See Part 1 for Disclaimers, Notes, etc.
Chapter 11
Amanda stood in her bathroom placing the last of her makeup on, lost in thought of the previous night's events. A soft knock startled her back to the current situation, as she went to answer the door.
"Good morning, Amanda," Mark greeted her. "You look tired. Didn't you sleep well?"
"I couldn't seem to fall asleep. I think I spent most of the night going over the excitement of meeting the Vice-President," she replied, opening the door to let him in. "Make yourself comfortable, I'll only be a minute." She headed into the bathroom to finish getting ready.
"I stopped by the hotel restaurant and grabbed us some bagels and coffee. They're waiting for us in the limo," Mark informed her, walking over and sitting down next to the table. He glanced around the room looking for evidence to confirm his boss's suspicion. Smiling, he glanced over at the mirror placed on the far wall. His boss certainly didn't take chances with anything, even going to the lengths of placing a camera in his new protégé room. The thoughts of introducing Amanda to his boss sent a slight chill through his body. He knew that it was inevitable, from the beginning, that she would become part of his boss' master plan, but Mark did have a little conscious left in his soul. He began to tap his fingers against the coffee table as he thought of the events that would soon follow.
"Are we in a hurry? I thought we'd be having breakfast in the restaurant?" Amanda replied, poking her head out of the bathroom. Her mind was racing again. 'Shoot! How can this keep happening? I was going to rendezvous with Francine this morning.' "I'm ready," she announced as she left her bathroom.
"My associate, the one you didn't get to meet yesterday, is heading out of town earlier than expected. He's expecting us in half an hour." Mark stood up from the table, and met her in the middle of the room. "I just know he's going to be as impressed with you as I am," he whispered into her ear as he wrapped his arms around her waist and stole a morning kiss.
Amanda reluctantly returned the kiss and quickly escaped from his embrace. "Shall we go, then?"
"Sure thing. Our chariot awaits." He followed her out the door and into the hallway.
When they reached the lobby, Amanda saw Francine heading into the hotel restaurant. She needed to come up with some subtle way to catch her co-worker's attention. As they walked, hand-in-hand, towards the front entrance, they passed a floral arrangement. Amanda took advantage of the large vase of wild flowers, and released a series of loud sneezes.
"God bless you. You're not coming down with anything are you?" Mark asked, handing her his handkerchief.
Amanda turned and faced Mark, whose back was now to the willowy blonde. Keeping Mark's attention on her, he didn't see the nod Francine sent her way. "Thank you. No need to worry; it's nothing but allergies. It must be these flowers. Come on, I'm anxious to meet your associate," she spoke a notch higher than her normal tone, hoping Francine would hear her and follow.
Mark, once again, took her hand in his, and escorted her out of the building into the waiting limo.
Amanda glanced at her watch, realizing that twenty minutes had passed, since the limo had left the hotel and began to maneuver through the busy New York streets. Feeling the limo slowing to a stop, she looked out the tinted window to see the tall building that was their destination. Accepting Mark's hand for assistance in getting out of the car, she took note of the characteristics of the building. It was an older skyscraper—brick layout with white trim around the windows. It reminded her of something described in one of Stephen King's novels. A shiver went down her spine, as she realized that, quite possibly, the object of her assignment took residence in this building.
'Just remember that you're doing this for Lee,' she mentally reminded herself, accepting Mark's hand as they entered the building.
As the elevator door opened on the fifth floor, Mark waved his hand for her to exit the elevator before him. "Does your friend have an office here?" Amanda kept her eyes focused on the plush, dark green carpet beneath her feet.
"Yes, we're here." Mark opened the office door labeled, 'Mesmerize: We help you to relax.'
Amanda hesitated; she glanced up to see the wide smile placed on Mark's lips. "What exactly does your friend do?"
Mark placed his hand on her elbow, and gently pushed her in the door ahead of him. "He runs a very successful massage/hypnosis parlor," Mark explained, as he directed her over to the receptionist desk.
"Can you let Mr. Andre know Mark Dobson is here with Mrs. King?"
"Ah, yes, he's been expecting you. Please take a seat and I'll let him know of your arrival," the woman stated as she picked up the phone. "Mr. Andre, Mr. Dobson is here to see you." She nodded as she listened to the man on the other end of the receiver. Hanging up, she informed them, "He asked that you please be patient; he'll be out momentarily."
Amanda took in her surroundings, while she sat on the velvet red couch next to Mark. The atmosphere of the reception area was quite comforting, and made her body somewhat relax. The walls were a warm yellow, with pictures of sunsets and exotic islands scattered throughout the room. Glancing to the right of the couch, her eyes fell upon one picture that did not fit the rest of the rooms' décor. The moon was at it's fullest, with slight accents of yellow casting over the brilliant stars that circled it. There was a large hand extended from the center of the moon, beckoning you to take it and enter another dimension behind the door. The words at the bottom read, 'Your journey begins through here'.
Amanda turned to look at Mark, who was skimming through a magazine. She sighed, at the relaxed feeling entering her body, and laid her head against the back of the couch. No sooner had she gotten comfortable than the door behind the receptionist opened; a tall dark-haired, gray-eyed man entered the waiting area.
Mark stood and walked over to greet the man. Amanda narrowed her eyes, realizing that he was the same man whom had stopped her from using the phone in the lobby, two days before. Something in the back of her mind was screaming to her that she knew this man. She had seen him before—somewhere before this case. Gathering all the courage she could muster, she rose from the couch and joined Mark.
"Andre, I would like to introduce you to my new associate, Amanda King," Mark said, as she extended her hand.
"Mrs. King, it's a pleasure to see you again," Mr. Andre replied as he accepted her hand and brought it to his lips.
Mark looked from Andre to Amanda and back again with a confused look. "You've met before?"
"I believe he's referring to our meeting in the lobby of the Ritz-Carlton," Amanda whispered.
Mark nodded. "Oh, I see."
"It's nice to officially meet you, Mr. Andre." She gently removed her hand from the man's grasp, and put it in the pocket of her of skirt.
"Please call me Andre. I never did like the mister part." He warmly smiled down at Amanda, and placed her hand in his.
"Andre." Amanda nodded.
"Let's head into one of my relaxation rooms, so we can get better acquainted, shall we?" His voice deepened, almost into a mystical lull. "Let us take a journey into a possible new friendship." Turning, he led them through the door Amanda had studied earlier. A warning again echoed in Amanda's mind, as she felt the hand from the moon drawing her into another dimension, when Andre opened the door.
The door led down a softly lit hallway. She noted that these walls were also filled with relaxing pictures—most of which, centered on stars, planets, and drifting clouds. Andre opened the door at the far end, and motioned for her to enter. She stepped into a room that reminded her of the Agency psychiatrist's office.
"Please have a seat in one of those velvet chairs by the desk." Andre motioned to the other side of the room.
Mark nodded and Amanda followed his lead. Amanda sunk into one of the large empty chairs Andre had pointed to. Her body began to betray her mind, as she began to relax in the comfort of her surroundings.
Andre walked behind her allowing his hand to graze her soft hair that had fallen against the back of the chair. "You look exhausted, my dear. Did you not sleep well?" His voice had just a hint of sarcasm in it, as he took a seat behind his large, dark cheery desk.
"Not too bad, just couldn't seem to sleep. It was probably the after effects from last night's party. Mark introduced me to the Vice-President." Amanda forced her eyes to remain locked with the man before her.
Andre stood from his desk, and again walked behind her. Amanda wanted to follow his overpowering figure, but decided perhaps she might tip her hand if she did so. She smiled sweetly at Mark, and waited for Mr. Andre to continue the conversation. Andre placed a finger to his lips to signal that Mark should keep quiet during the session. "Here, let me try and help you." He started to massage her shoulders. "You seem to be pretty tense, too. Just relax and listen as I talk, okay?"
The feel of his fingers on her shoulders was doing wonders; she couldn't help but let down the last of her barriers to the man behind her. She nodded, giving him the green light to continue.
Andre began speaking in a monotone voice. "I'm going to ask you 'yes' or 'no' questions, but I don't want you to verbally respond. Just nod your head, okay?"
She let her eyes close and nodded again. His fingers were magical; his voice was so relaxing. Her head was screaming for her to remain alert, but her body wanted so much to relax.
"Mark tells me you used to work for the Agency," Andre remarked, his voice keeping its monotone level.
Amanda nodded.
"He tells me you used to be Scarecrow's partner."
At the mention of Lee's code-name, her eyes opened and she started to turn her head.
"Relax, I'm just trying to help you feel comfortable by mentioning things that are familiar to you. Mark seems to enjoy these private session quite well; I hope you will as well." Andre's voice remained monotone, as he continued to massage her shoulders. "Now, close your eyes and relax." He made a mental note to leave any mention of Lee Stetson out of the conversation until she was under his spell completely.
Amanda did as she was asked. She knew she had to go along with the man who now seemed to have power over her thoughts. It was the only way for her to find out who he was, and what he had planned.
Feeling her body relax again, Andre continued with his questions. "Did you leave the Agency willingly?"
Amanda nodded.
Andre let his fingers begin to massage along her neck and finally up to her temples. "Are you feeling relaxed?"
Amanda nodded again.
"Was Dr. Smyth upset with your choice to leave?"
She shook her head, indicating that he wasn't.
"Are you happy with your new career choice?"
Amanda nodded. She felt his fingers moving along her forehead and temples, but his voice was growing more distant. She felt as though she was falling asleep, but knew where she was. She thought about fighting, but she was too relaxed.
"Are you feeling relaxed?"
She nodded.
"Good, now when I count to three I want you to fall into a deep sleep, okay?"
Her mind was urging her not to cooperate with the lulling voice, but his massaging was too methodical, and her body surrendered to his magic. So, she nodded.
Keeping his voice monotone and his fingers rubbing her temples, he slowly counted, "One…Two…Three." He watched as her body went limp in the chair. He looked over at Mark and motioned him to retrieve the box from the other room.
He continued to move his fingers in circles over her forehead, while he waited for Mark to enter the other room. As soon as the door closed behind Mark, he moved onto the next stage of his questioning. "Good. Now I will ask you some more questions, and I want you to answer me in words, okay?"
"Okay," Amanda answered in a voice that was hers, but definitely not one in control of her own words.
"Was Scarecrow upset with you leaving?" Andre began with is string of questions.
"Yes, he was," she responded.
"Did he try and talk you out of it?"
"No, not really."
"Not really. Interesting. Weren't you close?"
"Yes," Amanda replied, still under his spell.
Andre noted that she hadn't reacted to the mention of Stetson and knew she was definitely under his spell. "So, he didn't try and make you stay?"
"No, he only wanted to understand my reasons," she responded
"And what were the reasons you gave him?" Andre asked, removing his hands from their position along her temples.
"I told him that I was leaving to protect my family from any harm that might come from my involvement with the Agency." Amanda leaned back against his touch.
"What was his response to that?" Andre raised his eyebrows.
"He said he understood," Amanda responded.
"Mark tells me that Scarecrow was quite upset with you for being with him last night. Can you explain that?"
"It wasn't my leaving the Agency he was upset with; it was my leaving him that caused his anger."
"By leaving him…how do you mean?" Andre continued his probing into her life.
"I broke off our relationship. I had to do it; I had to protect him," Amanda voice cracked.
"So, your taking a job at Internal Affairs with Mark Dobson is all a cover, then? Are you trying to keep Scarecrow from being the next agent killed?" Andre waited for the answer he was positive she'd give.
Amanda nodded. "Yes."
"Is your relationship with Scarecrow more than a working relationship?" Andre moved his fingers to her shoulders.
Amanda nodded again. "Yes."
"Can you get close to him?" Andre whispered next to her ear.
Amanda shook her head. "I'm not sure—he's very angry with me."
Andre continued to speak softly in her ear. "If you tell him the truth about all of this, I'm sure he'll be understanding."
"I don't want to lose his love," Amanda sighed.
Mark reentered the room carrying a small tin box. "You are going to feel a slight sting in your arm; similar to a bee sting." Amanda nodded her understanding as Andre accepted the box from Mark, and retrieved the needle from within it.
"Now, I want you to forget about the discussion we have just had, and remember only the instructions I'm about to give you. Do you understand?" Andre withdrew the needle from her arm.
Amanda nodded again.
An evil smile crossed Andre's lips. Things were going quite well. She would be the perfect pawn to remove Stetson. "I want you to tell Lee Stetson the truth behind you leaving the Agency, and him. I want you to resume your love affair with him, and get him to drop his guard. I want you to use Stetson's own gun to kill him. Can you do this?"
Amanda hesitated and shook her head no.
Andre removed the vial from the tin box and refilled the needle. As he emptied the syringe into her arm he said, "You will kill, Lee Stetson."
Mark stood close to Amanda, watching the emotions battle within her flash across her face. Andre emptied the remainder of the vial into the syringe. Mark held up his hand fearing that more would kill her. "With what I put in her coffee, and the added dose you just gave her it could…"
Andre narrowed his eyes at his employee. He had allowed his anger to cloud his judgment.
Andre placed his hands back on her forehead and began massaging again. "Will you get Stetson to drop his guard?" he asked once more.
Mesmerized once again, she responded, "Yes, I can get him to drop his guard."
Andre continued to rub her temples. "Good. Then, you will take his gun, and kill him with it."
"Yes, I will take his gun," she replied.
"And you will pull the trigger and kill Lee Stetson?" Andre methodically rubbed her temples as he gave this order once more.
"Yes, I will shoot Lee Stetson," she responded without hesitation this time.
"Understand, that if anything goes wrong, and you do not kill Lee Stetson, someone else will. If you fail, I will kill you," Andre stated, his voice remained monotone, but his words were a little harsher this time. "Either kill Lee Stetson, or be killed yourself. Is this clear?"
"Yes, I will kill," Amanda replied.
"When you awake, you will leave here and go with Mark. Mark will take you to the airport, where you will take a flight back to D.C, and go directly to Lee Stetson's apartment. If he is not there, you will wait for him. If you succeed in your mission, you will return here tomorrow on the 11a.m. flight. Meet Mark at the Ritz-Carlton for further instructions. Is this clear?" Andre finished giving his orders.
"Yes," she responded.
Andre stopped rubbing her temples. "On the count of three, you will awake feeling relaxed. You will only remember your mission and nothing that has occurred here. You will feel relaxed, and remember only of your mission. "One…two…three."
Amanda's eyes opened. She looked around at her surroundings, and let her eyes fall on Mark. "I believe you need to take me to the airport," she stated as she stood up from the chair.
Andre smiled and nodded in Mark's direction. "Make sure she gets on her flight safely." His eyes told Mark that no delaying was allowed, just in case his young associate thought it might be fun to take advantage of the woman in her current state of mind.
Mark rose and walked over to wrap his arms around her waist. He led her out the door, and down to the waiting limo.
Andre held a wicked smile on his lips at the thought of finally being able to seek his revenge. He not only would kill his number one enemy, but also do it by the hand of the woman he loved. Amanda King was not going to be a problem soon after her mission was completed. The drug he had just introduced to her body would kill her within forty-eight hours. He had the antidote in his possession, and fully intended on giving it to Amanda, should she accomplish this task. "Things are working out quite nicely. If all goes as I have planned, I may just use Mrs. King for a few other assignments. In the meantime, I have just a few more loose ends to tie up." His laughter filled the room as he picked up the phone.
Chapter 12
Lee awoke to find his long body wedged in his couch. Rubbing his eyes, he stood and stretched the kinks out of his legs and arms. He looked down at his coffee table and saw the empty bottle of scotch. He gingerly moved his hands to his head to relieve the pounding.
"I'm getting too old for these late night drinking binges," he declared to himself.
His stomach released a loud grumble and demanded food. Rubbing his stomach, he tried to remember the last time he had eaten anything. He decided to give in to his body's demands and walked towards his kitchen. Looking at his watch, he noticed it was almost noon.
Opening the refrigerator, he realized once again just how much Amanda did for him in his life. Since she hadn't been around to look after things, his food supply was much worse off than Kevin's was. All he had was a bottle of wine and what appeared to be a month old sandwich. He removed the bottle and stared at it. What was it that Amanda had said to him last night? "You could never be happy with just hamburgers and wine." Where had he heard that before?
"That's it!" he exclaimed to the empty room. He thought back to the Russell Sinclair case. That was what he had promised her when he was hiding out at her house, pretending to be dead to draw out the psycho who was killing the agents. Before Amanda's family had come home, he asked her to pick up a bottle of wine to have with hamburgers—kind of a "normal dinner."
Amanda had given him a clue. He had been too wrapped up in his own emotions, to see through the hurtful words she had spoken. He glanced, once again, at the empty bottle of scotch on the coffee table. "Hell! Billy even put Kevin right under my nose as a reminder of what I was like and how much I've changed because of Amanda. He was telling me to hang on," Lee reasoned, as he placed the wine back in the refrigerator. "I knew it! Smyth has assigned her to the recent agents' murders."
Grabbing his coat and keys, he ran out of his apartment, intent on getting to the bottom of things. His first instinct was to head over to Amanda's and search for some other possible clues.
As Lee turned the corner onto Maplewood Drive, he was surprised to see Joe and the boys standing outside the house. Parking his car across the street, Lee walked over to them.
"Hi, Joe," Lee greeted Amanda's ex-husband.
"Lee, what are you doing here?" Joe asked, raising his eyebrows in confusion.
"I just happened to be in the neighborhood, and thought I'd drive by and see if Amanda was home," Lee innocently replied.
Jamie and Phillip looked at their dad, then at Lee. Joe saw the questions in his boy's faces and made the introduction, "Jamie, Phillip, this is an old co-worker of your mother's, Lee Stetson."
"Hey, you're the guy that our mom ran off with when the feds came to our house, aren't you?" Phillip asked, intrigued.
"Yeah, that was me. It's nice to finally meet you boys. I've heard a lot about you both from your mom," Lee smiled warmly, extending his hand for them to shake.
"Mom's not here, and Dad won't let us go into the house," Jamie informed him, as he accepted Lee's hand.
Lee turned to their father, "Joe, what's wrong?" he asked, the concern evident in his voice.
"Boys, go on and play on your sleds for awhile," Joe suggested. "I need to talk to Mr. Stetson alone."
"Okay, Dad," Jamie replied, and headed down the street a ways. Phillip picked up his sled and followed his brother.
Once the boys were out of earshot, Lee turned his attention back to Joe.
"I brought the boys home to get a few things. When I pulled up, I noticed the front door was ajar. I told the boys to head straight for the garage to get their sleds then I headed into the house. It's been ransacked, Lee," Joe explained, looking directly at the agent.
Lee eyes widened at the realization hit him at the danger Amanda was now in. "Ransacked?" He turned and headed towards the front door.
"Yeah, every room downstairs has been turned upside-down. Why would someone go through Amanda's house?" Joe followed the distressed man.
Lee entered the house and stopped. Joe hadn't exaggerated about his description. Every room appeared to be in shambles.
"I saw this," Joe nodded towards the family room, "and I called the police." He then proceeded to walk around the now motionless Lee into the den.
"The police? Why didn't you—" Lee started to protest but then remembered whom he was talking to.
"Yeah, the police. Who else was I going to call? Amanda doesn't work with you anymore, Lee," Joe answered and then paused. He looked around the room, and realization dawned on him. He turned and looked at Amanda's past partner. "She isn't working for the Agency anymore. Is she!"
Lee shrugged his shoulders. "I can't answer that, Joe. I'm trying to figure that out myself," he replied, looking around the room. "Damn!" Lee looked at what remained of the Christmas tree.
"What?" Joe asked, following Lee's intense gaze.
"I know how much Amanda loved her tree," Lee whispered as he picked up an angel ornament from the floor.
Joe carefully stepped over the mangled packages to follow Lee to the tree. "Why would anyone open the kid's presents?" Joe picked up a sweater Amanda had gotten Jamie.
"I don't know, Joe. But you can be damn sure I'm going to find out." Just as Lee bent down to inspect the packages, a siren wailed out front. "That'll be the police. Joe, why don't you go and give them your statement," he suggested.
Joe hesitated. He wasn't sure he was entirely comfortable leaving the spy alone in his ex-wife's home. "I expect some answers, Stetson." He reluctantly turned and headed towards the front door.
Lee turned his attention back to the tree. A red package with gold ribbon, absently tossed to the side, caught his eye. The gift tag most clearly read "To Matthew, with love, Jennifer."
"Why would Amanda wrap a gift with my parent's name on it?" Lee wondered as he gently touched the gold ribbon. "Now I know there is more to this than meets the eye," Lee told the small package. Picking it up, he took off his coat and wrapped it around the package, just as the police officers entered with Joe.
Pulling out his government I.D., he flashed it at the officers. "I'm afraid this is government business, officers. We'll take over from here. Thank you for your time."
One of the officers turned to Joe saying, "Excuse me, but if you knew a government agent was investigating, why did you give us your statement?"
"I'm sorry, officer, I didn't realize he was," Joe replied, turning a confused and angry look towards Lee.
"Joe, go on and take your boys back to your place. I'll take care of everything here." Lee headed to the phone to call Billy. "Again, thank you for your time, officers," Lee called out as the policemen made their way to the front door.
"I can't say I'm happy about this, Lee," Joe stated. "What do you guys have Amanda working on that she would feel the need to lie to me?"
"Joe, I don't have any answers, yet. Believe me, I plan on getting to the bottom of whatever this is," Lee replied. His voice mirrored the agitation that Joe's had.
"Hmm...It makes a little more sense now," Joe remarked, remembering the conversation he had had with Amanda the other morning.
"What?"
"I guess it's nothing, really. Just that Amanda seemed overly worried the morning she was leaving for Atlanta. She told me to take care of the boys if—" Joe paused when he saw the look of anger cross Lee's face.
"Damn it! There is going to be hell to pay!" Lee exclaimed. Turning to Amanda's ex, he said, "Joe, please take the boys back to your place. I have some business I need to take care of."
"All right. Tell Amanda to call me as soon as she can, okay?" Joe turned and headed out of the house, leaving Lee alone.
As he dialed the numbers, he realized the lines might be tapped. He waited to make sure Joe and the boys had left before he headed out to his car to call Billy.
Tossing his coat into the passenger seat, he dialed the Agency.
"Scarecrow, here. I need to be put through to Melrose!" Lee demanded, holding his anger slightly in check.
"I'm sorry, sir. Mr. Melrose is in a meeting," the secretary informed him.
"I don't give a damn if he's meeting with the President himself. This is a priority Alpha One." Lee let his fury loose.
"Yes, sir." The secretary placed him on hold and informed Mr. Melrose.
A few moments later, Billy came on the line. "Lee, where are you?"
"Billy, I want some answers, NOW! And don't you DARE give me the run around this time. I know Amanda is working undercover," Lee shouted into the phone.
"Lee—"
"Don't 'Lee' me. I'm at Amanda's and her house has been turned upside-down. Not to mention that Joe told me Amanda was worried. She wanted to make sure he would take care of her boys while she was in ATLANTA!"
"Scarecrow—"
"Atlanta, Billy. Atlanta, which I know is a lie, because I saw her last night in New York. Why the HELL is Amanda working without backup? I want answers! She's investigating these Agency murders alone, isn't she?" Lee continued to shout.
"SCARECROW!" Billy shouted into the phone.
"Damn it, Billy! Just get a team over here NOW! I'm on my way to the Agency," Lee ordered and hung up the phone.
Two hours later, Lee arrived back at his apartment. Billy hadn't told him everything, he was sure of it, but he was now much more relieved to know that Amanda was working undercover. He knew, however, that Billy was still hiding something. His boss wouldn't come clean about why Amanda was on this one without him.
He threw his coat onto the couch and started to head into his bedroom. He stopped when the package from Amanda fell onto the floor. Crossing over to the couch, he picked it up. He realized just how light the package really was. Sitting down, he undid the wrapping paper. He felt a little guilty, but he had to know what Amanda would have gotten him if she really had intended to break things off.
Inside the box was a letter:
My dearest Lee,
If you are reading this, then in some aspect or another, I am no longer a part of your life. I wanted you to understand why I did everything I did. Dr. Smyth came to Mr. Melrose and me while you were away in London. I am sure you are aware of the string of agents being killed recently. The murders are based on some type of master list. The Agency doesn't have a complete list of the agents, but your name is on what they have. I went undercover to try and find out who is responsible for this, and prevent you from reaching the top of the list. I couldn't live with the knowledge that you would be eventually hunted down, and killed. Not when I could have done something to prevent it. Please know that I never stopped loving you. You are my soul mate. We were brought together by fate, three years ago, at that train station. Unfortunately, the higher powers have made our time together short, and my destiny has taken a different path from yours. I hope you can forgive me for hurting you, and know that I only did it with your best interest at heart.
With love forever,
Amanda
Lee sat there staring at the letter. He couldn't move. That was what Billy hadn't wanted to tell him. Amanda was trying to save him. That was why Billy had sent him to New York, thinking that Amanda was in Atlanta.
Lee went into his bedroom and headed for the shower. Amanda was in New York without any backup, and he may have caused her cover to be placed in jeopardy with his little scene last night. All he needed to do was shower and make reservations to head back to New York City. He could keep an eye on her from the shadows. His luggage was still in the trunk of his car, and he certainly didn't plan on getting permission from Billy to help his partner. He smiled at the thought, 'I knew she never stopped being my partner.'
Lee stepped into the bathroom and turned on the water. Looking at his reflection in the mirror, he thought of how lucky he was to have a woman such as Amanda love him. He had never had anyone love him as she did. He quickly undressed and jumped in the shower.
Ten minutes later, he was back in his bedroom getting dressed. Placing his gun holster on, he heard a soft knock at the door.
He pulled his gun from its holster and checked to make sure that it was fully loaded. He placed it back, keeping a protective hand over it, and went to answer the door. His mouth dropped when he opened the door, and saw Amanda standing on the other side.
"Amanda…I thought… you were in New York?" Lee stuttered.
"Well, I'm not anymore. Aren't you gonna invite me in?" Amanda asked, pleasantly.
"Sure, come in." Lee wasn't certain what to make of this change in her demeanor. There was something in the way Amanda looked at him that told him all was not right with her. "So, what brings you back from New York? I thought you'd be out dancing with Mark?"
"I need to talk to you." Amanda walked in and sat down on his couch. "Mark dismissed me. After that scene last night, he knew there was more to our relationship than just a partnership, and so, he fired me."
Lee just stared at Amanda. Something was definitely up. She was too rigid, too something, but he couldn't place his finger on exactly what it was. He decided to play along. "So, you decided you'd come crawling back to me. I bet you want your old job back as well?" he replied, with just a hint of anger in his voice.
"Well, I know it's hind sight, but I realized how much I missed our partnership. Come sit by me, and let me explain a few things. I mean really explain," she said in a sultry voice.
'Just what is she up to?' Lee wondered to himself as he cautiously walked over to her. He wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and tell her he knew everything, but warning bells were going off.
Amanda looked at him with pleading eyes. "Please, Lee, sit down. I really owe you an explanation."
Lee sat down next to her, and she eagerly took his hands in hers.
"Lee, I want to start off by telling you how sorry I really am. When I saw you last night at the Vice-President's party, I didn't know how else to get rid of you. I figured if I threw myself at Mark, it would be easier for you to believe that I didn't want you around anymore," she began explaining. She moved a little closer to him and turned herself so she was facing him.
"Amanda, look, you don't owe me any explanation. Billy told me everything today. I know you've been working undercover," Lee informed her.
"Oh, Lee. Then you know why I said everything I did. Can you forgive me?" she asked as she seductively slid her hands up along his arms, wrapping them around his neck. She leaned in to place a kiss on his lips.
Lee hesitated, but it had been so long, and he so desperately wanted to kiss her back. Ignoring the warnings his mind was giving him, he leaned in to meet her lips.
As their lips met, Amanda removed her hand from around his neck and slowly let it slide down his arm and across his chest. She knew he was reacting to her seductive ploys when his hands wander down her back. She seized the opportunity, and grabbed his gun.
Breaking apart from their embrace, she jumped up with his gun in her hand. "Okay, Stetson, enough hanky panky. Get up."
Lee just sat there stunned. He was absolutely positive that it was Amanda that stood before him. No imposter could possibly make his body react so passionately. The taste of her lips, and the feel of her skin against his, made it undeniable that it was the love of his life. But as he looked into her clouded eyes, he realized she was not in control of the situation.
"I said stand up. Come on, I don't have all day," Amanda ordered, aiming the gun at his chest.
Lee did as she requested. As he stood, he looked closer at her and realized that he had seen that glazed look on her face once before—it was when the Agency had gone into Operation Possum. She was under hypnosis.
"That's better. Now, turn around and head on into the bedroom," she stated in a monotone voice.
Lee started walking. When he reached his bedroom, he turned around to look into her eyes. "Amanda, come on. It's me, Lee. I know you aren't yourself. I know you wouldn't be able to live with yourself if you were to kill me. You don't want to do this," he pleaded with her. He had to come up with a way to get through the barriers.
"I'm doing what I was ordered to do, so just keep quiet, and we can get this over with quickly. Now, head on into the bathroom and turn the water on."
"Amanda, please listen to me. I love you. I know you love me. We were meant to be together." He moved closer, keeping his eyes locked with hers. "I love you. I know you never stopped loving me."
Something in her mind registered; he saw it in her eyes, so he kept talking. "That's right, I love you. Please, Amanda, give me the gun, and we can figure out just what kind of spell they have you under."
"Don't come any closer, Lee." Amanda changed the angle the gun was pointing.
"That's right, come on give me the gun, Amanda." He knew he was getting through to her. "That's right, come on now. I know you love me, and you don't want to kill me." He moved another step towards her.
"I said don't come any closer." She lifted the gun and pointed it at her own head, releasing the safety.
Lee stopped, frozen in his tracks. His heart was beating a mile a minute now. If he moved too quickly, she'd be gone from him forever. The last few days had been nothing but a complete nightmare.
"Amanda, you don't want to do this. Think of Phillip. Think of Jamie. What would they do without you? You're their mother," Lee pleaded again. He had to get through to her.
Amanda looked into his eyes at the sound of her son's names. "Lee, I have to pull this trigger. I can't let you die. I love you. I can end this all now by taking my own life. Joe promised to care for my children. They would be much happier with their father, than to be cared for by a killer. I have to do as I was told. I must kill. I can't control—" Amanda's hand began to shake.
Lee swallowed the fear that was lodged in his throat. He was going to lose the one thing in his life he had ever loved by her own had. Lee locked his eyes with hers. "God, Amanda. I love you. Your sons love you. Don't you dare leave us behind! We'd be lost without you." He stepped closer to her. He could feel her quick breaths caress his face.
"I can't stop this, Lee. I must kill. I have to kill." Amanda closed her eyes as she prepared to meet her maker.
"No, Amanda! I'm here with you. Together we can do anything," Lee pleaded as he flexed his fingers at his side. He would have to remove the gun from her hand before she let go of the trigger.
"Goodbye, my love." A single tear ran down her cheek as she started to pull the trigger.
To Be Continued….