Title: A Matter of Trust
Author: Zubeneschamali
Rating: PG
Summary: A series of missing scenes from "Burn Out," exploring the themes of trust and partnership in the episode.
Disclaimer: (To the tune of "The Longest Time," by Billy Joel)
If PAX quit with SMK tonight,
There would still be fanfic left to write.
What else could I do?
I'm so inspired by those two
That hasn't happened for the longest time.
Once I thought new storylines were gone
Now I know Amanda and Lee go on.
But they're owned by others:
Shoot the Moon and Warner Brothers
They're copyrighted for the longest time!
Author's Note: I love "Burn Out." I love the way Amanda and Lee's relationship develops throughout the course of the episode, particularly with regards to their trust in each other. I love that Amanda gets recognition for doing a good job, especially from Lee. And I love how Lee flirts with her in the tag scene! But, of course, there were some missing scenes that I felt obliged to fill in...
Thanks so much to Barb for checking on the details for me!
Feedback: Please! jlcidell@yahoo.com
* * * *
Lee slammed on his brakes and quickly pulled off the road. He had seen Amanda's car suddenly weave back and forth, and he thought for a moment he had seen Harris carefully aiming a gun out of his window. So he climbed out the Corvette as quietly as he could, creeping closer towards the two cars while trying not to attract attention. What did Harris want with her, anyway?
And then Lee saw the gun in Harris's hand. "Oh, no," he thought, reaching for his own weapon on instinct. Then he froze. If Harris saw him, his cover was blown, and he would have no more chance of finding who was behind the burnout plot than when this whole thing began. But he had to do something, since he was pretty sure Harris wasn't just going to tie Amanda to a tree and leave her there in the woods.
Lee drew his weapon and inched his way past the two cars. Harris was following Amanda out into the woods, right near the edge of a pretty steep drop-off. Maybe if he could find something to throw at Harris, it would knock him over the edge, or at least distract him enough for Amanda to get the gun. *Right, like Amanda's going to attack an armed man,* he thought to himself. Still, he had to try something. Even from several yards away, he could see the fear and resignation on Amanda's face when Harris told her to turn around.
But then as he took another step forward, he heard a twig crack under his feet. *Damn it!* He prepared to spring forward and attack Harris, cover be damned. But then he saw something that made his eyes widen in amazement. Amanda swiftly bent down, grabbed a substantial-looking branch, and swung it with all her might against Harris's head. He fell down the hill without a cry, gun falling at Amanda's feet. She closed her eyes for a second, and Lee wanted to give a cheer. That was incredible! Trained agents often didn't react that quickly, and she hadn't even hesitated.
He had to stifle a chuckle at the way Amanda picked up the gun, as if it was a particularly smelly gym sock. She started back towards the car, and he saw his chance. "Psst!" he hissed. She turned, and didn't seem at all surprised to see him, rushing right over to hand off the gun. "Good shot. Are you all right?"
"Do you think I killed him?" she nervously responded.
"No, but he'll be asleep for while. Now look, I'm going to put the spare on your car, and I want you to meet me downtown at Chez Nouvelle on 21st Street. All right?"
"Right." Amanda nodded and headed straight to her car. Lee had to shake his head, looking after her. She wasn't even questioning how he had been there or what he was telling her to do, even considering how he'd been acting lately. What had he ever done to earn her trust so completely?
He pocketed the gun and followed her. She had already opened her trunk and was digging out the spare and jack. When he tried to take them from her, she said, "Lee, I know how to change a tire," tugging back.
He was about to step back and let her do it when he noticed that the jack was wobbling a bit in her shaky hands. So he closed his hands over hers and held them for a moment. "Let me, okay," he said softly.
She remained looking down, focusing on their hands. There was silence for a moment, and then she said quietly, "I was just driving down the road when I heard my tire blow out, but I know what to do in case of blowouts, and I was able to steer into this little pulloff, and I had just gotten out of the car to look at it when he pulled up, and I thought I was so lucky that someone was here to help me, and then he pulled that gun on me." She took a deep breath and looked up. "Lee, who is he and why did he want to kill me?"
He sighed. Obviously his attempt to keep her out of the line of fire had not worked. And he knew she was perceptive enough that once he started to tell her the story, he would have to tell her the whole thing. Billy wasn't going to like it, but he didn't see that he had much choice. "Look, I'll tell you all about it at the restaurant, okay? Just wait in the car and let me change the tire."
She nodded, relinquishing her hold on the tire jack. Then she went and got in the driver's seat while he changed the tire. When he was done, he went up to her window. "All set," he said quietly.
Amanda nodded and went to roll up the window, but he reached in and put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?" he asked seriously. She had just been through quite a shock, he thought, and although they had to get out of there before Harris came back, he knew she might need a minute to compose herself.
But she gave her usual cheerful smile. "I'm fine, Lee," she said, reaching up to squeeze his hand. "I'll meet you at Chez Nouvelle, okay?"
He nodded in reply, eyeing her critically. She _did_ seem to be okay, at least enough that he didn't have to worry about her driving. "I'll be right behind you the whole way."
Amanda nodded again. "See you there," she said, giving him a reassuring smile, then put the car in gear and pulled back onto the road.
Lee rushed back to his car and headed after her, not wanting to let her out of his sight. He was furious at Harris and whoever was behind him for bringing Amanda into this, and furious at himself for not succeeding in keeping her out of danger. "Why does she have to try and be such a good friend to people?" he asked the empty car. "It only gets her into trouble," Then he smiled and shook his head. *But she's that kind of person,* he answered himself. *And it's probably a good thing for you that she is.*
* * * *
"There's your victim, Lee," she heard Brackin say.
Her eyes locked onto Lee's as horrified understanding swept over both of them. "I want you to kill Mrs. King," he continued. Amanda swallowed. No wonder she had been surprised by Billy's call that morning--it wasn't really him. Lee had explained last night that there would probably be some kind of test that they put him through, had even hinted that it might involve doing harm to someone, though he quickly reassured her that that was unlikely. Now it turned out he had been wrong.
The initial shock that flooded Lee's face quickly faded, to be replaced by a grim, resigned look. "All right," he said, holding his hand out for Brackin's gun. Amanda tensed, despite the fact that Harris was holding her arm so tightly there was no way for her to run.
"No, not here," the other man replied. "We've got a nice, quiet place in mind. Then we can get down to business."
Lee nodded, still looking at her. Then he turned to look at the man next to him, as if something had just occurred to him. "You know, Brackin, there are easier ways of proving my loyalty to you. I mean, people are going to ask questions if she just disappears. Can't we just keep her out of the way for a few days?"
"No, I think by now she knows too much." He paused and gave Lee a close look. "You squeamish, Stetson?"
Amanda could tell that the chuckle Lee gave was forced. "Nah, I can handle it. I'm just wondering if it's the best thing in the long run."
"You let me worry about that. That is, unless you've changed your mind about quitting the Agency?"
The hard tone in Brackin's voice made it clear that the wrong answer to that question would doom Lee to the same fate that was planned for Amanda. Lee gave a nervous laugh. "No, no, I've had enough of that place. I just didn't know "import/export" was going to be so rough."
"Well, you'd better get used to it," Brackin said, giving Amanda one final look. "Come on, let's go," he said, motioning her towards the rear door.
She paused, trying to make eye contact with Lee. Could they rush their captors? Were they better off waiting till they were wherever they were being taken? But Lee wouldn't meet her eyes, and so she had no choice but to obey as Harris pushed her towards the door. How were they going to get out of this one?
Half an hour later, they pulled off the road into a deserted, wooded area, and Amanda's heart sank. She hadn't had a second alone with Lee to discuss any kind of plan, hadn't even been able to slip any coded messages past Brackin. She knew that both of their lives depended on their ability to work together as a team, but working only through body language and eye contact. She figured she would have to make them think she'd been shot, but how could she fake being dead? Would Lee actually shoot her enough to make her bleed, but not enough to injure her? What would being shot feel like? And what were their plans for him, since no one else knew where they were?
The car rolled to a stop. Everyone climbed out, Harris's gun still fixed on Amanda. They pointed her towards the top of a steep hill, and she felt the first bit of hope since she had entered Brackin's office. *You can do this,* she told herself. *Just stop, drop, and roll, just like you tell the boys in case of a fire. Just hope that Lee misses...*
"Be my guest," she heard Brackin say, handing Lee his gun. Lee weighed it in his hand, then took a few steps and stood in front of her. And then he raised the gun.
Amanda took a sharp breath. She'd been confronted by people with guns a surprisingly large number of times in the past year or so, even one held by a woman with her own face. But to see Lee in front of her, with only a cold, calculating expression on his face as he pointed the weapon at her, chilled her to the bone. For a moment the thought flashed through her head that maybe he really had burned out, maybe their meeting in the restaurant had just been to throw her off track. Then she remembered the split second of horror she'd seen on his face when Brackin had announced his plans for them, and she knew. She just had to trust him.
She saw his eyes raise to hers for just a moment, and though she knew he couldn't give anything away with his expression, she tried to convey her trust as best she could through her fear. She saw his finger begin to tighten on the trigger, and she tensed her muscles.
The instant the gun went off, Amanda threw herself backwards, hitting the ground with a grunt and rolling down the hill, arms and legs flying. Just as she was starting to wonder how far she was going have to climb back up, she hit a small bush with another grunt, and came to rest. She could feel twinges of pain from her legs and head, but steeled herself to keep as still as possible, thankful she had landed on her stomach so it would be harder for them to see that she was breathing. She laid there as quietly as she could, straining her ears to hear what was going on up at the top of the hill. *I hope Lee knows he didn't really shoot me,* she suddenly thought. *And I sure hope those two awful men think he really did.*
* * * *
The echoes of the gunshot faded, and all Lee could hear was a series of rustles and thumps as Amanda's body rolled down the hill. Then, "Good job," said Brackin.
It was all Lee could do to hand him the gun rather than shoot him with it. "Are you satisfied?" he managed to choke out before turning away.
The two men remained at the top of the hill as Lee started back towards the car, stomach churning. He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw, forcing himself to think calmly about what he had just seen. He knew he had aimed away from Amanda, and he hadn't seen any blood after he pulled the trigger. He knew his aim was good, especially at such close range, and he was sure he hadn't hit her.
But she had fallen so quickly, and lifelessly, tumbling down the hill before his astonished eyes. And when he had walked to the edge to look down at her, she was lying crumpled up against a clump of bushes, arms flung over her head, perfectly still. A ball of ice had formed in his stomach, and he had to restrain himself from rushing down after her to see if she was all right. Instead he slapped the gun into Brackin's hand and stalked off before his face gave him away.
He could still hear Brackin and Harris talking, but he couldn't quite make out their words. He hoped to God they weren't considering firing another bullet down at Amanda, just to make sure. It wasn't likely she could fake her reaction to that one as well. *Assuming it _was_ a fake reaction the first time,* a little corner of his mind chimed in. He shook his head to clear it of the thought. She was fine. She _had_ to be fine. Any alternative was simply not worth considering.
The crunch of footsteps on gravel sounded in his ears, and he steeled himself before turning to face them. They would be expecting him to be a little upset, sure, but he couldn't overdo it. They climbed into the car, and as they pulled away he fought to keep from looking out the back window to see if she was climbing up the hill.
"I know how you must feel," Brackin said from the front seat. "It's not easy killing a woman."
*And how would you know,* Lee wanted to spit out at him. *You have no idea what I just did, what I might have just done.*
"But a half million dollars should help ease the pain," he went on.
Lee's jaw clenched. What kind of man did he think he was, that any amount of money could compensate for Amanda's life? To distract himself and to get back to business, he forced out, "And where's all this money coming from?"
As Brackin laid out his plan, Lee was only half listening. Part of him was replaying over and over in his mind the scene that had just taken place, focusing on the moment he pulled the trigger. Had he seen the bullet rip into her sweater, or was it just his imagination? He had been frozen in place, all his concentration on his aim, not able to spare the smallest reassuring glance to Amanda in case Brackin and Harris were watching. He recalled aiming just to the right of her shoulder, trying to ignore the fear that he could see in her eyes, knowing that if he didn't do this right, Brackin certainly would. At the last second his eyes had flickered to hers, and he saw under the fear that same unshakeable trust he had seen when they were in the woods. And that trust gave him the courage to pull the trigger.
And then she had fallen, maybe just a little quicker than she would have if she had really been shot, but maybe not; maybe she was really lying there, wounded and bleeding to death on some random hillside, and no matter how many burned-out agents' lives it cost, no operation was worth that...
Lee gave himself a mental shake. *You have to assume she's fine,* he sternly told himself. *You have to go on with this operation, and trust that she'll find her way out.* She had done a good job of following her instincts so far, and all he could do was trust in her to continue to do so. He turned his full attention back to Brackin, wondering if there were going to be any more unexpected twists in the man's plan.
* * * *
*CRASH!*
The instant the semi stopped moving, Travis leaped out with a whoop, heading for the two figures tussling on the ground. He laid his hands on the figure on top and almost gleefully hauled back his arm.
Amanda took a deep breath, wanting nothing more than to just sit for a minute and recover from the wild ride. But she suddenly realized that Travis didn't know who was who, and as she scrambled out of the cab she was horrified to see him about to strike Lee. "No, no, not that one!" she screamed as loudly as she could. "He's the good guy!"
Travis paused, long enough for Harris to scramble to his feet and start running. Once he let go of Lee, Lee pointed him in Harris's direction before taking off after Brackin.
Amanda stood there, unsure of what to do. For once, Lee hadn't told her to stay in the car, or stay right there, but she had the feeling his adrenaline had been running a bit too high. She couldn't just follow him across the field, though, with he and Brackin shooting at each other.
Then she heard a report from Brackin's gun, and Lee instantly fell to the ground. "Oh my gosh," she said, heart in her throat. What if he--then she saw him start to crawl across the ground, and her eyes closed in relief.
Then the two men started to climb the spillway, and she figured she was out of range. Sparing Travis a glance, she could see he was having no trouble with his man, so she hurried after Lee. Even if all she could do was watch, she still wanted to be close by. But then she heard the empty click of Lee's gun, and so did Brackin. She had to do something--and then she saw the valve right in front of her. *Well, it can't hurt,* she thought to herself, and gave it an energetic twist.
Eventually, Lee came walking back down the spillway, shoving Brackin in front of him. *Ooh, is he sexy with his hair all wet like that!* she thought. Then she shook her head. *Ooh, is that the wrong kind of thought to be having right now!* Travis came walking up from the other side, and Lee offered him his hand. "Thanks, my friend!"
"Anytime!" Travis replied, and she grinned. What a team they had turned out to be!
After Travis helped them tie up Harris and Brackin in the back of the armored car, he lifted his cap in salute and headed back towards his truck, shouting something about "Commie pinkos" along the way. Amanda shook her head with a smile and called out, "Thanks again, Travis!"
Then she turned to face Lee, who was also staring after the trucker. "Where did you _find_ that guy?" he asked in amazement.
"Yeah, he was quite a character!" Amanda said. "He just happened to be driving by when I finally climbed out of that ravine and headed for the road. I knew I had to get here as fast as I could, since I had heard what those guys were planning to do to you, and when I told him it was a matter of national security, he just flipped his lid. He was really enthusiastic about getting to help out, and I think he really was a sweet guy." Of course, that ride down the hillside in Travis's semi-truck had been one of the scariest parts of a very scary day. *Out of the frying pan and into the fire,* she remembered thinking as they careened towards the three men at the old mill.
Then Lee turned towards her, heaving a deep breath, and she could see him finally begin to relax. "Well, he did a great job. So did you, you know. You arrived here just in the nick of time."
"Oh well, I was just kind of following my instincts. I mean, no one else knew you were out here, and I didn't know if you'd thought you really shot me, and I was just lucky that Travis came along when he did!"
He laid one hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "I never doubted you'd come through, Amanda."
She could feel herself blushing. "Aw, Lee, that's really sweet," she started. Then she noticed his fingers playing with the fresh hole in the shoulder of her sweater. She looked up and saw his stricken expression. "Did I do that?" he asked, his face full of concern.
"Do what?" she asked, turning her head and pulling the sweater around to see. "Oh yeah, that was when you shot at me. I guess you did a pretty good job of making it look realistic, huh?" she said in a light tone, trying not to remember the fear she had felt when the bullet plucked at her shoulder as it sped by.
She raised her head to find Lee looking at her with an expression she had never seen on his face. "Amanda, I almost..." his voice trailed off, and his other hand came up to her right shoulder. "I didn't realize I came so close," he said softly, and he gripped her more firmly, as if to steady himself.
She looked up into his eyes for a moment, trying to read his expression. There was a little bit of fear there, something she was not used to seeing from Lee Stetson. There was also a mixture of worry and relief, also uncommon emotions as far as she knew. But underneath that all was a measure of caring that she hadn't been aware existed, and from the way he was holding onto her, she didn't think he had been aware of it, either.
So she gave him the warmest smile she could and leaned forward to wrap her arms around him. "I'm just glad you didn't come any closer," she said, only the slightest catch in her voice betraying her remembered fear.
His arms crept around her in response, and they briefly enjoyed an embrace. Then Lee pulled back. "Amanda," he said softly, reaching up to brush away a strand of hair that had blown into her eyes.
She caught her breath at his touch. "Yeah?" she responded just as softly.
He looked into her eyes for what seemed like an eternity, and she swallowed in nervous anticipation of what might follow. She could feel her heart beating rapidly, and she knew her breathing had quickened as well. Lee's wet shirt was soaking into hers, but she hardly noticed. His hand was warm against her face, and she thought his head was leaning just the slightest bit closer to hers.
Then his face relaxed, and he withdrew his hand with a nervous laugh. "You know what I'm going to do when we get back to the office?"
She gave a small laugh, too, relieved and yet disappointed that the sudden tension had been broken. "Apologize to Francine for not bringing her in the loop?"
Lee grinned. "No, but I'm sure it'll take a while before Billy and I hear the end of that!" He shook his head, then went on, "No, I'm going to submit a commendation for you for your actions on this case."
"Aw, Lee," she replied, looking down at the ground. "I was just following my instincts, you know. I never even had a chance to think about what I was doing, really I was just trying to stay alive for a while there--"
"No, no, you were incredible," he said, cutting her off. "From the way you knocked out Harris to the way you washed out Brackin. There are plenty of agents out there who don't do nearly as good a job even when they _have_ time to think about it."
Amanda looked back up at Lee and was astonished to find actual admiration in his glance. *Well, we've come a long way, haven't we, Stetson?* she thought with some amusement. Was it only a few months ago that he had been berating her to the point that she seriously considered quitting?
Apparently he understood her expression, for he gave a sheepish smile. "We do make a pretty good team, huh?" he said with a twinkle in his eye.
She reached up and gave him a peck on the cheek. "We sure do, Scarecrow!" she replied, pulling back in time to catch the look of surprise that flashed across his face. *Gotcha,* she thought with an inward smile. Out loud she said, "Can you do me one favor?"
"Anything," Lee instantly responded.
She raised an eyebrow and went on in a serious tone, "Can you help me think of something to tell my mother about what happened to my sweater?"
He laughed. "We have the whole drive back to think about it," he replied with a smile, putting his hand in its usual place on her back to lead her to the front of the armored car for the long drive home.
Author: Zubeneschamali
Rating: PG
Summary: A series of missing scenes from "Burn Out," exploring the themes of trust and partnership in the episode.
Disclaimer: (To the tune of "The Longest Time," by Billy Joel)
If PAX quit with SMK tonight,
There would still be fanfic left to write.
What else could I do?
I'm so inspired by those two
That hasn't happened for the longest time.
Once I thought new storylines were gone
Now I know Amanda and Lee go on.
But they're owned by others:
Shoot the Moon and Warner Brothers
They're copyrighted for the longest time!
Author's Note: I love "Burn Out." I love the way Amanda and Lee's relationship develops throughout the course of the episode, particularly with regards to their trust in each other. I love that Amanda gets recognition for doing a good job, especially from Lee. And I love how Lee flirts with her in the tag scene! But, of course, there were some missing scenes that I felt obliged to fill in...
Thanks so much to Barb for checking on the details for me!
Feedback: Please! jlcidell@yahoo.com
* * * *
Lee slammed on his brakes and quickly pulled off the road. He had seen Amanda's car suddenly weave back and forth, and he thought for a moment he had seen Harris carefully aiming a gun out of his window. So he climbed out the Corvette as quietly as he could, creeping closer towards the two cars while trying not to attract attention. What did Harris want with her, anyway?
And then Lee saw the gun in Harris's hand. "Oh, no," he thought, reaching for his own weapon on instinct. Then he froze. If Harris saw him, his cover was blown, and he would have no more chance of finding who was behind the burnout plot than when this whole thing began. But he had to do something, since he was pretty sure Harris wasn't just going to tie Amanda to a tree and leave her there in the woods.
Lee drew his weapon and inched his way past the two cars. Harris was following Amanda out into the woods, right near the edge of a pretty steep drop-off. Maybe if he could find something to throw at Harris, it would knock him over the edge, or at least distract him enough for Amanda to get the gun. *Right, like Amanda's going to attack an armed man,* he thought to himself. Still, he had to try something. Even from several yards away, he could see the fear and resignation on Amanda's face when Harris told her to turn around.
But then as he took another step forward, he heard a twig crack under his feet. *Damn it!* He prepared to spring forward and attack Harris, cover be damned. But then he saw something that made his eyes widen in amazement. Amanda swiftly bent down, grabbed a substantial-looking branch, and swung it with all her might against Harris's head. He fell down the hill without a cry, gun falling at Amanda's feet. She closed her eyes for a second, and Lee wanted to give a cheer. That was incredible! Trained agents often didn't react that quickly, and she hadn't even hesitated.
He had to stifle a chuckle at the way Amanda picked up the gun, as if it was a particularly smelly gym sock. She started back towards the car, and he saw his chance. "Psst!" he hissed. She turned, and didn't seem at all surprised to see him, rushing right over to hand off the gun. "Good shot. Are you all right?"
"Do you think I killed him?" she nervously responded.
"No, but he'll be asleep for while. Now look, I'm going to put the spare on your car, and I want you to meet me downtown at Chez Nouvelle on 21st Street. All right?"
"Right." Amanda nodded and headed straight to her car. Lee had to shake his head, looking after her. She wasn't even questioning how he had been there or what he was telling her to do, even considering how he'd been acting lately. What had he ever done to earn her trust so completely?
He pocketed the gun and followed her. She had already opened her trunk and was digging out the spare and jack. When he tried to take them from her, she said, "Lee, I know how to change a tire," tugging back.
He was about to step back and let her do it when he noticed that the jack was wobbling a bit in her shaky hands. So he closed his hands over hers and held them for a moment. "Let me, okay," he said softly.
She remained looking down, focusing on their hands. There was silence for a moment, and then she said quietly, "I was just driving down the road when I heard my tire blow out, but I know what to do in case of blowouts, and I was able to steer into this little pulloff, and I had just gotten out of the car to look at it when he pulled up, and I thought I was so lucky that someone was here to help me, and then he pulled that gun on me." She took a deep breath and looked up. "Lee, who is he and why did he want to kill me?"
He sighed. Obviously his attempt to keep her out of the line of fire had not worked. And he knew she was perceptive enough that once he started to tell her the story, he would have to tell her the whole thing. Billy wasn't going to like it, but he didn't see that he had much choice. "Look, I'll tell you all about it at the restaurant, okay? Just wait in the car and let me change the tire."
She nodded, relinquishing her hold on the tire jack. Then she went and got in the driver's seat while he changed the tire. When he was done, he went up to her window. "All set," he said quietly.
Amanda nodded and went to roll up the window, but he reached in and put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?" he asked seriously. She had just been through quite a shock, he thought, and although they had to get out of there before Harris came back, he knew she might need a minute to compose herself.
But she gave her usual cheerful smile. "I'm fine, Lee," she said, reaching up to squeeze his hand. "I'll meet you at Chez Nouvelle, okay?"
He nodded in reply, eyeing her critically. She _did_ seem to be okay, at least enough that he didn't have to worry about her driving. "I'll be right behind you the whole way."
Amanda nodded again. "See you there," she said, giving him a reassuring smile, then put the car in gear and pulled back onto the road.
Lee rushed back to his car and headed after her, not wanting to let her out of his sight. He was furious at Harris and whoever was behind him for bringing Amanda into this, and furious at himself for not succeeding in keeping her out of danger. "Why does she have to try and be such a good friend to people?" he asked the empty car. "It only gets her into trouble," Then he smiled and shook his head. *But she's that kind of person,* he answered himself. *And it's probably a good thing for you that she is.*
* * * *
"There's your victim, Lee," she heard Brackin say.
Her eyes locked onto Lee's as horrified understanding swept over both of them. "I want you to kill Mrs. King," he continued. Amanda swallowed. No wonder she had been surprised by Billy's call that morning--it wasn't really him. Lee had explained last night that there would probably be some kind of test that they put him through, had even hinted that it might involve doing harm to someone, though he quickly reassured her that that was unlikely. Now it turned out he had been wrong.
The initial shock that flooded Lee's face quickly faded, to be replaced by a grim, resigned look. "All right," he said, holding his hand out for Brackin's gun. Amanda tensed, despite the fact that Harris was holding her arm so tightly there was no way for her to run.
"No, not here," the other man replied. "We've got a nice, quiet place in mind. Then we can get down to business."
Lee nodded, still looking at her. Then he turned to look at the man next to him, as if something had just occurred to him. "You know, Brackin, there are easier ways of proving my loyalty to you. I mean, people are going to ask questions if she just disappears. Can't we just keep her out of the way for a few days?"
"No, I think by now she knows too much." He paused and gave Lee a close look. "You squeamish, Stetson?"
Amanda could tell that the chuckle Lee gave was forced. "Nah, I can handle it. I'm just wondering if it's the best thing in the long run."
"You let me worry about that. That is, unless you've changed your mind about quitting the Agency?"
The hard tone in Brackin's voice made it clear that the wrong answer to that question would doom Lee to the same fate that was planned for Amanda. Lee gave a nervous laugh. "No, no, I've had enough of that place. I just didn't know "import/export" was going to be so rough."
"Well, you'd better get used to it," Brackin said, giving Amanda one final look. "Come on, let's go," he said, motioning her towards the rear door.
She paused, trying to make eye contact with Lee. Could they rush their captors? Were they better off waiting till they were wherever they were being taken? But Lee wouldn't meet her eyes, and so she had no choice but to obey as Harris pushed her towards the door. How were they going to get out of this one?
Half an hour later, they pulled off the road into a deserted, wooded area, and Amanda's heart sank. She hadn't had a second alone with Lee to discuss any kind of plan, hadn't even been able to slip any coded messages past Brackin. She knew that both of their lives depended on their ability to work together as a team, but working only through body language and eye contact. She figured she would have to make them think she'd been shot, but how could she fake being dead? Would Lee actually shoot her enough to make her bleed, but not enough to injure her? What would being shot feel like? And what were their plans for him, since no one else knew where they were?
The car rolled to a stop. Everyone climbed out, Harris's gun still fixed on Amanda. They pointed her towards the top of a steep hill, and she felt the first bit of hope since she had entered Brackin's office. *You can do this,* she told herself. *Just stop, drop, and roll, just like you tell the boys in case of a fire. Just hope that Lee misses...*
"Be my guest," she heard Brackin say, handing Lee his gun. Lee weighed it in his hand, then took a few steps and stood in front of her. And then he raised the gun.
Amanda took a sharp breath. She'd been confronted by people with guns a surprisingly large number of times in the past year or so, even one held by a woman with her own face. But to see Lee in front of her, with only a cold, calculating expression on his face as he pointed the weapon at her, chilled her to the bone. For a moment the thought flashed through her head that maybe he really had burned out, maybe their meeting in the restaurant had just been to throw her off track. Then she remembered the split second of horror she'd seen on his face when Brackin had announced his plans for them, and she knew. She just had to trust him.
She saw his eyes raise to hers for just a moment, and though she knew he couldn't give anything away with his expression, she tried to convey her trust as best she could through her fear. She saw his finger begin to tighten on the trigger, and she tensed her muscles.
The instant the gun went off, Amanda threw herself backwards, hitting the ground with a grunt and rolling down the hill, arms and legs flying. Just as she was starting to wonder how far she was going have to climb back up, she hit a small bush with another grunt, and came to rest. She could feel twinges of pain from her legs and head, but steeled herself to keep as still as possible, thankful she had landed on her stomach so it would be harder for them to see that she was breathing. She laid there as quietly as she could, straining her ears to hear what was going on up at the top of the hill. *I hope Lee knows he didn't really shoot me,* she suddenly thought. *And I sure hope those two awful men think he really did.*
* * * *
The echoes of the gunshot faded, and all Lee could hear was a series of rustles and thumps as Amanda's body rolled down the hill. Then, "Good job," said Brackin.
It was all Lee could do to hand him the gun rather than shoot him with it. "Are you satisfied?" he managed to choke out before turning away.
The two men remained at the top of the hill as Lee started back towards the car, stomach churning. He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw, forcing himself to think calmly about what he had just seen. He knew he had aimed away from Amanda, and he hadn't seen any blood after he pulled the trigger. He knew his aim was good, especially at such close range, and he was sure he hadn't hit her.
But she had fallen so quickly, and lifelessly, tumbling down the hill before his astonished eyes. And when he had walked to the edge to look down at her, she was lying crumpled up against a clump of bushes, arms flung over her head, perfectly still. A ball of ice had formed in his stomach, and he had to restrain himself from rushing down after her to see if she was all right. Instead he slapped the gun into Brackin's hand and stalked off before his face gave him away.
He could still hear Brackin and Harris talking, but he couldn't quite make out their words. He hoped to God they weren't considering firing another bullet down at Amanda, just to make sure. It wasn't likely she could fake her reaction to that one as well. *Assuming it _was_ a fake reaction the first time,* a little corner of his mind chimed in. He shook his head to clear it of the thought. She was fine. She _had_ to be fine. Any alternative was simply not worth considering.
The crunch of footsteps on gravel sounded in his ears, and he steeled himself before turning to face them. They would be expecting him to be a little upset, sure, but he couldn't overdo it. They climbed into the car, and as they pulled away he fought to keep from looking out the back window to see if she was climbing up the hill.
"I know how you must feel," Brackin said from the front seat. "It's not easy killing a woman."
*And how would you know,* Lee wanted to spit out at him. *You have no idea what I just did, what I might have just done.*
"But a half million dollars should help ease the pain," he went on.
Lee's jaw clenched. What kind of man did he think he was, that any amount of money could compensate for Amanda's life? To distract himself and to get back to business, he forced out, "And where's all this money coming from?"
As Brackin laid out his plan, Lee was only half listening. Part of him was replaying over and over in his mind the scene that had just taken place, focusing on the moment he pulled the trigger. Had he seen the bullet rip into her sweater, or was it just his imagination? He had been frozen in place, all his concentration on his aim, not able to spare the smallest reassuring glance to Amanda in case Brackin and Harris were watching. He recalled aiming just to the right of her shoulder, trying to ignore the fear that he could see in her eyes, knowing that if he didn't do this right, Brackin certainly would. At the last second his eyes had flickered to hers, and he saw under the fear that same unshakeable trust he had seen when they were in the woods. And that trust gave him the courage to pull the trigger.
And then she had fallen, maybe just a little quicker than she would have if she had really been shot, but maybe not; maybe she was really lying there, wounded and bleeding to death on some random hillside, and no matter how many burned-out agents' lives it cost, no operation was worth that...
Lee gave himself a mental shake. *You have to assume she's fine,* he sternly told himself. *You have to go on with this operation, and trust that she'll find her way out.* She had done a good job of following her instincts so far, and all he could do was trust in her to continue to do so. He turned his full attention back to Brackin, wondering if there were going to be any more unexpected twists in the man's plan.
* * * *
*CRASH!*
The instant the semi stopped moving, Travis leaped out with a whoop, heading for the two figures tussling on the ground. He laid his hands on the figure on top and almost gleefully hauled back his arm.
Amanda took a deep breath, wanting nothing more than to just sit for a minute and recover from the wild ride. But she suddenly realized that Travis didn't know who was who, and as she scrambled out of the cab she was horrified to see him about to strike Lee. "No, no, not that one!" she screamed as loudly as she could. "He's the good guy!"
Travis paused, long enough for Harris to scramble to his feet and start running. Once he let go of Lee, Lee pointed him in Harris's direction before taking off after Brackin.
Amanda stood there, unsure of what to do. For once, Lee hadn't told her to stay in the car, or stay right there, but she had the feeling his adrenaline had been running a bit too high. She couldn't just follow him across the field, though, with he and Brackin shooting at each other.
Then she heard a report from Brackin's gun, and Lee instantly fell to the ground. "Oh my gosh," she said, heart in her throat. What if he--then she saw him start to crawl across the ground, and her eyes closed in relief.
Then the two men started to climb the spillway, and she figured she was out of range. Sparing Travis a glance, she could see he was having no trouble with his man, so she hurried after Lee. Even if all she could do was watch, she still wanted to be close by. But then she heard the empty click of Lee's gun, and so did Brackin. She had to do something--and then she saw the valve right in front of her. *Well, it can't hurt,* she thought to herself, and gave it an energetic twist.
Eventually, Lee came walking back down the spillway, shoving Brackin in front of him. *Ooh, is he sexy with his hair all wet like that!* she thought. Then she shook her head. *Ooh, is that the wrong kind of thought to be having right now!* Travis came walking up from the other side, and Lee offered him his hand. "Thanks, my friend!"
"Anytime!" Travis replied, and she grinned. What a team they had turned out to be!
After Travis helped them tie up Harris and Brackin in the back of the armored car, he lifted his cap in salute and headed back towards his truck, shouting something about "Commie pinkos" along the way. Amanda shook her head with a smile and called out, "Thanks again, Travis!"
Then she turned to face Lee, who was also staring after the trucker. "Where did you _find_ that guy?" he asked in amazement.
"Yeah, he was quite a character!" Amanda said. "He just happened to be driving by when I finally climbed out of that ravine and headed for the road. I knew I had to get here as fast as I could, since I had heard what those guys were planning to do to you, and when I told him it was a matter of national security, he just flipped his lid. He was really enthusiastic about getting to help out, and I think he really was a sweet guy." Of course, that ride down the hillside in Travis's semi-truck had been one of the scariest parts of a very scary day. *Out of the frying pan and into the fire,* she remembered thinking as they careened towards the three men at the old mill.
Then Lee turned towards her, heaving a deep breath, and she could see him finally begin to relax. "Well, he did a great job. So did you, you know. You arrived here just in the nick of time."
"Oh well, I was just kind of following my instincts. I mean, no one else knew you were out here, and I didn't know if you'd thought you really shot me, and I was just lucky that Travis came along when he did!"
He laid one hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "I never doubted you'd come through, Amanda."
She could feel herself blushing. "Aw, Lee, that's really sweet," she started. Then she noticed his fingers playing with the fresh hole in the shoulder of her sweater. She looked up and saw his stricken expression. "Did I do that?" he asked, his face full of concern.
"Do what?" she asked, turning her head and pulling the sweater around to see. "Oh yeah, that was when you shot at me. I guess you did a pretty good job of making it look realistic, huh?" she said in a light tone, trying not to remember the fear she had felt when the bullet plucked at her shoulder as it sped by.
She raised her head to find Lee looking at her with an expression she had never seen on his face. "Amanda, I almost..." his voice trailed off, and his other hand came up to her right shoulder. "I didn't realize I came so close," he said softly, and he gripped her more firmly, as if to steady himself.
She looked up into his eyes for a moment, trying to read his expression. There was a little bit of fear there, something she was not used to seeing from Lee Stetson. There was also a mixture of worry and relief, also uncommon emotions as far as she knew. But underneath that all was a measure of caring that she hadn't been aware existed, and from the way he was holding onto her, she didn't think he had been aware of it, either.
So she gave him the warmest smile she could and leaned forward to wrap her arms around him. "I'm just glad you didn't come any closer," she said, only the slightest catch in her voice betraying her remembered fear.
His arms crept around her in response, and they briefly enjoyed an embrace. Then Lee pulled back. "Amanda," he said softly, reaching up to brush away a strand of hair that had blown into her eyes.
She caught her breath at his touch. "Yeah?" she responded just as softly.
He looked into her eyes for what seemed like an eternity, and she swallowed in nervous anticipation of what might follow. She could feel her heart beating rapidly, and she knew her breathing had quickened as well. Lee's wet shirt was soaking into hers, but she hardly noticed. His hand was warm against her face, and she thought his head was leaning just the slightest bit closer to hers.
Then his face relaxed, and he withdrew his hand with a nervous laugh. "You know what I'm going to do when we get back to the office?"
She gave a small laugh, too, relieved and yet disappointed that the sudden tension had been broken. "Apologize to Francine for not bringing her in the loop?"
Lee grinned. "No, but I'm sure it'll take a while before Billy and I hear the end of that!" He shook his head, then went on, "No, I'm going to submit a commendation for you for your actions on this case."
"Aw, Lee," she replied, looking down at the ground. "I was just following my instincts, you know. I never even had a chance to think about what I was doing, really I was just trying to stay alive for a while there--"
"No, no, you were incredible," he said, cutting her off. "From the way you knocked out Harris to the way you washed out Brackin. There are plenty of agents out there who don't do nearly as good a job even when they _have_ time to think about it."
Amanda looked back up at Lee and was astonished to find actual admiration in his glance. *Well, we've come a long way, haven't we, Stetson?* she thought with some amusement. Was it only a few months ago that he had been berating her to the point that she seriously considered quitting?
Apparently he understood her expression, for he gave a sheepish smile. "We do make a pretty good team, huh?" he said with a twinkle in his eye.
She reached up and gave him a peck on the cheek. "We sure do, Scarecrow!" she replied, pulling back in time to catch the look of surprise that flashed across his face. *Gotcha,* she thought with an inward smile. Out loud she said, "Can you do me one favor?"
"Anything," Lee instantly responded.
She raised an eyebrow and went on in a serious tone, "Can you help me think of something to tell my mother about what happened to my sweater?"
He laughed. "We have the whole drive back to think about it," he replied with a smile, putting his hand in its usual place on her back to lead her to the front of the armored car for the long drive home.