Fear, Love, and Revelations
Chapter 4
For Disclaimers, Settings, and such, see Part 1.
Author's Note: I have to apologize to all the readers out there. I know how I feel when an author leaves me hanging for such a long time, so I really am VERY sorry. Hopefully this story will be finished soon.
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Stopping him mid-stride, Lee pulled Jamie behind him, shielding him. He didn't want to believe what he was seeing, but his training told him that it was true. There, in front of him, was Phillip, with a gun pointed to his head. Lee tore his eyes away from Phillip's frightened gaze to see who held him.
"Surdayich."
"Scarecrow."
"Lee, what's going on?" Jamie tried to step around Lee, but the agent's strong arm held him back.
"Jamie, stay there."
"But, Lee…" Jamie's voice trailed off as he finally caught a glimpse of Phillip's situation.
Phillip shot his brother a weak grin with a tiny nod, telling him to do as Lee said.
Jamie ducked back, amazed that Phillip seemed so calm. His ears perked up when Lee spoke.
"What do you want, Surdayich?"
"Want? What I want is fairly simple. Can't you guess?"
"Revenge," Lee stated, moving his hand from Jamie's arm, and slowly reaching for his gun.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you. You wouldn't want this poor boy to get shot now, would you?"
Lee put his arm back down, listening as the Tinman went on.
"Revenge? No, not revenge. That's a bit too cliché for my tastes. I simply want to finish the job I started two years ago. It seems I missed a target back then. Had I only known that the lovely housewife turned spy held your heart, I would have let her play." Surdayich cocked his head slightly, as if listening to something. "As it is, she'll have to join the game late. Now what do you say we back up a bit. Can't have agents taking potshots at us from the stairs, now can we? Just around the corner should do it."
As he and Jamie slowly stepped their way back around the corner, Lee kept his eye on his former teammate. "And what about the boys? They have to play too? Huh? Come on, Tinman, that's not part of the game."
"My game, my rules, Scarecrow. I'll admit it wasn't in the original version, but I had to rewrite the rulebook after you stopped playing by the rules at the airport. Your wife's influence, I take it."
"Yeah, well she changed the way I play a lot of games."
"I can see that." Surdayich had noticed the way Lee's eyes drifted to the boy when he said this.
Phillip, taking this all in, looked at his newly discovered stepfather with new understanding.
Surdayich, wanting to get back Lee's attention, jostled Phillip. "You didn't really think he got away from me, did you Scarecrow? I let him go. I didn't need him. I needed you and your pretty wife here. I knew if I threatened the munchkins, the Scarecrow would come. And my associates have already told me that she is here as well. It's all falling into place rather nicely, don't you agree?"
Lee's gaze was now steadily back on the man. "All right. If you don't need him, then let him go," he demanded, trying to hide the fear in his voice.
"I said I didn't need him. Maybe now I do. I can see you have great love for this boy. I think I might keep him a while. See what happens."
Lee could keep himself in check no longer. "You son of a bitch." His hand automatically started for his weapon.
"Hold it right there, Tinman!" After coming to grips with the situation, Amanda sprang into action. Pointing her gun at Surdayich, she put all the authority she could into her voice.
"Mrs. Stetson," Surdayich intoned, never turning. "How nice of you to join us. Please place your gun on the floor, and join your husband over there."
"I think I'll stay here, thanks."
"I don't think you understand, Mrs. Stetson. I will shoot your boy. You know I don't care if he's an innocent."
Amanda paled, and slowly made her way around the pair, over to Lee's side, though she never dropped her weapon. She had to smile slightly at the surprised looks on both her boys' faces at the sight of her with a gun.
"Mom?"
"Just stay back there, Jamie."
Jamie nodded, his eye catching the clock on the wall. He double-checked what he was seeing, and looked to Phillip for corroboration.
Phillip nodded, knowing what had caught his brother's attention.
Jamie leaned in close to Lee, trying not to draw Surdayich's attention. "Lunch bell in just under a minute." He saw Lee's jaw twitch in acknowledgement and ducked back, waiting for the storm to break.
"I really don't think you appreciate the situation, Mrs. Stetson. Now, drop your weapon." Surdayich was saying, when he felt, the boy in his arms stiffen. He looked down at him. "What are you planning, boy?" Just then the bell went off.
Phillip drew his arm up, then shoved it back with all his strength, feeling his elbow connect solidly with the man's stomach. He smiled as the arm around him loosened, and he slid free, diving into the mass of children coming out of classrooms.
Lee had used the time to finally draw his gun, and now had it pointed straight at Surdayich's head. "Drop it, Surdayich!"
Surdayich, whose gun was still pointed where Phillip's head used to be, knew he had no choice. He dropped the gun, and looked up at Lee, smiling. "But can you shoot me, with all these children here?" He threw himself around the corner, into the midst of students heading downstairs for lunch.
Lee, knowing he couldn't shoot, ran after him, only to come back shaking his head. "I lost him."
Amanda smiled up at him from her position on the floor, where she had dropped to hold her babies. "It doesn't matter."
"No, it doesn't," Lee said, joining them in the family embrace.
They stayed that way for a few moments, until reality intruded back into Amanda's thoughts. "Lee? He's still here somewhere. All those kids. They're sitting ducks in the cafeteria."
"I doubt they ever made it to lunch. I'm sure Ms. O'Neal herded them into the busses. Trust me, we are the only ones left."
"Except for Surdayich."
"Yeah," Lee sighed, standing. "Come on. We'd better go. The Agency van should be here by now." Helping his wife up, he pulled her to him, for a brief hug, then guided them all to walk against the wall. He took point, allowing Amanda to bring up the rear.
The family descended the stairs and crept to the outside doors. Lee peeked his head out, assessed the parking lot, and quickly ducked back in. "The van is off to the left about thirty degrees. The surrounding rooftops look clear, but I know he's got people somewhere." He took a breath, and looked his wife in the eyes. "We're going to have to make a run for it."
TBC…..Soon, I promise.