9:00PM
Bellarussia Apartments
Apartment 33
In a corner of the studio apartment, Anna sat on a couch feeding Nicky. He had been crying almost the entire time they had been there. This had only made the woman who was watching them more and more angry as the day progressed. She had yelled at Anna to shut the baby up numerous times as she paced the room. Anna had tried explaining to her that the baby wasn't normally like this, that something had to be wrong, but she hadn't listened and instead had left for a few hours. He had finally calmed down and was now almost asleep. Anna looked up as the woman came back into the apartment, this time with the man who had taken them from the orphanage. She watched and listened as they put away groceries and conversed quietly.
"I don't know how much more I can take of that baby." Yuri shook his head. "I don't know why Scarecrow would willingly subject himself to such torture."
"It won't be long. If he is still as quick tempered and passionate about things as he was before, we should expect to see them very soon." Eva looked at Yuri with a smirk. "I'm sure he's pacing that orphanage as we speak, trying to figure out how to get them away from us. But we're on my turf, now. Things will be very different this time around. Very different."
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10:30PM
Orphanage
Moscow
After eating, seven agents and one attorney sat in the dining hall of the orphanage going over plans for the next morning.
Elena had taken Lee, Isaac, McCarty, and Draper to the building her parents lived in. They had parked in front of the apartments for an hour, watching the comings and goings of the tenants, hitting pay dirt when Yuri and Eva showed up and entered the building with three bags of groceries. It had taken everything Lee had to keep himself in the car and not grab Eva, demanding the return of Nicky. But he knew they had to wait. Now, as they sat finalizing the next day's agenda, he was getting more agitated.
Lee stood, pacing behind the table. "We could do this tonight. There's no reason to wait, you know."
Francine sighed. "Lee, you and Amanda need to get some rest before we do this. There are KGB and US agents posted inside and out at the apartments. We have to make sure we're completely thorough and legal here." She had turned in her seat and was watching as Lee paced. "It's not easy for us to sit here, either, you know."
Nadine placed her hand on Isaac's arm. "It is best to wait. Rushing will only make a mess."
"They are correct, Scarecrow," Isaac added. "There is nothing I would like more than to go there tonight and drag them out into the street." He glanced almost sheepishly at Nadine. "But the women are more level-headed than we pretend to be, da?" He paused, looking around the table, and nodded. "We will wait until morning."
"Then we're all in agreement?" John looked around at the agents and then back up at Lee. He sighed as all seven agents nodded slowly. "Good. Let's all make sure we get a good night's sleep and meet back here at six tomorrow morning. We'll leave from here." Glancing at Francine, he gave her a small smile. "Can I drive you back to the hotel?"
Francine looked at Amanda. "You'll get some sleep, right?"
Before Amanda had a chance to speak, Lee said, "I'll make sure of it."
"That goes for you, too, Stetson. I don't want your butt dragging in here tomorrow half-asleep." She pointed a finger at Lee, a stern look on her face. Standing slowly, Francine turned to John. "Thank you, John. I'd love a ride back." She walked around the table and placed her hand on Amanda's shoulder. "I'll see you in the morning, Amanda. Try not to worry too much."
Amanda placed her hand over Francine's and smiled. "Thank you. Sleep sounds pretty inviting right now."
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11:30PM
Hotel Rossiya
Moscow
As Lee emerged from the bathroom, Amanda was just hanging up the phone. "Who was that?"
"Mother." Amanda looked over at him. "I wanted her to know what was going in case something . . . happens. I don't want to just spring some bad news on her and the boys . . . if . . . it's better if they know what's going on now." Lee walked up behind her and she leaned into his chest with a sigh. He slid his arms around her and squeezed her waist gently.
"We're not going to have any bad news, Amanda. This time tomorrow we'll be on our way home with Nicky." He kissed her temple and turned her around in his arms. "Now, you need to get into bed. We have the perfect opportunity to get a couple of hours of uninterrupted sleep, let's take advantage of it, huh?"
Amanda took a deep breath, backed out of Lee's embrace and took his hand. Turning toward the bed, she tugged on his hand. "Only if you get some sleep, too." She turned back to him and sat on the bed. She raised her eyes to meet his and whispered, "I'm *not* lying down alone."
He hesitated for only a moment. "I guess I can't refuse that," he responded softly as she scooted across the bed to lie down on her side. Joining her on the bed, he draped his left arm across her waist and pulled her close, shifting so her head was resting on his right shoulder.
'I'll just lay here until she falls asleep. I have too much to do . . . ' Lee's thoughts were interrupted as he slipped into a mercifully peaceful slumber.
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The shrill ringing of the phone startled Lee from his sleep. He slid his arm out from underneath Amanda and leaned up to reach over her. "Yeah, Stetson," he snapped into the phone. "Okay, thank you." Fumbling with the receiver, he finally dropped it back onto the base with a hollow clunk.
"Who was that?" Amanda's groggy voice came from next to him.
"Wake up call." Lee rubbed his eyes and sighed. "Time to get moving." He couldn't believe he had fallen asleep so quickly and slept so soundly. "It's 4:30. We need to meet Francine downstairs in an hour."
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Thursday, August 6th
6:30AM
Bellarussia Apartments
John Devin sat in a small, open-air café kitty-corner from the Butsayev's apartment building, reading the morning edition of yesterday's New York Times. Glancing at his watch, he folded the newspaper and laid it on the table. Reaching for his coffee, he took a sip, scanned the street before him and noted the cab to his right. Draper was seated in the front of the vehicle, Francine in the back. John flipped open the paper again and shook his head. That woman was one he wouldn't forget for a long time. Definitely not his type, but incredibly intriguing, to say the least. A crackling in his ear interrupted his thoughts.
"Stingray one. We're in position." Lee's voice came over John's earpiece.
'This is it,' he thought. "Stingray two, I'm set. All clear here." A smirk crossed his face as he listened to the remaining agents check in. He felt like a character in a spy movie. It was rather exciting, although he was slightly uneasy, being in the middle of all these Intelligence Operatives. In his experience at the Embassy, they were normally a reckless bunch. And these were far from normal circumstances. He rolled his eyes and chastised himself. 'I'm an attorney, for heaven's sake.' Devin cleared his throat and motioned to the waitress for a refill.
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After meeting with the agents who had been on surveillance through out the night, McCarty and Scarecrow realized the KGB were as anxious to get Yuri and Eva in custody as the Americans were to get Nikolas back. Yuri and Eva hadn't left their apartment all night. If they were going to move, it had to be now. But he wasn't about to hand this one over to the KGB. This was theirs, they had earned it the last few days. Lee checked his gun and placed it back in his holster. Then he checked the other gun hidden in his waistband. Eva wouldn't get the better of him this time. He looked over at Amanda. At her nod of agreement, he took her hand in his and they entered the apartment building together.
"Stingray one moving in." He glanced at Amanda and squeezed her hand. "We're almost there." He sighed and his eyebrows knit together. "I wish you'd take a gun."
"That's not an option in this case, Lee. I don't plan on needing it. My focus is Nikolas. You and Isaac can take care of Yuri and Eva." She smiled at him. "Although I wouldn't mind taking care of Eva myself. She still bugs me. And, given the chance, I'd still like to smack her." Lee opened his mouth to respond but Amanda cut him off. "Don't worry, Stetson . . . I'll make sure you're there to watch."
"This is a side of you I've not had the pleasure of getting to know, Mrs. Stetson. Where've you been hiding her?" He squeezed her hand again and led her out of the elevator. "Now, we're going around the corner and down three doors. Isaac and Nadine are across the hall in 32. Once we're in, they'll join us. You ready?" He shot her a look.
"Of course I'm ready." Creeping slowly down the hall, Amanda smiled at him again. She took her position on the opposite side of the door from him and he caught her eye as he quietly counted.
"One . . . two . . . THREE!" Lee raised his leg and kicked in the door, his gun drawn. Luckily, it was a small studio apartment and he had all four people in view immediately. Yuri had grabbed a gun and dove behind the couch. Unfortunately for Lee, Anna was lying on the couch, holding the sleeping baby. Glancing left and right, he noted ample coverage for Isaac and Nadine when they were ready to enter. Hopefully he and Amanda would be enough of a distraction to Eva to get the Petrovitches in unnoticed. He felt Amanda's hand on his back, grabbing his shirt. "Don't move." He whispered to her over his shoulder. Still pointing his gun toward where Yuri had hidden, he took a deep breath and called out, "Give it up, Yuri. You've got no way out. It's over." Out of the corner of his eye he saw Eva inching closer to the couch. Swinging his gun toward her he confronted her. "Don't try it Eva." To his surprise, he felt the extra gun slide out of his waistband. He smothered a grin and met Eva's glare. "So, they let you out, huh, Eva? Why? Good behavior? You convince some guard you loved him?"
"My, my, are we still bitter, Lee? Does it still bother you that much? I thought you had gotten over me long ago. How touching." Eva was still inching closer to the couch. "Mandy! How good to see you again." She said with feigned enthusiasm.
A voice that sounded more confident than Lee expected came from behind him. "Wish I could say the same, Eva. And it's Amanda. Amanda Stetson." She stepped out from behind Lee and he glanced at her.
"Amanda . . . " He started to worry. "Stay here, Yuri has a gun."
"So do I." Came a whispered reply as she continued toward Eva. "Let me have Nikolas, Eva. He has nothing to do with this. He's an innocent baby. Let him go and I'll stay. That's what you want, right?"
Eva looked to Lee then back at Amanda. A smile spread across her face as she contemplated the offer. "Tempting offer. Very tempting. But I don't think so. You see, you ruined my life and now it is my turn to repay the favor." Eva seemingly forgot about Nikolas and took one step toward Amanda. Lee edged closer to the couch, his eyes on Eva as she confronted his wife. From behind, he heard a slight shuffle while in his other ear Isaac's voice crackled.
"We're in Scarecrow. I'll cover you, Nadine will stay with Amanda." Lee nodded almost imperceptibly and continued his slow course toward Yuri's hiding place.
Lee ducked his head and whispered into the microphone in his collar. "Tell Nadine that Amanda took my gun. Just so there's no surprises here." He shook his head. This was getting interesting. He wasn't quite worried yet, Amanda could hold her own, and she had his gun tucked in the back of her jeans, but he also knew Eva. As he approached the back of the couch, Nikolas caught sight of him and let out a squeal. The momentary distraction caught both Lee and Amanda off guard. Yuri bolted from behind the couch and knocked Lee off balance as he shoved past. Cursing, he rolled over to fire, only to see Isaac knock him out with one punch to the face.
"Coward," Isaac spat out as he rubbed his hand.
At the same time, Eva had turned and aimed a gun at Nikolas and Anna. Knowing Amanda and Nadine were both armed; Lee tossed his gun across the floor and sat up, his hands in the air. Nikolas was wiggling and squealing at him like he had in the orphanage.
"Wise decision, Lee. You *know* I won't hesitate. And this time the gun is loaded." Her eyes penetrated his and held for a moment. Finally, she looked back at Amanda with a smile. "I may not get out of here with my life, Mandy, but I will take someone you love with me when I go. You make the choice."
Amanda's eyes grew wide, but that was the only reaction she had. Lee noticed his gun was now ticked in the front of her jeans. She must have switched it in the scuffle. A feeling of pride swelled in Lee as he watched her, sure her mind was working to figure out what to do. "You know, Eva, this vendetta you have against me really isn't healthy. I haven't done anything to you." Amanda said softly.
Eva motioned toward Lee. "Anna, let the baby go," she said in Russian. As Anna put Nicky down, Lee held out his arms. The little boy scooted across the floor on his belly, giggling the whole way. It seemed forever until the baby was in his arms.
"Hey buddy. I sure have missed you." Lee cuddled the boy on his shoulder and turned to look at Amanda. She wasn't looking at them but rather straight at Eva. "We'll be out of here in no time, I promise." Lee whispered to Nicky with a grin. Eva glanced over at them and raised her eyebrows.
"How touching. Something I had never pictured happening. But I guess some people do change. Or do they?" She looked back at Amanda, who was still staring directly at her. "Are you sure you are the one Lee wants, Mandy?" Lee grimaced at her use of the annoying nickname yet again. If Eva wasn't careful, she was going to pay for that.
Amanda grinned at Eva, who returned her look. "I'm very sure, Eva. I was the one he fought to save. I was there when he discovered you had used him. I'm the one he asked for help in acknowledging that he was over you. And I'm the one he asked to be his wife. You, he stuffed in the trunk of a car and sent to prison."
Eva's grin faded. "But how do you know for certain he is truly over me. You had no idea he still cared for me the last time we met. How do you know this time is any different?" She was grasping now and they all knew it.
Amanda rolled her eyes at Eva. "Ask Lee what he had for breakfast the last time we were at home." Amanda glanced in Lee's direction and he winked at her. With all the weapons pointed in Eva's direction right now, he wasn't worried.
Eva sighed. "Very well. Lee, darling, what did you have for breakfast the last time you were at home?" She said the last word with disdain, rolled her eyes and turned toward Lee for his answer. As she did so, she seemed to forget about Amanda and her gun lowered. Seeing an opportunity, Nadine came from behind Amanda and lunged at Eva, knocking the gun out of her hand and sending it spinning across the floor. Lee grabbed it and handed Nikolas back to Anna, gesturing toward the other side of the apartment.
"Go! Stay down!" He commanded.
She took the baby and ran to the bathroom, closing the door. Nadine struggled with Eva for a few moments trying to pin her down but Eva slipped from her grasp. Turning, she ran right into Amanda, who still had Lee's gun tucked into the front of her jeans.
"Well, well. The little housewife who does not like guns. This should be quite . . . " Eva grabbed for the gun but was abruptly cut off as Amanda's open palm connected with her face. She looked at her attacker in shock and brought her hand up to her cheek.
"I've been waiting for years to do that." Amanda said very quietly. "How dare you kidnap my son." She moved forward so that she was nose to nose with Eva. "You are a sad excuse for a mother, Eva. You abandoned your own child, only using her when it suited you, and you stole mine. You endangered the lives of every child in that orphanage, and pointed a loaded gun at a thirteen-year-old girl and a baby. Not to mention how you used Lee and Angelo." Eva jumped as Lee came up behind her and slid hand cuffs around her wrists. Amanda leaned in even closer. "I'd work on my people skills if I were you; you'll have plenty of time. Goodbye Eva." Amanda slowly backed away, then stopped. "Oh, one more thing." She stepped back to stand face to face with Eva once again. "If they ever let you out of prison, stay away from my family. You're right, people do change. I'm not the same inexperienced civilian you met five years ago." As she turned, searching for Nicky, she gingerly took the gun out of her waistband and handed it to Nadine.
Lee leaned in and laughed at Eva. "She's got a point, Eva. Actually, a few good points. You know, once I realized I was in love with Amanda it made everything much more clear, put it all in perspective. I had never been *in love* with you, Eva. I was infatuated with the thrill of the chase, the romance of Venice. The 'thought' of being in love. Nothing more." He turned her around so that she was facing him and shook his head. "Amanda was mistaken about one thing though." He paused and gave her a huge smile. "You are a sad excuse for a woman. Especially compared to my wife. I'm embarrassed to admit I ever thought about marrying you." Lee shoved Eva toward McCarty, who had just walked in the door. "I need to be with my wife." McCarty nodded, taking his prisoner and pulling her roughly alongside him out of the apartment.
"Amanda?" Lee headed for the bathroom to find her sitting on the toilet seat, Nikolas in her arms. Smiling, he knelt down next to her and put his arms around both of them. "See, I told you everything would be fine," he whispered to her. "And you even got a little action out of it!" He chuckled and drew back just enough to see her face.
"Thank you." Amanda turned her face to him.
"For what?"
"For letting me have my chance with Eva. As much as I hate violence, especially when it can be avoided . . . " She looked down a bit sheepishly and smiled. "I really enjoyed that."
Lee leaned his forehead on hers and laughed out loud.
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1:30 PM
Sheremetevo Airport
Moscow
Nadine gave Nikolas one last squeeze, kissed him on the cheek and handed him to Amanda. She smiled and gave both of them a hug. "Amanda, it was so good to see you again. I do hope that one day we will again be able to work together. I have found a true friend in you." Grabbing Amanda's hand, she paused for a moment. "You will be a wonderful mother for Nikolas. And I am so happy to see Scarecrow as his father. It is nice to know there are others like us." She laughed and glanced at Isaac and Lee. "They are more alike than either one would ever admit."
"I think that's a good thing." Amanda followed Nadine's gaze to the two men. They were deep in conversation. "It certainly doesn't make life easy, but it's worth every minute of frustration."
Nadine nodded in agreement. "It's an interesting life we live. And it is a relief to share it with someone who knows what I go through. I will miss you, Amanda Stetson."
"And we will miss you, too, Nadine. Thank you. For everything." Amanda said with a smile.
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"I don't know how to thank you, Isaac. You didn't have to help us." Lee shook his head. "Wonders never cease, eh?"
"Da, it is not something I would have expected to do." Isaac grinned a bit sheepishly. "Nadine made my decision easy, though." Both men laughed heartily.
"We both have a pretty good thing going. How'd we get so lucky?" Lee glanced over his shoulder and caught the two women watching them.
"I'm not sure, but it took long enough to realize it. I am not going to question it too much." Isaac grinned. "You know, I never will understand how they end up being the rational ones every time. At least they are not, ah, rubbing our noses in it?" He laughed again, shaking his head. "I can honestly say, Scarecrow, I am very glad this worked out for you, and that we were a part of it." He clapped Lee on the shoulder and met his gaze slowly. "Every man should have a son to carry his heritage. Congratulations, Lee." He pulled his arm back abruptly as the women moved to stand next to their husbands.
"Until we meet again?" Lee stuck out his hand to the Russian.
"Da. Dasvidaniya, shchislivii." Isaac offered, shaking Lee's hand powerfully.
Nadine leaned in to whisper to Amanda "That is goodbye and good luck. I wish you the same, Amanda."
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Bellarussia Apartments
Apartment 33
In a corner of the studio apartment, Anna sat on a couch feeding Nicky. He had been crying almost the entire time they had been there. This had only made the woman who was watching them more and more angry as the day progressed. She had yelled at Anna to shut the baby up numerous times as she paced the room. Anna had tried explaining to her that the baby wasn't normally like this, that something had to be wrong, but she hadn't listened and instead had left for a few hours. He had finally calmed down and was now almost asleep. Anna looked up as the woman came back into the apartment, this time with the man who had taken them from the orphanage. She watched and listened as they put away groceries and conversed quietly.
"I don't know how much more I can take of that baby." Yuri shook his head. "I don't know why Scarecrow would willingly subject himself to such torture."
"It won't be long. If he is still as quick tempered and passionate about things as he was before, we should expect to see them very soon." Eva looked at Yuri with a smirk. "I'm sure he's pacing that orphanage as we speak, trying to figure out how to get them away from us. But we're on my turf, now. Things will be very different this time around. Very different."
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10:30PM
Orphanage
Moscow
After eating, seven agents and one attorney sat in the dining hall of the orphanage going over plans for the next morning.
Elena had taken Lee, Isaac, McCarty, and Draper to the building her parents lived in. They had parked in front of the apartments for an hour, watching the comings and goings of the tenants, hitting pay dirt when Yuri and Eva showed up and entered the building with three bags of groceries. It had taken everything Lee had to keep himself in the car and not grab Eva, demanding the return of Nicky. But he knew they had to wait. Now, as they sat finalizing the next day's agenda, he was getting more agitated.
Lee stood, pacing behind the table. "We could do this tonight. There's no reason to wait, you know."
Francine sighed. "Lee, you and Amanda need to get some rest before we do this. There are KGB and US agents posted inside and out at the apartments. We have to make sure we're completely thorough and legal here." She had turned in her seat and was watching as Lee paced. "It's not easy for us to sit here, either, you know."
Nadine placed her hand on Isaac's arm. "It is best to wait. Rushing will only make a mess."
"They are correct, Scarecrow," Isaac added. "There is nothing I would like more than to go there tonight and drag them out into the street." He glanced almost sheepishly at Nadine. "But the women are more level-headed than we pretend to be, da?" He paused, looking around the table, and nodded. "We will wait until morning."
"Then we're all in agreement?" John looked around at the agents and then back up at Lee. He sighed as all seven agents nodded slowly. "Good. Let's all make sure we get a good night's sleep and meet back here at six tomorrow morning. We'll leave from here." Glancing at Francine, he gave her a small smile. "Can I drive you back to the hotel?"
Francine looked at Amanda. "You'll get some sleep, right?"
Before Amanda had a chance to speak, Lee said, "I'll make sure of it."
"That goes for you, too, Stetson. I don't want your butt dragging in here tomorrow half-asleep." She pointed a finger at Lee, a stern look on her face. Standing slowly, Francine turned to John. "Thank you, John. I'd love a ride back." She walked around the table and placed her hand on Amanda's shoulder. "I'll see you in the morning, Amanda. Try not to worry too much."
Amanda placed her hand over Francine's and smiled. "Thank you. Sleep sounds pretty inviting right now."
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11:30PM
Hotel Rossiya
Moscow
As Lee emerged from the bathroom, Amanda was just hanging up the phone. "Who was that?"
"Mother." Amanda looked over at him. "I wanted her to know what was going in case something . . . happens. I don't want to just spring some bad news on her and the boys . . . if . . . it's better if they know what's going on now." Lee walked up behind her and she leaned into his chest with a sigh. He slid his arms around her and squeezed her waist gently.
"We're not going to have any bad news, Amanda. This time tomorrow we'll be on our way home with Nicky." He kissed her temple and turned her around in his arms. "Now, you need to get into bed. We have the perfect opportunity to get a couple of hours of uninterrupted sleep, let's take advantage of it, huh?"
Amanda took a deep breath, backed out of Lee's embrace and took his hand. Turning toward the bed, she tugged on his hand. "Only if you get some sleep, too." She turned back to him and sat on the bed. She raised her eyes to meet his and whispered, "I'm *not* lying down alone."
He hesitated for only a moment. "I guess I can't refuse that," he responded softly as she scooted across the bed to lie down on her side. Joining her on the bed, he draped his left arm across her waist and pulled her close, shifting so her head was resting on his right shoulder.
'I'll just lay here until she falls asleep. I have too much to do . . . ' Lee's thoughts were interrupted as he slipped into a mercifully peaceful slumber.
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The shrill ringing of the phone startled Lee from his sleep. He slid his arm out from underneath Amanda and leaned up to reach over her. "Yeah, Stetson," he snapped into the phone. "Okay, thank you." Fumbling with the receiver, he finally dropped it back onto the base with a hollow clunk.
"Who was that?" Amanda's groggy voice came from next to him.
"Wake up call." Lee rubbed his eyes and sighed. "Time to get moving." He couldn't believe he had fallen asleep so quickly and slept so soundly. "It's 4:30. We need to meet Francine downstairs in an hour."
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Thursday, August 6th
6:30AM
Bellarussia Apartments
John Devin sat in a small, open-air café kitty-corner from the Butsayev's apartment building, reading the morning edition of yesterday's New York Times. Glancing at his watch, he folded the newspaper and laid it on the table. Reaching for his coffee, he took a sip, scanned the street before him and noted the cab to his right. Draper was seated in the front of the vehicle, Francine in the back. John flipped open the paper again and shook his head. That woman was one he wouldn't forget for a long time. Definitely not his type, but incredibly intriguing, to say the least. A crackling in his ear interrupted his thoughts.
"Stingray one. We're in position." Lee's voice came over John's earpiece.
'This is it,' he thought. "Stingray two, I'm set. All clear here." A smirk crossed his face as he listened to the remaining agents check in. He felt like a character in a spy movie. It was rather exciting, although he was slightly uneasy, being in the middle of all these Intelligence Operatives. In his experience at the Embassy, they were normally a reckless bunch. And these were far from normal circumstances. He rolled his eyes and chastised himself. 'I'm an attorney, for heaven's sake.' Devin cleared his throat and motioned to the waitress for a refill.
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After meeting with the agents who had been on surveillance through out the night, McCarty and Scarecrow realized the KGB were as anxious to get Yuri and Eva in custody as the Americans were to get Nikolas back. Yuri and Eva hadn't left their apartment all night. If they were going to move, it had to be now. But he wasn't about to hand this one over to the KGB. This was theirs, they had earned it the last few days. Lee checked his gun and placed it back in his holster. Then he checked the other gun hidden in his waistband. Eva wouldn't get the better of him this time. He looked over at Amanda. At her nod of agreement, he took her hand in his and they entered the apartment building together.
"Stingray one moving in." He glanced at Amanda and squeezed her hand. "We're almost there." He sighed and his eyebrows knit together. "I wish you'd take a gun."
"That's not an option in this case, Lee. I don't plan on needing it. My focus is Nikolas. You and Isaac can take care of Yuri and Eva." She smiled at him. "Although I wouldn't mind taking care of Eva myself. She still bugs me. And, given the chance, I'd still like to smack her." Lee opened his mouth to respond but Amanda cut him off. "Don't worry, Stetson . . . I'll make sure you're there to watch."
"This is a side of you I've not had the pleasure of getting to know, Mrs. Stetson. Where've you been hiding her?" He squeezed her hand again and led her out of the elevator. "Now, we're going around the corner and down three doors. Isaac and Nadine are across the hall in 32. Once we're in, they'll join us. You ready?" He shot her a look.
"Of course I'm ready." Creeping slowly down the hall, Amanda smiled at him again. She took her position on the opposite side of the door from him and he caught her eye as he quietly counted.
"One . . . two . . . THREE!" Lee raised his leg and kicked in the door, his gun drawn. Luckily, it was a small studio apartment and he had all four people in view immediately. Yuri had grabbed a gun and dove behind the couch. Unfortunately for Lee, Anna was lying on the couch, holding the sleeping baby. Glancing left and right, he noted ample coverage for Isaac and Nadine when they were ready to enter. Hopefully he and Amanda would be enough of a distraction to Eva to get the Petrovitches in unnoticed. He felt Amanda's hand on his back, grabbing his shirt. "Don't move." He whispered to her over his shoulder. Still pointing his gun toward where Yuri had hidden, he took a deep breath and called out, "Give it up, Yuri. You've got no way out. It's over." Out of the corner of his eye he saw Eva inching closer to the couch. Swinging his gun toward her he confronted her. "Don't try it Eva." To his surprise, he felt the extra gun slide out of his waistband. He smothered a grin and met Eva's glare. "So, they let you out, huh, Eva? Why? Good behavior? You convince some guard you loved him?"
"My, my, are we still bitter, Lee? Does it still bother you that much? I thought you had gotten over me long ago. How touching." Eva was still inching closer to the couch. "Mandy! How good to see you again." She said with feigned enthusiasm.
A voice that sounded more confident than Lee expected came from behind him. "Wish I could say the same, Eva. And it's Amanda. Amanda Stetson." She stepped out from behind Lee and he glanced at her.
"Amanda . . . " He started to worry. "Stay here, Yuri has a gun."
"So do I." Came a whispered reply as she continued toward Eva. "Let me have Nikolas, Eva. He has nothing to do with this. He's an innocent baby. Let him go and I'll stay. That's what you want, right?"
Eva looked to Lee then back at Amanda. A smile spread across her face as she contemplated the offer. "Tempting offer. Very tempting. But I don't think so. You see, you ruined my life and now it is my turn to repay the favor." Eva seemingly forgot about Nikolas and took one step toward Amanda. Lee edged closer to the couch, his eyes on Eva as she confronted his wife. From behind, he heard a slight shuffle while in his other ear Isaac's voice crackled.
"We're in Scarecrow. I'll cover you, Nadine will stay with Amanda." Lee nodded almost imperceptibly and continued his slow course toward Yuri's hiding place.
Lee ducked his head and whispered into the microphone in his collar. "Tell Nadine that Amanda took my gun. Just so there's no surprises here." He shook his head. This was getting interesting. He wasn't quite worried yet, Amanda could hold her own, and she had his gun tucked in the back of her jeans, but he also knew Eva. As he approached the back of the couch, Nikolas caught sight of him and let out a squeal. The momentary distraction caught both Lee and Amanda off guard. Yuri bolted from behind the couch and knocked Lee off balance as he shoved past. Cursing, he rolled over to fire, only to see Isaac knock him out with one punch to the face.
"Coward," Isaac spat out as he rubbed his hand.
At the same time, Eva had turned and aimed a gun at Nikolas and Anna. Knowing Amanda and Nadine were both armed; Lee tossed his gun across the floor and sat up, his hands in the air. Nikolas was wiggling and squealing at him like he had in the orphanage.
"Wise decision, Lee. You *know* I won't hesitate. And this time the gun is loaded." Her eyes penetrated his and held for a moment. Finally, she looked back at Amanda with a smile. "I may not get out of here with my life, Mandy, but I will take someone you love with me when I go. You make the choice."
Amanda's eyes grew wide, but that was the only reaction she had. Lee noticed his gun was now ticked in the front of her jeans. She must have switched it in the scuffle. A feeling of pride swelled in Lee as he watched her, sure her mind was working to figure out what to do. "You know, Eva, this vendetta you have against me really isn't healthy. I haven't done anything to you." Amanda said softly.
Eva motioned toward Lee. "Anna, let the baby go," she said in Russian. As Anna put Nicky down, Lee held out his arms. The little boy scooted across the floor on his belly, giggling the whole way. It seemed forever until the baby was in his arms.
"Hey buddy. I sure have missed you." Lee cuddled the boy on his shoulder and turned to look at Amanda. She wasn't looking at them but rather straight at Eva. "We'll be out of here in no time, I promise." Lee whispered to Nicky with a grin. Eva glanced over at them and raised her eyebrows.
"How touching. Something I had never pictured happening. But I guess some people do change. Or do they?" She looked back at Amanda, who was still staring directly at her. "Are you sure you are the one Lee wants, Mandy?" Lee grimaced at her use of the annoying nickname yet again. If Eva wasn't careful, she was going to pay for that.
Amanda grinned at Eva, who returned her look. "I'm very sure, Eva. I was the one he fought to save. I was there when he discovered you had used him. I'm the one he asked for help in acknowledging that he was over you. And I'm the one he asked to be his wife. You, he stuffed in the trunk of a car and sent to prison."
Eva's grin faded. "But how do you know for certain he is truly over me. You had no idea he still cared for me the last time we met. How do you know this time is any different?" She was grasping now and they all knew it.
Amanda rolled her eyes at Eva. "Ask Lee what he had for breakfast the last time we were at home." Amanda glanced in Lee's direction and he winked at her. With all the weapons pointed in Eva's direction right now, he wasn't worried.
Eva sighed. "Very well. Lee, darling, what did you have for breakfast the last time you were at home?" She said the last word with disdain, rolled her eyes and turned toward Lee for his answer. As she did so, she seemed to forget about Amanda and her gun lowered. Seeing an opportunity, Nadine came from behind Amanda and lunged at Eva, knocking the gun out of her hand and sending it spinning across the floor. Lee grabbed it and handed Nikolas back to Anna, gesturing toward the other side of the apartment.
"Go! Stay down!" He commanded.
She took the baby and ran to the bathroom, closing the door. Nadine struggled with Eva for a few moments trying to pin her down but Eva slipped from her grasp. Turning, she ran right into Amanda, who still had Lee's gun tucked into the front of her jeans.
"Well, well. The little housewife who does not like guns. This should be quite . . . " Eva grabbed for the gun but was abruptly cut off as Amanda's open palm connected with her face. She looked at her attacker in shock and brought her hand up to her cheek.
"I've been waiting for years to do that." Amanda said very quietly. "How dare you kidnap my son." She moved forward so that she was nose to nose with Eva. "You are a sad excuse for a mother, Eva. You abandoned your own child, only using her when it suited you, and you stole mine. You endangered the lives of every child in that orphanage, and pointed a loaded gun at a thirteen-year-old girl and a baby. Not to mention how you used Lee and Angelo." Eva jumped as Lee came up behind her and slid hand cuffs around her wrists. Amanda leaned in even closer. "I'd work on my people skills if I were you; you'll have plenty of time. Goodbye Eva." Amanda slowly backed away, then stopped. "Oh, one more thing." She stepped back to stand face to face with Eva once again. "If they ever let you out of prison, stay away from my family. You're right, people do change. I'm not the same inexperienced civilian you met five years ago." As she turned, searching for Nicky, she gingerly took the gun out of her waistband and handed it to Nadine.
Lee leaned in and laughed at Eva. "She's got a point, Eva. Actually, a few good points. You know, once I realized I was in love with Amanda it made everything much more clear, put it all in perspective. I had never been *in love* with you, Eva. I was infatuated with the thrill of the chase, the romance of Venice. The 'thought' of being in love. Nothing more." He turned her around so that she was facing him and shook his head. "Amanda was mistaken about one thing though." He paused and gave her a huge smile. "You are a sad excuse for a woman. Especially compared to my wife. I'm embarrassed to admit I ever thought about marrying you." Lee shoved Eva toward McCarty, who had just walked in the door. "I need to be with my wife." McCarty nodded, taking his prisoner and pulling her roughly alongside him out of the apartment.
"Amanda?" Lee headed for the bathroom to find her sitting on the toilet seat, Nikolas in her arms. Smiling, he knelt down next to her and put his arms around both of them. "See, I told you everything would be fine," he whispered to her. "And you even got a little action out of it!" He chuckled and drew back just enough to see her face.
"Thank you." Amanda turned her face to him.
"For what?"
"For letting me have my chance with Eva. As much as I hate violence, especially when it can be avoided . . . " She looked down a bit sheepishly and smiled. "I really enjoyed that."
Lee leaned his forehead on hers and laughed out loud.
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1:30 PM
Sheremetevo Airport
Moscow
Nadine gave Nikolas one last squeeze, kissed him on the cheek and handed him to Amanda. She smiled and gave both of them a hug. "Amanda, it was so good to see you again. I do hope that one day we will again be able to work together. I have found a true friend in you." Grabbing Amanda's hand, she paused for a moment. "You will be a wonderful mother for Nikolas. And I am so happy to see Scarecrow as his father. It is nice to know there are others like us." She laughed and glanced at Isaac and Lee. "They are more alike than either one would ever admit."
"I think that's a good thing." Amanda followed Nadine's gaze to the two men. They were deep in conversation. "It certainly doesn't make life easy, but it's worth every minute of frustration."
Nadine nodded in agreement. "It's an interesting life we live. And it is a relief to share it with someone who knows what I go through. I will miss you, Amanda Stetson."
"And we will miss you, too, Nadine. Thank you. For everything." Amanda said with a smile.
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"I don't know how to thank you, Isaac. You didn't have to help us." Lee shook his head. "Wonders never cease, eh?"
"Da, it is not something I would have expected to do." Isaac grinned a bit sheepishly. "Nadine made my decision easy, though." Both men laughed heartily.
"We both have a pretty good thing going. How'd we get so lucky?" Lee glanced over his shoulder and caught the two women watching them.
"I'm not sure, but it took long enough to realize it. I am not going to question it too much." Isaac grinned. "You know, I never will understand how they end up being the rational ones every time. At least they are not, ah, rubbing our noses in it?" He laughed again, shaking his head. "I can honestly say, Scarecrow, I am very glad this worked out for you, and that we were a part of it." He clapped Lee on the shoulder and met his gaze slowly. "Every man should have a son to carry his heritage. Congratulations, Lee." He pulled his arm back abruptly as the women moved to stand next to their husbands.
"Until we meet again?" Lee stuck out his hand to the Russian.
"Da. Dasvidaniya, shchislivii." Isaac offered, shaking Lee's hand powerfully.
Nadine leaned in to whisper to Amanda "That is goodbye and good luck. I wish you the same, Amanda."
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