Chapter 3 Charles & Deborah Kluge Charles & Deborah Kluge 2 1 2001-11-05T01:48:00Z 2001-11-05T01:48:00Z 6 2388 13615 113 27 16720 9.2720

Chapter 3

"NO!!!!!!!!"

Billy winced and leaned back in his chair, putting a bit more distance between himself and his irate senior agent.  Lee planted his hands on the desk and leaned over it belligerently.  "Amanda is my partner!  You can't assign her to work with someone else!"

Billy frowned forbiddingly and replied, "I can and I have, Scarecrow.  This issue is not open for debate."

For a long moment, Lee stayed where he was.  Then with a sound of frustrated aggravation, he flung himself upright and began to pace restlessly.

"Then assign me to work with them.  You know that Amanda and I work best as a team."

"I think, after yesterday's incident, that it's time the two of you go your separate ways for a while.  Windsor's a fine agent and he'll be good for her."

Lee spun to face Billy once more.  "What do you mean, 'good for her'?" he demanded harshly.  Billy studied the man in front of him with a mixture of surprise and quiet amusement.  Did Lee Stetson even realize how much of himself he was revealing?

"I meant that it will be a good professional experience for her to work with someone new.  What did you think I meant?"

Suddenly, Lee seemed to hear himself.  His face flushed and he turned away hastily, starting to pace once more.  "Nothing," he mumbled.  "I just meant . . . well . . . nothing."  Taking a deep breath, he tried again.  "Amanda's not a trained agent . . ."

"Windsor knows that," Billy interrupted him smoothly, barely hiding his grin.  "I've explained her status to him and as it turns out, she'd already told him herself.  He has no problem with it and assures me that he'll keep an eye on her."

"Oh, I'll bet he will," Lee muttered sourly under his breath.  "I don't trust him," he said aloud.  "He's too smooth."

That statement caused Billy to grin openly.  "You don't even know him.  I swear, Scarecrow, if I didn't know you better, I'd suspect you were jealous."

"Don't be ridiculous," Lee snapped, just a bit too quickly.  "She's my partner.  It's my job to watch her back."

"It wasn't so long ago that if I made that comment, you'd all but take my head off," Billy pointed out.

Lee sighed and ran a hand through his hair in frustration, his temper momentarily derailed.  "I know," he finally admitted reluctantly.  Looking at his boss helplessly, he added, "I don't trust anyone else to take care of her, Billy.  She just attracts trouble, and I'd feel really awful if something happened to her.  You know, I never should have gotten her involved in any of this."

Melrose shook his head.  "You may have drawn her into this initially, Lee, but you had nothing to do with her staying in it.  For God's sake, man, think about it.  You did everything you could to discourage her and she kept coming back for more."

"I know.  She's just so stubborn . . ."

Billy rose and came around his desk to pat the younger man on the shoulder consolingly.  "Lee, you know as well as I do that there are some people in this world who seem born to do this kind of work.  As strange as it may sound, I believe that Amanda King is one of them.  I haven't seen anyone with instincts as good as hers since . . . well, since the first time I saw you."

Lee snorted.  "Don't let Francine hear you say that."

Billy chuckled.  "Amanda will be fine.  Her assignment is strictly reconnaissance and I've made it very clear to Windsor that she is not to be put into the line of fire.  He'll watch her back and keep her out of trouble."

"He better," Lee muttered darkly.  "And just to be sure, I'm going to keep an eye on both of them . . ."

"You won't have time," Billy interrupted firmly.  "I've got an assignment for you, too, and it's going to take all of your attention."  He snagged a folder off of his desk and handed it to Lee.  "This one is important and I need you to concentrate on your job."

Lee flipped the folder open and scanned the first page quickly.  "Rome?!?  You want to send me to Rome?  Now???  I don't want to . . ."

"I don't care what you want, Scarecrow!" his boss cut him off sharply.  "This is your assignment and you're going to do it!  Your flight leaves at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow morning.  You be on that plane . . . with your mind on your job . . . and leave Amanda King and her new assignment to me.  Got it?"

For a minute, Billy actually thought that Lee would refuse.  However, he finally snapped the file shut and replied bitterly, "It seems I have no choice.  Is that all?"

"Lee, she'll be fine . . ."

"Yeah, right."  He spun and stalked to the door.  Right before he opened it, he turned back to his boss one last time.  "She'd better be."  Then he walked out, slamming the door behind him.

Ruefully, Billy shook his head.  "Well, that went better than I expected . . ."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The house on Maplewood Drive was finally quiet as Amanda set the kettle back on the burner and added some milk to her tea.  It was shortly after ten o'clock, the boys were safely in bed, and her mother had just headed upstairs with a book to read for a while before going to sleep.  When she heard the soft tapping on the kitchen window she wasn't particularly surprised.  She'd halfway expected that he would show up tonight.  Turning, she saw his face hovering like a ghost in the window above the sink.  His hesitant smile brought an answering one to her lips.  She just couldn't seem to stay mad at him, no matter how hard she tried.  She crossed to the kitchen door and opened it, drawing him inside the warm house.

"Whoa, it feels good in here," he breathed softly, shivering.  "It's turning cold out there."

Amanda eyed him in concern, reaching up to lay her palm on his cold-reddened cheek.  "You're frozen!" she exclaimed in quiet agitation.  "How long have you been standing out there?  Here, take this."  She shoved her tea into his cold hands.  "Let me have your coat.  Now you stand here by the stove until you get warm.  What were you thinking?  You could catch pneumonia . . ."

Lee stood quietly, listening to her soft, scolding litany and letting her concern wash over him.  Somehow, it seemed to warm him in a way that had nothing to do with the temperature of the room.  Finally, he looked up and smiled at her.  "I'm fine, Amanda.  Really."

"How long were you out there?"

Lee shrugged.  "I don't know.  An hour, maybe.  I was just waiting for your family to settle in for the night.  I needed to talk to you."

"A couple of . . ." she sputtered, but he laid a gentle finger across her lips, silencing her.

"I didn't mind."  He looked at her, realizing that he couldn't admit to her how often he stood in the backyard just watching her.  There was something about the way she interacted with her family . . .  "And I really did want to talk to you," he added hastily, trying to force his mind away from that thought.  His gaze fell under her inquisitive look and he eyed the cup in his hands intently.  "I – I wanted to apologize to you for yesterday.  I think I probably would have been toast if you hadn't hit Rocker with that trash can lid when you did."

"I'm sorry I waited so long."

"I told you to stay in the car.  It's my own fault.  I should know better by this time.  I just . . . I didn't . . ." he sighed softly.  "I was afraid you might get hurt and I didn't want to risk that."

"Instead, you were the one that got hurt.  Are you really all right?  I've worried about you all day.  What did Dr. McJohn say?"

Lee shrugged negligently.  "I'm fine.  A few bumps and bruises.  You don't need to worry about me, Amanda."

She smiled at him fondly.  "I do, though. After all, it's my job. You're my partner."

He sighed deeply.  "Not any more.  Seems I lost that right yesterday when I acted like such an ass in the office."

Amanda caught his arm, squeezing it gently.  "I'm sure it's only temporary, Lee.  Billy just wants me to get a little experience working with other agents so he can make a better case to Dr. Smyth for getting me admitted to the next freshman candidate class."

"I don't like it, Amanda," Lee replied, his voice rising slightly as he looked at her.  "I don't like the fact that you're going to be out in the field without me.  I don't like the fact that you're going to be working with someone I don't know.  And I particularly don't like the fact that I'm not going to be close at hand if you get into trouble and need me."

"Keep your voice down," she whispered, laying her fingers across his lips.  "Mother's gone upstairs, but she's still awake."  Then she looked at him with a troubled expression.  "Billy's given you another assignment?"

Lee nodded, disconsolately.  "Yeah.  He's sending me to Rome.  From the look of it, I could be there all the way through the end of the month."

 "Who's going to be your partner?"

"No one."  Lee shrugged and slumped against the edge of the stove, still cradling the tea mug Amanda had given him.  "It's a cooperative mission with the Italian Security Agency.  I'll be a training officer for a newly formed Italian anti-terrorist task force.  It's logistical and training . . . no actual mission work."  His eyes caught hers and she saw that they were cloudy and sad.  "He's getting me out of the way."

"No, he's not, Lee.  Mr. Melrose wouldn't do something like that.  If he assigned you to this it's because he believes that it's important.  You know that he considers you his best agent.  He wouldn't waste your talents like that."

"He would if he thought I was interfering in the development of another agent."

"You aren't interfering in my development as an agent," Amanda replied swiftly.  "You're the very best partner anyone could ask for and you don't know how lucky I feel to have that.  If it hadn't been for you, I probably wouldn't even be doing this job today!"

If anything, that statement made him look even more downcast than before.  "You know, Amanda," he replied slowly, staring fixedly at the cup in his hand. "I feel really bad about that sometimes.  I never should have involved you in that business at the train station.  If you were to get hurt, I don't think I could ever forgive myself."

She reached out and placed her palm against his cheek, forcing him to look up at her.  "This was my choice, Lee," she replied in a voice filled with conviction.  "You tried everything you could think of to keep me out, but the truth is, I don't want to be out.  You've said it yourself.  This is a job where a single individual can make a difference.  I want to be able to make that difference."

"I understand that," he replied in a low voice, reaching out to touch the hand that still cupped his cheek with feather-light fingers.  "It's why I've stuck with it for so many years."  Then he dropped his hand and shook his head slightly.  "But it doesn't make it any easier for me to see you going into dangerous situations.  And thinking about you doing it when I'm not even in the same country . . . "

"Yeah, well, that idea doesn't exactly thrill me, either."  She smiled at him gently.  "But we'll just have to cope.  After all, it won't be forever."  She laid her hand on his arm and gazed into his hazel eyes seriously.  "You have to promise me that you'll be careful.  No crazy stunts and no going headfirst into dangerous situations without thinking.  I'm not going to be there to watch your backside . . ."

Lee snorted softly and then shook his head.  "We're a real pair, you know that?"  Straightening, he set the mug on the counter with a sigh.  "I suppose I should go.  My plane leaves first thing in the morning and I still have to pack."  Reaching out, he caught her hand and squeezed it gently.  "You be very, very careful.  Billy seems to trust this Brit, but I don't."  His eyes lost focus as he gazed blindly over her shoulder into the darkened living room with a thoughtful expression.  "Nighthawk's a good agent, if a little bookish.  You'd be safe enough working with him on tracing the money.  Maybe you could get Billy to partner the two of you.  Or Francine . . . "

"Lee . . . enough."  Amanda looked at him with amused resignation.  "You just can't leave it alone, can you?  I can't follow the money . . . Patterson's doing that.  It's his expertise, after all.  And Nighthawk is assigned to him because his bookishness hides a mind that's good at seeing patterns.  Furthermore, I'm on this one because of my charity contacts and volunteer work.  If Billy's going to reassign anyone, it's more likely to be Magician."

"No!" Lee exclaimed in alarm.  "Not Pete."

Amanda raised an eyebrow at his reaction.  "What's wrong with Peter?"

"That man's all libido.  He'd spend all of his time trying to make time with you and he wouldn't concentrate on the job."  Lee frowned.  "Windsor's gonna be just as bad."

"Lee . . ."

"I mean, after that business yesterday." He looked down at her indignantly, his voice starting to rise again.  "What was that all about, anyway?  Kissing your hand and fawning all over you . . ."

"Lee, stop!  This is ridiculous . . ."

"I tell you, he was looking at you like you were fresh meat!"

"I'll take your word for it.  Heaven knows, you should know the look," she said drolly and then laughed softly as he winced.  "I'm kidding.  And would you please keep your voice down?  Mother is . . ."

"Amanda?"  Dottie's inquiring voice drifted clearly to both of them.  "Is somebody down there?"

Shaking free from Lee's grasp, she took a few steps toward the living room door and called back to her, "No, Mother.  I just had the radio in the kitchen on.  Go on to bed."

"All right, dear.  You should come, too.  It's late and if you have to be in to work early in the morning . . ."

"I'll be there in a few minutes.  Good night!"  Turning back to him, Amanda caught his shoulder and pushed him gently toward the back door.  "You need to go, Lee.  And I want you to stop worrying about me.  I'm a big girl and am perfectly capable of dealing with the advances of male co-workers.  William and I will do just fine.  Okay?"

He watched as she crossed the room to pick up his coat.  "That's what I'm afraid of," Lee muttered softly to himself.

"Did you say something?" Amanda asked, returning with his coat.

"What?  Um, no . . . no, it was nothing," Lee replied, a bit flustered.  I've got to get control of myself, he thought. This simply won't do.  He started to wish her good night, but his voice died in his throat as their eyes locked and he found himself getting lost in their warm brown depths.  It seemed he'd been doing that a lot lately.  Without even realizing it, he raised his hand and cupped the side of her face, his thumb caressing her cheek lightly.  "You will be careful," he said hoarsely.  It wasn't a question.

"Yes," she replied softly.  "You promise you will, too?"

The world seemed to fade away as he stood there gazing at her.  Her skin and hair were so soft under his fingers and warmth seemed to radiate from the hand she laid against his chest.  "I promise . . ." The words were little more than a breath of air that washed over her lips as he leaned toward her.

"Amanda . . ."

Dotty's voice struck both of them like a bucket of ice water, causing them to jump apart as though stung.  Flustered, Amanda turned away from Lee self-consciously.  "What is it, Mother?"  Her voice cracked and she was forced to clear her throat before she continued, "Do you need something?"  Then both of them heard the clear sound of someone descending the stairs.  Amanda turned back to Lee hastily, shoved his coat into his hands, and began pushing him toward the door.  "Quick!" she hissed at him.  "You have to go now!"  She all but shoved him out the kitchen door, closing it just as Dottie walked into the kitchen.  "Mother!" she said breathlessly.  "I thought you'd gone to bed."

"Oh, I had, but I couldn't sleep.  I thought some warm milk might help.  What were you doing?  Why is it so cold in here?"

Amanda laughed nervously, leaning against the door.  "I was just checking the weather.  They say it's supposed to turn really cold tonight."

"That's what Dean was saying on the 6:00 o'clock news.  Did I tell you that he called here yesterday?  You know, Amanda, I really think he's still interested . . ."

As Dottie babbled on happily, Amanda turned back to lock the door.  She gazed out the window and for just an instant, she saw him again, standing alone on her back patio in the cold winter moonlight.  She could feel his eyes on her and was startled by the wave of loss and longing that washed through her.  Then, in the blink of an eye, he was gone.