "I want Amanda, and I want my son!" The camera quickly returned to the woman who filled his heart. Her hands and arms were bound to the chair, and her mouth covered with duck tape. Though not noticeable to other's, Lee could read the strain in Amanda's quiet demeanor, and when she looked up at the camera, he suddenly knew how she'd 'delivered' what Weasel wanted. Sighing, his lips tightened as he listened.

"It's a game of time, Scarecrow. If you look carefully, you'll see a bomb under your stepson's seat. It has enough plastic explosives in it to level this building. The question is, how bad do you want me? Save yourself, but think of what you'd lose. Save your wife, but how happy would she be? Save your stepson and raise the boys alone. Or come and get me." Weasel laughed at his own wit. "The choice is yours, Scarecrow. In the meantime, I'm off now to enjoy my new found wealth. Taped under the television is the location of your wife and son. The bomb is set to go off in exactly ten minutes! Ta! Ta!"

The screen went black as Lee snatched the small set up from the windowsill and ripped the envelope from underneath. "Get everybody the hell out, Fire!" he yelled into his microphone. "He's got this place rigged to blow!" Letting the television fall to the floor, he ripped the envelope to see its contents. "The damn warehouse has a basement! Another fucking basement!"

Tompkins and Fire met him at the bottom of the steps. Not stopping to explain, he ran for the fire exit. Following the thundering footsteps of Scarecrow, Tompkins stopped short of the closing door. "You sure about this, Fire?"

Richard pushed his way around Tompkins and began to head down the steps. "I've come this damn far with that boy; I'll see it out to the end."

Tompkins shook his head and joined the loud echo of footsteps descending the steps.

Lee stopped at the bottom to get his bearings, focusing momentarily on his surroundings. "Shit, I count four doors."

Richard didn't stop when he reached Lee, instead he headed for the closest door. With a quick kick, gun in hand, he entered and shouted. "Clear."

Lee proceeded to the next with the same result. Tompkins had taken the middle room and reported the same. Finally, all three stood outside the last room, with Richard and Tompkins flat against the wall, Lee slammed the door open with his foot. Lee immediately found the objects of his search as he swiftly closed the distance between them.

As soon as he'd entered the room, Amanda had begun explaining the situation. "I managed to get out of my ropes, but Phillip's unconscious. Weasel said something about a truth serum and that he should wake up in time to witness his own death." Her hands shook lightly as she worked at her son's ropes. "After he turned off the monitor, he went out the back."

Dropping to his knees, Lee immediately began to help her untie Phillip's bonds. As he hastily pulled the remaining ropes from Phillip's ankles, he bumped his head against Amanda's. Feeling something snag and pull painfully at his hair, he reached up and encountered a sticky substance. "What the hell?" he growled looking up.

Seeing the shocked expression on his wife's face and the silver strip dangling from his fingers, he couldn't help but smile at the thought that entered his mind. Deciding to tell her about it later, he touched the corner of her mouth where his actions had finished jerking the tape from her lip. "Sorry."

Amanda gave him a weak smile as she continued to work on the ropes that tied Phillip's hands. "I know."

Lee steadied Phillip as the final ropes came loose then hefted the boy into his arms, bracing himself so Amanda could us his arm to leverage herself to her feet. For a moment, he reveled in the feeling of having both his son and wife next to him.

Richard eased the bomb out from under the chair. Opening the lid, his eyes widened at the amount of wires attached to the timer. "I don't have a snowball's chance in hell of getting this damn thing disarmed. We've got to get out of here! Four minutes and counting."

Lee quickly handed the still-unconscious Phillip over to Tompkins. "Get them out of here, Fire."

Amanda clung to his arm as they began to flee the room. "Where are you going?"

Lee flashed her a brief smile and pulled her to him tightly, crushing his lips to hers. Releasing her just as quickly, he looked at Richard. "Get her out of here! I'm going a Weasel hunting."

Richard put his hands on Amanda's shoulders tightly as he watched Scarecrow head for the door in the back of the room, feeling Amanda tense at his final "I love you!" before disappearing down the hallway. He turned to lead her to safety when Amanda suddenly jerked free. "No! Aman—"

"I'm not letting him go after that madman by himself!" she yelled as she raced across the room as best she could with her throbbing foot. Just as she reached the doorway, Richard's hand closed around her right arm, pulling her to a jolting stop. Desperately trying to pull away from his tight hold, she turned pain-filled eyes towards him. "I'm not leaving without him!"

Richard swung her around to face him. "Your children need you, Amanda." He motioned for Tompkins to go on ahead. "Your husband will be fine. He can take care of himself. Let's get the hell out of here!"

Amanda shook her head violently, continuing to pull against his grasp. "He needs me now!"

Richard saw the determination burning in her eyes and mentally calculated the time remaining. Deciding his only option was to force her, he unceremoniously scooped her up into his arms, and followed Tompkins out of the room and towards the nearest exit. "I'll be damned if I'm going to have the wrath of Scarecrow on me if something happens to you," he growled then raised his voice. "You can't help him right now!"

Amanda continued to struggle as Richard pulled her close to his chest and exited the room. "He's my partner!"

Richard stopped at the bottom of the steps as he looked into the tears welling up in the eyes of the woman he carried. "I understand. He's become my friend these last few days, and I know that you're his wife. I also know that he wouldn't be able to live with himself if anything happened to you. He's going to need you when all of this is over. Your whole family is!"

Amanda knew Richard was right, and realizing that they needed to get out of the building as soon as possible, she ceased trying to escape. As they hastily continued up the steps, she leaned her head against Fire's shoulder and sent out a silent prayer that Lee would make it out alive.

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

Lee's eyes blinked against the bright light of the sun streaming down the corridor where the hallway had led him. Just then, he heard two shots fired. Cautiously, he approached the bend in the hallway and wasn't surprised to find a set of stairs leading up. Glancing down, he saw the lifeless body of Carl lying on the bottom steps. Leaning against the damp wall to catch his breath, he jerked his head up at the sounds of a struggle at the top of the stairs. He could barely make out the muffled voices in front of him as he edged his way closer. Nearing the top steps, he peaked around the corner and saw Agent Lewis struggling with Weasel just inside the now-open door leading outside.

His eyes focused on the man he was seeking, and he called out "Weasel!"

Lewis lost control of the situation at the distraction Lee had caused, giving Weasel the opportunity to overtake him. Lee cursed himself for his disruption as he rushed to try and help the fallen agent free himself from the clutches of his enemy. Seeing the pain in Lewis' eyes, he sent him a look of an apology. Hoping that Lewis would live through this, he turned and raised his gun, halting the other man's escape. "Hold it right there, Weasel!"

Weasel turned to face Lee with an eerie smile on his lips as he pulled the knife from Lewis' right shoulder.

Lewis slumped to the ground, and the last thing he saw as his vision went black was the look of steel on Lee Stetson's face.

"I see you've made your choice." Putting his greed ahead of his own freedom, he turned to enjoy the look of suffering on Lee's features as he stepped closer to his nemesis. "How does it feel to know that you're slut and her offspring will soon die?"

Lee felt his insides turn to ice as he glanced at his watch, and then back to the arrogant man before him. "They should be almost out by now, with two minutes and twenty-four seconds to spare."

Weasel's anger grew at the thought of not reaping his revenge on the agent named Scarecrow. "Wanna bet?" Lee brought his gun level with the man's head just as he turned to leave the building. "I suppose I shouldn't have underestimated you, Scarecrow," Weasel said as a bitter laugh escaped his lips.

As Weasel jerked his hand towards his pocket, Lee reacted by kicking his leg out from under his opponent. Weasel fell back against the wall, and trying to regain his balance, he reached out and pulled Lee towards him. Lee lost hold of his gun, and it fell to the ground, firing a shot back down the stairs.


The two men struggled, trying to get control of the weapon. Lee planted his left fist squarely into his enemy's face, knocking him into the corner where the floor and the wall met. As Weasel struggled to gain an upper hand, Lee regained a hold of his gun and pointed it directly between Weasel's eyes, and pulled the trigger back.

Weasel only smiled when he heard the click. Shrugging his shoulders and keeping his eyes locked on the agent, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small black box "Then again, perhaps you shouldn't have underestimated me!"

Lee immediately recognized the item in his opponent's hand. With his back towards the open doorway, he prepared to shoot his nemesis down. "I don't think you'll be pushing that button. I've got a pretty itchy trigger finger right now, Weasel, and I don't think you'll have enough time to push it before you die."

Weasel took a step closer to Lee and the light outside. "Are you sure you want to test that, Scarecrow?" Before Lee could fire his gun, Weasel pressed the button.

Lee heard the click of the switch as he pulled the trigger, and his last conscious thought was that his wife and son had made it safely out of the building.

To be continued…