PART EIGHT
Maintenance Corridors, Administration Building, 6:30
After he left Amanda and Hank in the storeroom, Bannon had returned his gun to his shoulder holster under his jacket. Wary that Hank may have shared his little revelation with someone else, like Agent Stetson, he decided discretion was the safest plan of action. If his cover wasn't blown yet, it soon would be. Once the deal was completed, he'd have to make a speedy exit from Florida. He needed this deal now more than ever.
He wondered whether it was even wise to continue with the deal now the Agency was involved, but he figured there weren't many agents in attendance, the big-wigs at headquarters had seen to that. They'd wanted to avoid a scandal and that fit right into his plan. Low key meant small scale and he was sure the feds still didn't know exactly where the deal would be going down. Hell, neither did he, yet. That's where he was headed now. His meeting with Cadiz.
To avoid detection, he headed through the building's less frequented maintenance corridors. Being Chief of Security had its benefits. He'd had plenty of time to survey the park's schematics. Besides, he had time to take the long way around. It was six-thirty now and his meeting was set for seven o'clock.
~
Cinderella's Castle, 7:00
Standing within Cinderella's castle, Cadiz was looking out of a window towards Main Street, watching the world pass by. Bannon walked up to stand beside him. "Are we set?"
"I am," replied Cadiz. "Not so sure about you though."
"What? Oh, the King woman. She's nice and secure in one of the storerooms, and even if Stetson does find her they don't know what's going down where. There's only two people that know that at the moment, and I," he added pointedly, "am not one of them. Until now."
"I guess so, although I'd have preferred not to raise the stakes."
"So you'd rather cancel, Cadiz?"
"No. I did not say that. Everything is in place at this time and if we delay for another location, the outcome could be even worse. The Agency would have more time to track our actions. No. We go tonight."
"So how did the meeting with Martinez go?"
"He has the guns and the truck, a mock up of Disney's usual soda suppliers. To the security guards at the gate, it'll look just like any other Coca Cola truck, and there'll be enough Coke around our stuff to deter anyone who's particularly curious."
"Right."
"We've got a Polar Foods truck. Again it looks like the usual frozen food delivery truck. They drive into loading bay two with their truck, we're in bay three with ours. We all check the merchandise and when we are happy, the drivers change trucks and drive away. That's it. Martinez goes his way, and I go mine." Cadiz smiled.
"And I get my percentage."
"Of course … provided you come through."
"Look, Cadiz, I've told you. When the big cheese here put his call through to the Agency yesterday, he demanded they keep it low profile. They sent two agents and there should be four by now. Even with Hank on their side they would still only be five and they have no idea where the deal's going down. The drop will look like any other delivery so even if they see the trucks, they won't actually see them."
"What about the guards on the gate?"
"They'll just be doing their jobs, same as normal."
"What about the other loading bays?"
"All the other bays will be loading as normal, otherwise it would look odd. Usually, people tend to overlook the obvious."
"And you are sure the Agency does not know where?"
"I've already said, only three people will know what's going down and we all want the deal to go through. The only chance the Agency has is for them to stumble across the deal. This park's huge, they'll never cover it with only four or five men. They'll never make it stick. And if all else fails, we can always sacrifice Martinez for the great cause." Bannon laughed.
Eventually Cadiz smiled, relaxing.
"Right," concluded Bannon. "I'm gonna lay low. I'll see you at loading bay three at three forty-five. We'll be outta there by four-fifteen and then we're home free."
"We'd better be!" Cadiz muttered in a menacing tone.
"Yeah, later." Bannon didn't want to dwell on the implications of that remark. Instead, he turned and walked away without another word. The sooner this was done, the better.
~
Security Control Room, 7:45
Lee, Amanda, Billy and Francine were together in the Security Office. Lee and Francine sat in chairs while Billy was standing, leaning against Bannon's desk. Amanda sat quietly at another desk, a little removed from them. Her head rested on her arms, and she slept peacefully. Hank was standing in the background, working with a couple of guards who'd returned from helping Lee to search the park for Amanda. They were studying the closed-circuit television monitors.
"So what do we know, Lee?"
"Not much really, Billy. We know it's some time tonight. As the park doesn't close until midnight we can assume it's after that. Bannon's involved and presumably still hiding around here somewhere."
"That's it?"
"'Fraid so. They knew Amanda was there when she overheard them so they gave nothing away. The first Hank knew was when Bannon hit him. So we've got nothing." Lee ran his hand up through his hair in frustration.
"Francine," said Billy, "see if you can get in touch with the local police and persuade them to increase their presence around the park perimeter overnight. Just in case we need to call on them in a hurry."
"Will do." She turned to pick up the telephone.
"All we can do is keep our eyes and ears open." Billy nodded towards Amanda, "I think you should take Amanda out of here for a while, Lee. When did you last have something to eat?"
"Oh, I don't know, on the plane this morning?" Was that really only this morning?
"Well, we can't do much until the park closes up for the night so get out of here for a while."
"I think you're right, Billy."
"Sure, Lee," Francine agreed. "We'll hold the fort here. Take the phone with you and we'll be in touch if anything happens."
"Okay, that's a good idea." Lee stepped over to Amanda and put his hand on her back. "Hey Amanda." She didn't respond so Lee crouched down beside her, bringing his head on a level with hers. "Amanda?"
She was asleep, but as she heard his voice she mumbled, "Just a few more minutes, Mother."
Lee looked over at Billy and rolled his eyes. This time he grabbed her shoulders and spoke more loudly, "A-man-da."
Startled, her head shot up. "What? What's going on?"
"Hey, sleepyhead," said Lee gently. "What say you and me go get something to eat? Help shake off the effects of the chloroform."
Amanda was still a bit groggy. "Wha-? Oh yeah, food, I'm starving." She opened her eyes and allowed Lee to raise her to her feet. Then she saw Billy and Francine. "When did you get here?"
"Oh, a while ago. We'll see you later." He smiled indulgently at her disorientation.
Putting his arm around her shoulder, Lee guided her to the door. As they stepped outside Lee said, "See you later, Billy."
"Right."
As Amanda stood outside, she took a few deep breaths. It was warm out, but a slight breeze served to wake her up a little. She yawned, then put a hand to her mouth. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize how tired I was."
"After the shocks and traumas of the last two days, I think you're entitled."
"Two days? Oh," she said as she realized what he meant, "our little revelation." She smiled. Lee stood behind his wife, his arms encircling her. She pushed herself back to snuggle against his chest. "That was only yesterday? Boy, doesn't time fly when you're having fun?"
Lee kissed the top of her head and smiled. She couldn't see his face but she knew he was smiling. Suddenly, he let go of her and stepped back. Amanda turned to face him.
"What if something had happened to you? If Bannon had killed you?" His voice cracked.
"Then I'd be dead. And you'd be stuck with a family to support. Without the perks." She half-smiled, trying to make light of the predicament they'd found themselves in only a short time before.
"Amanda, I don't want to lose you." She could see the fear in his eyes as he spoke.
"I don't want to be lost. Do you remember what you said? That day at the Cumberland?"
"Huh?" Amanda could still surprise him at her leaps of logic in her conversation.
She took his hand. "Let's walk." They set off, hand in hand, but after only a few steps, Lee released her hand to put his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close to him as they walked. She placed her own arm around his waist as they continued walking.
"What did I say at the Cumberland?"
"You said that you did this job because somebody had to. Lee, you're good at what you do and, now I don't want to sound corny, but your country needs you. As much as we need you, what kind of a world would this be if we didn't accept our responsibilities?"
"I guess," Lee replied, unsure where she was going with this.
"How could I live with myself knowing I hadn't done everything I could to secure the future of our boys?"
Lee smiled as she said that. "You're amazing, do you know that?"
"Well yes, actually," she teased, "it comes with being a mom." She laughed and he laughed with her. By now they were walking down Main Street amongst the tourists. As they passed an empty bench, Amanda pointed towards it. Lee maneuvered them in front of it and they sat down. Amanda rested her head on his shoulder. "Lee?"
"What Amanda?"
She looked at him. "None of us know what's going to happen from one day to the next. I could be run over by a bus or electrocuted by an evil dish washer." She winked at Lee and he smiled back, but remained silent, allowing her to ramble. "What I'm saying is that, although our job is riskier than most, it's one that's worthwhile and necessary. Working as a team, as well as we do, is our best chance to minimize that risk. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"
Lee grinned as he answered her. "Amazingly, Amanda, I know exactly what you mean." He smirked. "Worries me a little that I do, but I do."
She reached across and lightly swatted his chest. "Hey!" They both laughed.
Getting serious, Lee responded, "What you're trying to tell me is that no matter how much I try to protect you, and keep you out of this line of work, you're still going to interfere and get in the way."
"And save your butt," she interrupted.
"And save my butt."
"It is definitely one worth saving," she added, her eyes twinkling as she looked into his.
He winked, then leaned forward and covered her lips with his own. Their love for each other poured into their kiss, and Amanda felt herself being swept away on a tidalwave of emotions. His touch awakened her senses and effectively drew her from her chloroform-induced stupor. Suddenly Amanda's stomach grumbled and the two of them broke apart.
She gave him a sheepish smile as she recovered her breath. "Sorry. I told you I was hungry."
He took a deep breath to clear his own head, then smiled. As they stood, his hand automatically reached for the small of her back. They began to walk. "Then we'd better go find ourselves something to eat."
~
Outside Cinderella's Royal Table Restaurant, 8:55
It was nearly nine when Lee and Amanda left the restaurant. While the couple had been eating, crowds gathered along the Main Street parade route, waiting for the electric parade to start.
"Lee." They stood among the crowds, wrapped in each other's arms, waiting for the approaching parade.
"What?"
"What would you say if I suggested we stay on here for a few days, after the case is over?"
"I'd say great, Amanda." Lee was always ready to spend some quality time with his wife.
"All of us, I mean. Fly Mother and the boys down here."
Lee released his hold of Amanda and turned to face her. Putting on his most stern tone, Lee said, "Amanda Stetson, I'm shocked at you. Are you seriously considering taking our boys out of school just to take them to DisneyWorld?" He was struggling to keep the twinkle out of his eye, and the grin off his face.
Amanda, however, remained serious. "Well, actually, yes. I want the boys to get to know their new step-dad." Lee's face glowed. "I think they deserve a reward, considering how well they took our news. Besides, we've already said we don't know how long we've got in this world. Now that we've gone public, I want our family life to start now."
"I think it's a great idea Amanda." He pulled her towards him again and draped his arm around her shoulders. "I've never been to a theme park like this, well not until today anyway, and I don't think this assignment is the best introduction for a family fun park! Perhaps the boys could introduce me to the wonders of DisneyWorld?"
"I'll bet they could at that." She turned towards him and encircled him with her arms, and he responded in kind. They stood together, glad to be in the protective arms of each other, forgetting temporarily the work they had ahead of them.
Without letting go of each other, they twisted to face Main Street as the brightly lit floats depicting famous Disney scenes and characters gradually passed their position. Lee laughed. "I wouldn't want their electricity bill." Amanda joined in his laughter. As the final float passed and disappeared into the distance, the crowds began to disperse, many heading for the exits. Only the most dedicated planned to stay for the opportunity of a last few rides.
"Are you ready to get back to work?"
"Guess so."
"You don't sound too enthusiastic."
"That's because I'm not," Amanda admitted.
"Would you care to explain that statement?"
Amanda turned to look up at her husband and grinned, tightening her hold. "Well, we haven't had a lot of time to ourselves and I was looking forward to this time away from home with you."
"Is this the same person who just suggested that we fly the boys and your mother down here to join us?" he teased.
"They don't have to come down here the moment we finish work. We could enjoy some time on our own first."
Lee smiled at the eagerness of his wife to be alone with him. It was something he never thought he'd enjoy … spending his time with one woman … but Amanda made it everything it could be and more. He gave her waist a squeeze and leaned down close to her ear. "I think we can definitely arrange something," he whispered, then pulled back a little and covered her lips with his.
Amanda immediately melted against him and felt herself getting lost in the warmth of his embrace. Her pulse racing and every nerve tingling with awareness, she managed to pull herself away to catch her breath, smiling when Lee's labored breathing showed him doing the same.
"I must say, Mrs. Stetson, your powers of persuasion are certainly strong."
"And you find the best ways to agree!" she countered.
Lee gave her lips a quick peck, then turned once again to watch the dispersing crowd.
Amanda smiled and gave Lee one last firm hug, which he returned. They separated and took each other by the hand, setting off for the Security Control Room.
~
Security Control Room, 9:45
"Have you got anything yet?" Lee asked Francine as he and Amanda stepped into the room.
"Not really. Hank's been keeping an eye on the monitors but there's nothing."
"So what exactly do we know?" Billy asked his team as Amanda sat at one of the desks and Lee leaned up against it.
"Well," began Francine, "we know that the deal involves an exchange of guns for cigars so that has to involve a couple of trucks. We could stop and search all the trucks that come in."
"No," said Lee. "That would tip them off at the gate. We need the deal to go down before we stop them. We have to let them in, then stop them before they're able to leave."
"Makes sense," Billy responded.
"Hank?" asked Lee.
"Yes, sir?" He looked up from the bank of monitors.
"Do you have cameras at the delivery entrance?"
"We sure do. We can follow a truck in from the approach road all the way through to the loading bays."
"In plain sight!" Amanda suddenly exclaimed.
"What?" Lee asked, turning to look at his partner.
"Amanda?" questioned Billy.
"Don't you get it?" Amanda had obviously had a flash of inspiration.
"Get what?" asked Lee.
"When I was with Bannon before, he said something about hiding in plain sight. He meant that people overlook the obvious."
Billy looked at Lee but it was clear he had no idea what Amanda was getting at, either. "A-man-da" was all Lee could find to say.
As Amanda began again, Billy, Francine and Lee just stared at her as she explained the workings of her logical mind. "You see, Bannon thinks that if you act suspiciously you look suspicious, but if you act confidently, as though you should be somewhere, everyone around you will just assume that you should be there. Do you see?"
"O-kay," said Lee, although he was obviously not quite there yet.
"So, where's the best place for someone to bring trucks into the park in order to switch merchandise?…The loading bays! No one would think twice if trucks pulled up to the bays and unloaded crates. Why would they? It's just business as usual."
"Right," said Lee, finally understanding his wife. "So, if we stake out the loading area, we should see Bannon and company arrive and do the deal?"
"I think you've got something, Amanda," Billy told her.
Amanda blushed. "Thank you, sir."
"Right," said Billy. "I think we've got a plan."
"Yeah. All we have to do now is implement it," Lee responded.
~