Forty minutes later, after a surprisingly pleasant meal, the pair arrived
back at the agency. They took the coat closet elevator down to the main
part of the agency, and were greeted by odd and unsettling quiet. Fred
Fielder rushed over to the women, and whispered to them. "There's something
going on. Something big. Billy wants to see you both, ASAP." Francine
started towards his office, but Amanda froze.
"No, Fran." He grabbed her arm, and she made a face at the nickname.
"Let go," She ordered, shaking her arm loose.
"It's just that."
"What?" Francine snapped. It was more of a demand than a question.
"He's not in there," Fielder explained. "He's in interrogation room eight."
Without waitng for further instructions, Francine tore off towards the corrodor that would lead to the interrogation rooms.
"Hey," Fielder called after her, "Make sure you tell me what's up. I'm dying to know." Again, Francine took off in the right direction, but still Amanda stood, immobile. Francine Desmond stopped and waited a moment before turning back.
"What is it, Amanda? Let's go." Amanda's eyes filled with tears and she shook her head. Francine walked back to her, and put a hand on her arm.
"It's too much like when, when I found out, about Lee. About how he disappeared. It's too much like that," said Amanda, sniffling. Francine sighed, and put an arm around Amanda's shoulders.
"Well, it can't get much worse than that, can it?" She was trying to be sympathetic. "So we might as well find out what's---"
"It could get worse. He could be dead. Maybe.maybe they found his.his body," the tall brunette whispered to her blond friend and fellow agent.
"Come on, it'll be fine. Come on," Francine coaxed, and the two set of for Interrogation room eight.
"Room eight? Isn't that the nice one?" Amanda inquired. She had only been in there once or twice. It was a special room, pretty new to the agency (it was once just another inter. room) set up for questioning children, or the wives (or husbands) of agents who had gone missing, died suspiciously, were possible traitors, or had defected. Francine nodded in confirmation.
A moment later, they had reached their destination. Francine knocked on the door, and it was opened by Billy.
"You're both here? Good. Come on in. There's someone who wants to speak to you." Francine stepped into the room first, then gasped. Billy gently guided Amanda in behind her, and slowly Amanda opened her eyes.
"Lee!" There was Lee, battered and bruised, but alive and sitting right in front of her.
"My Amanda," he whispered weakly, and held out his hand to her. She rushed over and jumped in his lap, touching his face as if she wasn't quite sure as to whether he was really there.
"Oh, Lee! I knew that you weren't dead, I knew it! Oh, Lee! Lee!" She kissed him on the cheek, on the forehead, and again on the cheek.
"Amanda," he whispered, "I love you." For the third time that day, tears fell from Amanda's large brown eyes. They rolled down her cheeks, and dripped off of her "cute" nose.
"Where have you been? Are you hurt?"
He nodded.
"Sore, actually. Really sore." He shifted under Amanda's weight. She leapt up.
"Oh My Gosh! Sorry!"
"It's fine. I'm fine. Sit back down." He took Amanda's arm, and pulled her back toward him. His voice was still a harsh, tired whisper, and he had deep circles under his eyes. One of those eyes was slightly black and blue; it looked as though he was recovering from a real shiner. He had a deep, awful cut on his left cheek, and a fresh scar above his eyebrow.
"Actually, Amanda," Billy began, still holding on to Francine who looked as though she might collapse if he let her go, "If you'd have a seat right here," (he gestured towards a chair next to Lee) "And Francine will sit over here, we can answer all the questions you might have. Or, at least, some of them."
Francine and Amanda each took a chair, and Billy sat too. Amanda took Lee's hand in hers, and smiled at him. Her tears had subsided, but her eyes were still moist and shiny.
"Le---Lee? What happened?" Asked Francine, quietly. She looked as though she were in shock. Her face was pale, her eyes wider than usual.
"One minute you were there, and then.I'm sorry I didn't follow you, I don't know what happened, I'm so sorry."
"Don't feel guilty, Francine. I'm not sure, because I was busy being ambushed in the next room, but I think they hit you first, then beat you up a bit. One of them mentioned Xylophin A Morpha, that new memory modifying drug, and if you don't remember anything, them I'm guessing they gave you that somehow. They gave me so much of it, I started to build up a resistance. At first, I wasn't sure who I was. Then, I got to the point where I was able to remember some of what they asked while I was under another drug, that experimental truth one. It's effects can't overturn a memory modifier like X A M, so they had to give me less and less because I was starting to forget what they needed me to remember."
"That truth drug, I used that to try to figure something out, but it didn't work," Francine began.
"I'm not surprised. Like I said, it takes a lot to make it work, both drugs do. When I would forget certain things under the truth drug, or remember other things under X A M, they would beat me. Four they caught me as I tried to escape. But finally, two months ago, I got away. Ever since then I've been remembering more and more. When I remembered Amanda, about a year ago, I wasn't sure who she was. I just a picture, and a letter in my head. A.A. A few months later, I remembered, Amanda. That was the second time I tried to leave. Two months ago, one of them was talking about something, and I heard him say Nightcrawler. That was when I remembered everything. Well, everything about Amanda. I remembered her address. I knew from their questions that I was some kind of undercover operative, and I began putting pieces together. I could picture you, Billy, and Francine too. Lancer and Princess. Those were the names in my head. I thought they might have been codes. I was right."
Lee paused, and took a few sips of the water Billy had put on the table for him. DC tap water from a plastic cup never tasted so good.
He took a gulp of water and a few deep breaths before he continued.
"And I these had dreams.about my parents. At first, it was just the good stuff. My mother took me to an amusement park once. My father pitched me my first game of baseball. When I realized that they died, it was like they were killed all over again."
He sighed, and took another sip of water. Amanda grasped his hand.
"But when I figured out who Amanda was.who she really was, and where she lived. Anyway, I realized that I had a wife, friends and a job as a secret agent at home, and I had to get back. I snuck out of Libya six weeks ago, and two weeks later made it to Paris. I managed to get a plane ticket and I arrived this morning. It wasn't easy, getting out of that country, and sneaking into France was no picnic either.and all of the places I had to stay and travel through in the mean time.I had no money, as it is I had to sell my wedding ring to get my plane ticket, sorry Amanda, so I walked here, because I didn't know the agency number, and it isn't in the phone book. I couldn't exactly ask someone."
"Wait a minute," Francine interrupted suddenly, "Your wedding ring? What are you saying?" Lee looked to Amanda, confused.
"We decided not to tell anyone. As a matter of fact, we had just changed out minds when you left for Libya."
"Oh!" Lee exclaimed, and laughed for the first time in a long time.
"Sorry, I guess I'm still a little forgetful."
"That's alright, Lee," Billy assured him, smiling. He had noticed that Lee had mentioned having a 'wife' back home, and he wasn't at all surprised to learn that they had been secretly wed before he left.
"Thanks Billy." He turned back to Amanda. "Hey, you didn't sell my Vette, did you?" "Actually, the government declared you dead, and since left it to Phillip in your will..."
"That kid's been driving my car? When I wrote that will, I didn't actually think I was going to die! Please tell me he didn't crash it?"
"Nice to know you're so concerned for your stepson's safety. Can't remember or secret wedding, but I bet you know the registration number to that car."
"I, uh, well, I am concerned.For his safey, I mean." Lee and Amanda laughed. It's nice to hear that laugh again, they both thought to themselves.
"So, they declared me dead, huh?" Lee asked Amanda. "Anything else I should know?"
Billy and Francine exchanged a glance, followed by awkward silence. Amanda had a distinc feeling that three of the four persons in the room were thinking of the same thing---an eleven- month-old girl with curly brown hair.
Francine broke the strange silence.
"Well, we're just so glad you're back. It wasn't easy for me, being the best agent in town!"
"No, Fran." He grabbed her arm, and she made a face at the nickname.
"Let go," She ordered, shaking her arm loose.
"It's just that."
"What?" Francine snapped. It was more of a demand than a question.
"He's not in there," Fielder explained. "He's in interrogation room eight."
Without waitng for further instructions, Francine tore off towards the corrodor that would lead to the interrogation rooms.
"Hey," Fielder called after her, "Make sure you tell me what's up. I'm dying to know." Again, Francine took off in the right direction, but still Amanda stood, immobile. Francine Desmond stopped and waited a moment before turning back.
"What is it, Amanda? Let's go." Amanda's eyes filled with tears and she shook her head. Francine walked back to her, and put a hand on her arm.
"It's too much like when, when I found out, about Lee. About how he disappeared. It's too much like that," said Amanda, sniffling. Francine sighed, and put an arm around Amanda's shoulders.
"Well, it can't get much worse than that, can it?" She was trying to be sympathetic. "So we might as well find out what's---"
"It could get worse. He could be dead. Maybe.maybe they found his.his body," the tall brunette whispered to her blond friend and fellow agent.
"Come on, it'll be fine. Come on," Francine coaxed, and the two set of for Interrogation room eight.
"Room eight? Isn't that the nice one?" Amanda inquired. She had only been in there once or twice. It was a special room, pretty new to the agency (it was once just another inter. room) set up for questioning children, or the wives (or husbands) of agents who had gone missing, died suspiciously, were possible traitors, or had defected. Francine nodded in confirmation.
A moment later, they had reached their destination. Francine knocked on the door, and it was opened by Billy.
"You're both here? Good. Come on in. There's someone who wants to speak to you." Francine stepped into the room first, then gasped. Billy gently guided Amanda in behind her, and slowly Amanda opened her eyes.
"Lee!" There was Lee, battered and bruised, but alive and sitting right in front of her.
"My Amanda," he whispered weakly, and held out his hand to her. She rushed over and jumped in his lap, touching his face as if she wasn't quite sure as to whether he was really there.
"Oh, Lee! I knew that you weren't dead, I knew it! Oh, Lee! Lee!" She kissed him on the cheek, on the forehead, and again on the cheek.
"Amanda," he whispered, "I love you." For the third time that day, tears fell from Amanda's large brown eyes. They rolled down her cheeks, and dripped off of her "cute" nose.
"Where have you been? Are you hurt?"
He nodded.
"Sore, actually. Really sore." He shifted under Amanda's weight. She leapt up.
"Oh My Gosh! Sorry!"
"It's fine. I'm fine. Sit back down." He took Amanda's arm, and pulled her back toward him. His voice was still a harsh, tired whisper, and he had deep circles under his eyes. One of those eyes was slightly black and blue; it looked as though he was recovering from a real shiner. He had a deep, awful cut on his left cheek, and a fresh scar above his eyebrow.
"Actually, Amanda," Billy began, still holding on to Francine who looked as though she might collapse if he let her go, "If you'd have a seat right here," (he gestured towards a chair next to Lee) "And Francine will sit over here, we can answer all the questions you might have. Or, at least, some of them."
Francine and Amanda each took a chair, and Billy sat too. Amanda took Lee's hand in hers, and smiled at him. Her tears had subsided, but her eyes were still moist and shiny.
"Le---Lee? What happened?" Asked Francine, quietly. She looked as though she were in shock. Her face was pale, her eyes wider than usual.
"One minute you were there, and then.I'm sorry I didn't follow you, I don't know what happened, I'm so sorry."
"Don't feel guilty, Francine. I'm not sure, because I was busy being ambushed in the next room, but I think they hit you first, then beat you up a bit. One of them mentioned Xylophin A Morpha, that new memory modifying drug, and if you don't remember anything, them I'm guessing they gave you that somehow. They gave me so much of it, I started to build up a resistance. At first, I wasn't sure who I was. Then, I got to the point where I was able to remember some of what they asked while I was under another drug, that experimental truth one. It's effects can't overturn a memory modifier like X A M, so they had to give me less and less because I was starting to forget what they needed me to remember."
"That truth drug, I used that to try to figure something out, but it didn't work," Francine began.
"I'm not surprised. Like I said, it takes a lot to make it work, both drugs do. When I would forget certain things under the truth drug, or remember other things under X A M, they would beat me. Four they caught me as I tried to escape. But finally, two months ago, I got away. Ever since then I've been remembering more and more. When I remembered Amanda, about a year ago, I wasn't sure who she was. I just a picture, and a letter in my head. A.A. A few months later, I remembered, Amanda. That was the second time I tried to leave. Two months ago, one of them was talking about something, and I heard him say Nightcrawler. That was when I remembered everything. Well, everything about Amanda. I remembered her address. I knew from their questions that I was some kind of undercover operative, and I began putting pieces together. I could picture you, Billy, and Francine too. Lancer and Princess. Those were the names in my head. I thought they might have been codes. I was right."
Lee paused, and took a few sips of the water Billy had put on the table for him. DC tap water from a plastic cup never tasted so good.
He took a gulp of water and a few deep breaths before he continued.
"And I these had dreams.about my parents. At first, it was just the good stuff. My mother took me to an amusement park once. My father pitched me my first game of baseball. When I realized that they died, it was like they were killed all over again."
He sighed, and took another sip of water. Amanda grasped his hand.
"But when I figured out who Amanda was.who she really was, and where she lived. Anyway, I realized that I had a wife, friends and a job as a secret agent at home, and I had to get back. I snuck out of Libya six weeks ago, and two weeks later made it to Paris. I managed to get a plane ticket and I arrived this morning. It wasn't easy, getting out of that country, and sneaking into France was no picnic either.and all of the places I had to stay and travel through in the mean time.I had no money, as it is I had to sell my wedding ring to get my plane ticket, sorry Amanda, so I walked here, because I didn't know the agency number, and it isn't in the phone book. I couldn't exactly ask someone."
"Wait a minute," Francine interrupted suddenly, "Your wedding ring? What are you saying?" Lee looked to Amanda, confused.
"We decided not to tell anyone. As a matter of fact, we had just changed out minds when you left for Libya."
"Oh!" Lee exclaimed, and laughed for the first time in a long time.
"Sorry, I guess I'm still a little forgetful."
"That's alright, Lee," Billy assured him, smiling. He had noticed that Lee had mentioned having a 'wife' back home, and he wasn't at all surprised to learn that they had been secretly wed before he left.
"Thanks Billy." He turned back to Amanda. "Hey, you didn't sell my Vette, did you?" "Actually, the government declared you dead, and since left it to Phillip in your will..."
"That kid's been driving my car? When I wrote that will, I didn't actually think I was going to die! Please tell me he didn't crash it?"
"Nice to know you're so concerned for your stepson's safety. Can't remember or secret wedding, but I bet you know the registration number to that car."
"I, uh, well, I am concerned.For his safey, I mean." Lee and Amanda laughed. It's nice to hear that laugh again, they both thought to themselves.
"So, they declared me dead, huh?" Lee asked Amanda. "Anything else I should know?"
Billy and Francine exchanged a glance, followed by awkward silence. Amanda had a distinc feeling that three of the four persons in the room were thinking of the same thing---an eleven- month-old girl with curly brown hair.
Francine broke the strange silence.
"Well, we're just so glad you're back. It wasn't easy for me, being the best agent in town!"