Stormy Weather
by matahari2
Summary / Disclaimers, etc.: See Chapter 1
Chapter Three – The Sky Darkens
Amanda cursed herself silently for her selfish thoughts. She wouldn't wish this horror on any mother's son. She'd just hope and pray that the young man who'd been captured, whoever he was, would be rescued, and soon.
**********
Even after the receptionist brought in their sandwiches, Amanda had been lost in thought. She was startled to hear Lee asking her, "Can I get you anything else, Amanda? You hardly touched that sandwich."
"What? Oh. . .no, I don't need anything, thanks," she answered with a half- hearted smile, her voice barely above a whisper. "I just can't help thinking. . .you know?"
"Yeah. . .I know. Me neither," he confessed. "But Francine and some of the other agents in the Q Bureau are monitoring the transmissions coming out of Afghanistan, and they'll contact me as soon as they know anything more."
"Oh, I know they will, Lee", she acknowledged, nodding and focusing on the napkin in her lap, as she proceeded to pull it apart. She looked up to face him, admitting, "I'm not sure what I'm most afraid of--not knowing, or knowing for sure."
"I understand," he said, his serious expression and penetrating gaze reflecting the truth of this simple statement.
"Thank you," she said sincerely, with just the trace of a smile. Then, taking a cue from his quick, furtive glance toward the stack of files that had taken over the center of his desk, she tapped her watch. "Oh my gosh-- it's after one-thirty. I'd better get back to my office," she started, wrapping up the napkin and the remains of her sandwich and discarding them in the wastebasket beside the desk. "I have at least ten applications to review by 5:00." Starting to leave, she pulled the door open, then spun around to ask in a slightly raspy voice, "You'll call me right away. . .as soon as you know, right?"
"Right," he answered with a brief nod. "See you later."
As soon as the door closed, he pressed his fingers into his temples and closed his eyes tightly for a moment, before reaching into his desk drawer and shaking two red and white capsules from a large plastic bottle.
**********
Two and a half hours later, he'd barely made a dent in his administrative workload, when he saw Francine peering through the glass that walled his office from the bullpen, and motioned for her to enter.
"All right, Francine, what do you have?" he asked.
Francine carried a small notepad as she came to stand behind one of the chairs. She gripped the back of the chair and cast a quick glance toward the bullpen before answering. "Lee, I just forwarded you an email from one of our people in Afghanistan. It's a picture of the photojournalist who was riding with Bob Seehra. The name they've attached to the picture is. . ." she hesitated, looking at the notes on her pad as if she needed them, "James King."
Lee hadn't waited for her to finish speaking before clicking the mouse to open his email program. When he didn't immediately find any messages from Francine, he'd clicked the 'Send and Receive' button, and the message had appeared at the top of the list. He opened the attached picture just as Francine said the name. There he was, a young man, mid- to late twenties, blondish, light brown hair, and large brown eyes. . .Jamie. "Oh my God!" he whispered, before dialing the familiar extension.
"Amanda Stetson", she answered.
"Amanda. . .could you come back here, right now?" Lee asked, his voice shaking slightly.
She picked up on his nervousness as she shouted, "Lee! It's him, isn't it?"
"Just, please. . .come on over, okay?" he pleaded.
**********
Francine was still relating the information to Lee when Amanda pushed the door open. Lee hadn't managed to turn the monitor away before her eyes had fixed on the image of her son. She froze in place as she cried out, "Oh my God! Jamie!"
Lee rushed to her side, wrapping his arms around her, patting her back gently and guiding her to one of the chairs. He knelt beside her, sliding his fingers down her arm and taking her hand in his before whispering, "I'm so sorry, Amanda."
She didn't respond in words, simply squeezed his hand and nodded silently.
"Look, if you want me to leave, I'll. . ." Francine started, before Amanda found her voice.
"No, Francine," she said, turning to face her. "You're our friend—I'm glad you're here. Now, why don't you go ahead and tell me what you've already told Lee. . .what you can tell me, that is."
Francine shot a glance at Lee, and receiving his sign of assent, told Amanda what she knew. "Jamie and Bob Seehra were last seen at a small roadside shop near the town of Zambar in the Paktia province of eastern Afghanistan. That was about 5:00 p.m. yesterday, Afghan time. Apparently, Bob was just helping Jamie to get back across the border into Pakistan, to reconnect with some of his associates from the Herald and get his latest pictures sent back to the States. They weren't expected to arrive until this afternoon, so. . ."
"So that's why we didn't learn about this sooner," Amanda finished for her. She gripped the arms of the chair and turned to face Lee, asking pointedly, "Does Jamie know?"
"What? That Bob's an agent?" Lee asked. At her nod, he shook his head slightly and replied, "No. According to Yusef, Bob's partner, Jamie just thinks Bob is a Pakistani native who was raised in Afghanistan and is an anti-Taliban sympathizer, someone who tries to help the cause in whatever way he can."
"Oh," she said quietly, before getting to her real question. "So Lee, what're we gonna do?"
He looked directly into her eyes as he answered, "I can see what you're getting at, Amanda, but we," he paused, pointing to her and then to himself, "are not hopping a plane to Kandahar. We are going to trust our agents in the field, who know much more about the situation and can blend in much better than we can."
"I know. You're right. . .of course they can," she agreed. "But we'll keep in touch and stay on top of the situation, right?" she begged, looking to both Lee and Francine for confirmation.
"Yes," Lee answered. "All right, Francine, your people on duty tonight know how to reach us, correct? Have them try my cell phone in case I don't pick up right away on the secure line at home."
"Right," she answered. On her way to the door, she placed a hand on Amanda's shoulder and said, "Amanda, I'm really sorry about this. You know we'll do everything we can to find Jamie and bring him home safely."
Amanda touched Francine's hand on her shoulder as she replied, "I know, Francine. . .thank you."
After Francine left, Lee stood up and put on his jacket. "I guess we'd better get going," he started, as he offered Amanda his hand and guided her out the door. "We still need to pick up my car, and get Jenny from the Carters', and. . ."
"Lee! Jenny! What're we gonna tell her about Jamie? How's she gonna take this?" Amanda shouted, all in a rush, just as they exited the bullpen.
Lee stopped in his tracks and took both of her hands in his, turning her to face him. He searched her eyes before saying softly, "I don't know how she'll take it, but we'll have to give her at least the condensed version, Amanda. There's a good possibility this could hit the news before we get home."
"Oh my gosh," she whispered, her widened eyes revealing the horror she couldn't find words to express.
**********
They drove in relative silence to the car repair shop. Before Lee stepped down out of the Explorer, he took Amanda's hand for a moment and said, "Now, if you'll just wait for me a few minutes here, I'll follow you home, okay?"
She sniffled slightly, and said, "Okay."
In the solitude of the long drive to their home, Amanda couldn't stop the images coming to her mind. . .of her daughter, bound and gagged, and her son in the same condition, or worse. How could they possibly explain this to Jenny? Maybe Lee was right, she reasoned. She had to be told, at least the basics of what they knew.
Every now and then, she'd reassure herself, looking in the rearview mirror and seeing Lee's car right behind her. When she'd come within about a mile from Middleburg, that reassurance disappeared. His car was nowhere to be seen.
**********
He'd followed at a safe distance for most of the drive from DC. He'd just realized that he'd allowed that distance to increase a bit, when, all of a sudden, immediately after Amanda had rounded a curve ahead of him, a pick- up truck, seemingly coming out of nowhere, had cut in front of him. By the time he saw the truck, it was already dead ahead, and he had to swerve wildly to miss hitting it full-on. His heart pounded in his chest, and his white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel tightened as the tires squealed, skidding across the pavement. Mercifully, his car stopped just shy of the embankment. It was at least another five minutes before his breathing returned to normal. 'How could I not have seen it?' he asked himself over and over, before slowly and carefully navigating his way back onto the road.
TO BE CONTINUED
by matahari2
Summary / Disclaimers, etc.: See Chapter 1
Chapter Three – The Sky Darkens
Amanda cursed herself silently for her selfish thoughts. She wouldn't wish this horror on any mother's son. She'd just hope and pray that the young man who'd been captured, whoever he was, would be rescued, and soon.
**********
Even after the receptionist brought in their sandwiches, Amanda had been lost in thought. She was startled to hear Lee asking her, "Can I get you anything else, Amanda? You hardly touched that sandwich."
"What? Oh. . .no, I don't need anything, thanks," she answered with a half- hearted smile, her voice barely above a whisper. "I just can't help thinking. . .you know?"
"Yeah. . .I know. Me neither," he confessed. "But Francine and some of the other agents in the Q Bureau are monitoring the transmissions coming out of Afghanistan, and they'll contact me as soon as they know anything more."
"Oh, I know they will, Lee", she acknowledged, nodding and focusing on the napkin in her lap, as she proceeded to pull it apart. She looked up to face him, admitting, "I'm not sure what I'm most afraid of--not knowing, or knowing for sure."
"I understand," he said, his serious expression and penetrating gaze reflecting the truth of this simple statement.
"Thank you," she said sincerely, with just the trace of a smile. Then, taking a cue from his quick, furtive glance toward the stack of files that had taken over the center of his desk, she tapped her watch. "Oh my gosh-- it's after one-thirty. I'd better get back to my office," she started, wrapping up the napkin and the remains of her sandwich and discarding them in the wastebasket beside the desk. "I have at least ten applications to review by 5:00." Starting to leave, she pulled the door open, then spun around to ask in a slightly raspy voice, "You'll call me right away. . .as soon as you know, right?"
"Right," he answered with a brief nod. "See you later."
As soon as the door closed, he pressed his fingers into his temples and closed his eyes tightly for a moment, before reaching into his desk drawer and shaking two red and white capsules from a large plastic bottle.
**********
Two and a half hours later, he'd barely made a dent in his administrative workload, when he saw Francine peering through the glass that walled his office from the bullpen, and motioned for her to enter.
"All right, Francine, what do you have?" he asked.
Francine carried a small notepad as she came to stand behind one of the chairs. She gripped the back of the chair and cast a quick glance toward the bullpen before answering. "Lee, I just forwarded you an email from one of our people in Afghanistan. It's a picture of the photojournalist who was riding with Bob Seehra. The name they've attached to the picture is. . ." she hesitated, looking at the notes on her pad as if she needed them, "James King."
Lee hadn't waited for her to finish speaking before clicking the mouse to open his email program. When he didn't immediately find any messages from Francine, he'd clicked the 'Send and Receive' button, and the message had appeared at the top of the list. He opened the attached picture just as Francine said the name. There he was, a young man, mid- to late twenties, blondish, light brown hair, and large brown eyes. . .Jamie. "Oh my God!" he whispered, before dialing the familiar extension.
"Amanda Stetson", she answered.
"Amanda. . .could you come back here, right now?" Lee asked, his voice shaking slightly.
She picked up on his nervousness as she shouted, "Lee! It's him, isn't it?"
"Just, please. . .come on over, okay?" he pleaded.
**********
Francine was still relating the information to Lee when Amanda pushed the door open. Lee hadn't managed to turn the monitor away before her eyes had fixed on the image of her son. She froze in place as she cried out, "Oh my God! Jamie!"
Lee rushed to her side, wrapping his arms around her, patting her back gently and guiding her to one of the chairs. He knelt beside her, sliding his fingers down her arm and taking her hand in his before whispering, "I'm so sorry, Amanda."
She didn't respond in words, simply squeezed his hand and nodded silently.
"Look, if you want me to leave, I'll. . ." Francine started, before Amanda found her voice.
"No, Francine," she said, turning to face her. "You're our friend—I'm glad you're here. Now, why don't you go ahead and tell me what you've already told Lee. . .what you can tell me, that is."
Francine shot a glance at Lee, and receiving his sign of assent, told Amanda what she knew. "Jamie and Bob Seehra were last seen at a small roadside shop near the town of Zambar in the Paktia province of eastern Afghanistan. That was about 5:00 p.m. yesterday, Afghan time. Apparently, Bob was just helping Jamie to get back across the border into Pakistan, to reconnect with some of his associates from the Herald and get his latest pictures sent back to the States. They weren't expected to arrive until this afternoon, so. . ."
"So that's why we didn't learn about this sooner," Amanda finished for her. She gripped the arms of the chair and turned to face Lee, asking pointedly, "Does Jamie know?"
"What? That Bob's an agent?" Lee asked. At her nod, he shook his head slightly and replied, "No. According to Yusef, Bob's partner, Jamie just thinks Bob is a Pakistani native who was raised in Afghanistan and is an anti-Taliban sympathizer, someone who tries to help the cause in whatever way he can."
"Oh," she said quietly, before getting to her real question. "So Lee, what're we gonna do?"
He looked directly into her eyes as he answered, "I can see what you're getting at, Amanda, but we," he paused, pointing to her and then to himself, "are not hopping a plane to Kandahar. We are going to trust our agents in the field, who know much more about the situation and can blend in much better than we can."
"I know. You're right. . .of course they can," she agreed. "But we'll keep in touch and stay on top of the situation, right?" she begged, looking to both Lee and Francine for confirmation.
"Yes," Lee answered. "All right, Francine, your people on duty tonight know how to reach us, correct? Have them try my cell phone in case I don't pick up right away on the secure line at home."
"Right," she answered. On her way to the door, she placed a hand on Amanda's shoulder and said, "Amanda, I'm really sorry about this. You know we'll do everything we can to find Jamie and bring him home safely."
Amanda touched Francine's hand on her shoulder as she replied, "I know, Francine. . .thank you."
After Francine left, Lee stood up and put on his jacket. "I guess we'd better get going," he started, as he offered Amanda his hand and guided her out the door. "We still need to pick up my car, and get Jenny from the Carters', and. . ."
"Lee! Jenny! What're we gonna tell her about Jamie? How's she gonna take this?" Amanda shouted, all in a rush, just as they exited the bullpen.
Lee stopped in his tracks and took both of her hands in his, turning her to face him. He searched her eyes before saying softly, "I don't know how she'll take it, but we'll have to give her at least the condensed version, Amanda. There's a good possibility this could hit the news before we get home."
"Oh my gosh," she whispered, her widened eyes revealing the horror she couldn't find words to express.
**********
They drove in relative silence to the car repair shop. Before Lee stepped down out of the Explorer, he took Amanda's hand for a moment and said, "Now, if you'll just wait for me a few minutes here, I'll follow you home, okay?"
She sniffled slightly, and said, "Okay."
In the solitude of the long drive to their home, Amanda couldn't stop the images coming to her mind. . .of her daughter, bound and gagged, and her son in the same condition, or worse. How could they possibly explain this to Jenny? Maybe Lee was right, she reasoned. She had to be told, at least the basics of what they knew.
Every now and then, she'd reassure herself, looking in the rearview mirror and seeing Lee's car right behind her. When she'd come within about a mile from Middleburg, that reassurance disappeared. His car was nowhere to be seen.
**********
He'd followed at a safe distance for most of the drive from DC. He'd just realized that he'd allowed that distance to increase a bit, when, all of a sudden, immediately after Amanda had rounded a curve ahead of him, a pick- up truck, seemingly coming out of nowhere, had cut in front of him. By the time he saw the truck, it was already dead ahead, and he had to swerve wildly to miss hitting it full-on. His heart pounded in his chest, and his white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel tightened as the tires squealed, skidding across the pavement. Mercifully, his car stopped just shy of the embankment. It was at least another five minutes before his breathing returned to normal. 'How could I not have seen it?' he asked himself over and over, before slowly and carefully navigating his way back onto the road.
TO BE CONTINUED