Disclaimer: Scarecrow and Mrs. King and characters are the property of Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Productions. The plot is mine but the credit is theirs. Enjoy!
Lee and Amanda's past resurfaces after Birol escapes from prison and seeks revenge. All secrets are revealed. Takes place after the series ends.
Vengeance and Valor
Chapter 11
Amanda was still lying on her stomach. She wasn't sure how long it had been. It seemed like days. She didn't even try to untie herself because every movement caused pain to shoot through her body. She wasn't sure what to think. She knew Birol was just getting started, but she also knew she'd lost a lot of blood and had internal injuries from his 'game'. If his intent was to kill her he was doing a very good job.
Amanda heard the door open; she tensed out of reflex but the tightened muscles screamed along her back. She felt someone untying her left arm and then saw Birol come into her view as he harshly flipped her over leaving her right arm fastened to the ground. She could no longer hold back her reactions and she groaned loudly as her back made contact with the hard floor. He positioned her so her head was in his lap slightly inclined. Suddenly a glass of water was brought to her lips and he helped her slowly drink it. He caressed her cheek but she was too weak to pull away. Her body craved the water too much to care what was going on around her. After the water was gone Addi turned her over and secured her left hand before walking out the door.
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Lee watched silently from the van as Fred Connors walked into a peaceful looking house. The neighborhood was relatively quiet. No one would have ever expected what was going on behind those four walls. When Francine had told him and Billy about seeing Fred as the door closed on the tape Lee's immediate thought was to beat him senseless until he told them where Birol had Amanda. Billy reined him in and convinced him that they should follow him instead. Billy's advice had seemed to pay off. Francine and Billy were preparing for the strike along with six other teams that had surrounded the house. Lee got up form his seat and started to prepare as well.
"What do you think you are doing?" Francine asked him.
"I'm going in there." Lee answered.
"No. You're not. Not until Birol is in custody. You promised Amanda." Lee started to protest, "And I promised her I'd hold you to it. Now get in that chair and lead us safely to Amanda." She ordered shutting Lee up.
"Are the teams ready?" Billy asked.
"They've all checked in and are waiting your orders." Lee answered clearly not pleased with sitting on the sidelines.
"Let's roll." Billy ordered.
Francine grabbed Lee's hand as she left the van. "We'll get her back." She promised.
Lee was forced to watch as the unassuming house was surrounded by pairs of black dressed agents. Negotiating them through Birol's traps were fairly easy for Lee, he had spent months last year learning how his mind worked. "Okay Lee. There's no turning back here." He heard Billy's voice full of anticipation. Everyone knew the stakes and what could go wrong. For all they knew Amanda could be dead by now. Lee closed his eyes forcing himself not to go there. "…Francine and I are going to find Amanda and stay with her until everyone is in the house is in custody and we're sure she's safe." Billy finished.
"Confirmed." Lee answered. "Billy?"
"Yes?"
"When you get him… Birol is mine." He stated evenly.
"Confirmed, conditionally." Billy began as Lee waited to hear his boss lecture him about regulations but Billy's words surprised and touched him. "I get to help with the interrogation."
"Thanks Billy. Go find her."
"You heard him. Red team go. Blue team go…" As the soldiers poured into the house Billy and Francine began their frantic search to find Amanda. Finally coming to a bolted door they knew they found her.
Francine took a deep breath and opened the door while Billy covered her. She stopped dead in her track not fully prepared for the sight of Amanda tied to the floor lying in a pool of blood that had gathered around her from her back. Billy pushed past her understanding her hesitation. His motion snapped her out of her paralysis and she helped untie Amanda's rope burned wrists. 'Don't loose it now Amanda needs you' she told herself.
"Med team are you standing by?" Billy asked.
"Affirmative." They answered.
"Lee are we clear?"
"Negative. They still haven't found Birol or Connors." Lee answered anxiously. "How is she?"
"Alive," Billy breathed. "We'll give it 15 minutes and I'm bringing her out with or without Birol."
Francine took off her jacket and rolled Amanda over on it. Her skin was extremely cold. The movement revived her and she moaned as her back touched the surface. Billy tried to rest her on his lap leaving as much of her back as he could off the floor. "Amanda. It's Francine." She tried to comfort her friend. Amanda did seem to relax. "Billy's got you and Lee is waiting outside for us."
"His turn… to wait in… the car." She whispered with a smile.
"Yeah, but he actually did." Billy replied. "Hang on we're going to get you out of here." He promised stroking her cheek.
"Sorry about… the jacket…" Amanda trailed off as she looked at Francine. "Don't have to… cry over… it... buy you… a new one."
"Amanda King, you know I'm not crying over that stupid jacket." Francine protested. "Amanda I—" Her words were cut short as Amanda's body shook from a violent coughing fit. Tears streaming down her face.
"That's it. We're moving now." Billy ordered.
"Amanda can you walk?" Francine asked.
"Help." Was all she was able to croak out. Billy and Francine tried to move her as gently as possible but Amanda was too weak to support her own weight and her knees buckled. Francine grabbed her around the side instinctively to keep her from falling. Amanda cried out as pressure was placed on her broken ribs. She sunk to her knees.
"Amanda…" Francine started to apologize.
Amanda squeezed her hand. "Not your fault… need a… minute." She said between sobs. After she had composed herself she nodded and was helped to her feet. Billy gently leading the way ordered back up to cover them as they left her prison. They began descending a flight of stairs when she started coughing again. "Can't… need Lee." She pleaded. "Safe?"
Billy instantly radio to Lee. "Lee, Amanda needs you. We're on the stairs."
Lee didn't bother to waste the time to reply and bolted from the van. He reached them halfway down the stairs. "Amanda!" Billy and Francine parted to give them some space. Lee supported her as her coughing subsided. "Amanda, I love you so much. I didn't think I'd ever get to say that again." He told her. She leaned heavily against him.
"I love you too." She whispered as he kissed her cheek.
"Lee let's get her to the bottom of the stairs and call the med unit in with a stretcher." Billy suggested.
"I can't" Amanda whispered. Lee looked down at her and saw the pain in her eyes and fear of any movement.
"It's okay." Lee assured her. "I'll carry you." She hesitated but then nodded her agreement. He carefully picked her up and felt her tense. "Are you okay?"
"It just hurts." She answered. She looked into his eyes and saw the tears running down his face. He was still unsure of everything that had taken place, but the things he was sure of was more than he could handle at this point. He slowly walked down the stairs meeting the med team at the bottom. He gently placed her on the stretcher. Amanda winced at the pressure on her back. The medic quickly went into action placing an IV in her right hand. Lee heard them comment her left was too swollen. He saw the broken finger had turned black and blue and her wrist was red worn raw by her bindings. Then they took off the jacket and Lee lost it. He put his fist through the wall. "Where is he!" He shouted.
"Lee," Amanda started. He looked at her. "Please don't." She was on her right side as they surveyed her back. There were four deep gashed crisscrossing down her back and the imprint of a boot on her right side screamed at him. He came around the gurney to face her. "He wants you to come after him. He would love to see you ruin your life getting even. It won't make me better." He knew the truth of her words but the sight of her, his Amanda, so badly beaten renewed his anger. She saw it flash through his eyes. "I need you. Don't leave me to chase him."
His face softened at the sound of her pleading. He wanted nothing more then to be by her side forever, but there was nothing he could do to make things right by her side. He wasn't a doctor and he couldn't heal her. But finding people, that's what Lee Stetson did best. He realized more important than finding Birol and making him pay for what he had done to Amanda was Amanda herself. "I'll never leave you." He finally answered.
"Mrs. King your shoulder is out of joint. We need to reset it." One of the paramedics told her. She nodded and grabbed Lee's hand as someone slowly raised her left arm and with a sharp tug she groaned feeling the bone slide into place. Tears flowed freely down her face. They worked on her for another 20 minutes. Lee, Billy and Francine all hung back allowing them their space. "Someone should go tell her family." Lee said absently.
"I'll go." Francine volunteered as they began loading Amanda onto the ambulance. "Go on Scarecrow. Go with your wife." Lee looked at her and hugged her.
"Thank you. Both of you." He told his friends.
"There is no need for thank you's." Billy answered.
To be continued…