See Part 1 for Disclaimers, Notes, etc.
Chapter 13
Lee's hand snaked out to knock the gun from Amanda's hand in the same instant that she screamed and pulled it away from her head. The violent report echoed through the room as the weapon flew across the room. He pushed her to the floor as the bullet shattered his bathroom mirror, showering them both with glass.
Lee wrapped his arms protectively around her as he carried her to the bed. "Amanda. Amanda," he whispered, gently stroking her hair, trying to pull her out of her unconscious state.
"LEE!" Amanda jerked up in the bed, catching him off guard and nearly throwing him to the floor.
Lee quickly returned to her side. "Shh... It's okay. It's okay." Lee held her tightly to his body.
"Lee. Are you all right! What happened?" Amanda returned his embrace as she allowed the tears to flow freely.
"I have you in my arms. I'm fine." He turned his head slightly, resting his cheek protectively against the top of her head, and gently rocked her in his arms.
"Oh, my Gosh! Lee...I almost..."she sobbed into his broad chest.
Lee began stroking her hair. "Shh...It's over."
Amanda pulled back slightly from his embrace. Placing a shaky hand on his cheek, she began to explain. "Oh, Lee, I don't know what happened. One minute I was in this office with Mark, and his friend, Mr. Andre. Mr. Andre invited us into one of his offices. It was so mystical, with all the pictures calling out to me. Something kept telling me to stay alert, but then Mr. Andre's hands started to massage my shoulders, to try and help me relax. I know I know him from somewhere, but I can't remember from where…does that make any sense?"
A small smile crossed Lee's face as he listened to his Amanda's rambling. Her trembling had slowed, and the fact that she was speaking fast told him that she was going to be all right. He took her hand in his and placed a soft kiss on her palm.
"The next thing I knew, I was standing here, aiming a gun at you. Oh, Lee…I've hated lying to you. Dr. Smyth told me I didn't have any choice. Telling you to leave me was the hardest thing I ever had to do." Amanda wrapped her arms around him, treasuring the comfort his strong arms provided.
"Amanda, I know everything. Billy told me most of it, and then I read your letter," Lee explained as he continued to hold her.
She pulled away from his grasp and turned to look into his eyes. "You read the letter? But…how?"
"Well, this morning, I went to my fridge and saw a bottle of wine. Then I remembered you mentioning hamburgers and wine, and I realized it had to be a clue," he explained.
Smiling up at him, she nodded, acknowledging her subtle message. "I was afraid you wouldn't pick up on that last night. You didn't the first time I said it. It was all I could think of that you and I would both know." Then, as she thought more about what he had just said, she raised her eyebrows in confusion. "I admit I was giving you a clue, but I don't see how a bottle of wine prompted you to go over to my house…?"
"Well—" Lee brushed aside a strand of hair that was hanging over her eyes. "I knew you were trying to tell me something, so I figured you left me a message at your house. I went over there and was surprised to find Joe standing outside with the boys. Apparently, someone else had already beat me to it."
Amanda stared at him, her eyes growing wider. " Someone broke into my house! Oh, my Gosh! The boys! Are they okay?" she exclaimed, jumping up from the bed, intent on seeing her children.
"Come on, sit back down," Lee smiled warmly, patting the bed for her to return. "They're fine. They have no idea what happened; Joe made sure of that. Billy sent a crew over to your house to try and figure out who was behind it. My guess is that they either found what they were looking for or they wanted to scare you."
Amanda let out a sigh of relief; then worry set back in. "Oh no! Joe. He must know then that I never left the Agency. I'm going to have a lot of explaining to do." She sighed, lowering her head into her hands. "I just can't handle this by myself, anymore."
Lee got up from his seat and knelt on the floor in front of her. He placed his finger under her chin and raised her head. Looking into her eyes, he said, "Amanda King, I am now, and will always be, your partner. You don't have to do anything by yourself, again. I love you, do you understand?"
"You still love me, even after all the hurtful things I said to you? After what you saw last night at the party?"
"Amanda, I told you all of this before. You're my life! You are the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with," he reassured her as he leaned in and placed a tender kiss on her lips. Looking closer at her face, he saw the sadness still implanted in her features. "I mean that with all my heart."
Amanda looked into his eyes and knew that he was sincere. "But, how can you forgive everything…?"
Lee pulled himself up and sat back on the bed beside her. He thought back to all the things she had said to him. She had brought up how he might have to run off for weeks or even months at a time on some classified assignment; her insecurity with his past relationships. Taking her hand in his, he tried to look into her troubled, brown eyes. "Amanda, look at me." Reluctantly, she turned herself to face him. "I admit, the words stung-even— hurt, but if I think back on what you said, even though you were trying to push me away, you kept throwing truth in your statements."
Amanda raised her eyebrows in confusion. "All I can remember is that I had to say something…tell you something—to get you to leave. When you asked me if I still loved you, I couldn't lie to you…I hated saying any of that to you." A new set of tears threatened to return to her eyes.
"Do you remember saying that every time I leave, you fear that I won't come back?" Lee watched as Amanda nodded. "Don't you think I hate the fact that you're still considered an 'agent in training' and can't accompany me?"
"But, Lee, I only said those things to make it seem like I really wanted to end things." Amanda tried to explain.
"Amanda, I know you. I know that no matter what you were trying to do, you couldn't say something that wasn't at least, partially true. You really do fear that I'll leave you, and never come back, don't you?" Lee gently caressed her cheek.
Amanda tugged on her lower lip with her teeth as she looked into the face of the man she loved. She thought back to what she had said and realized that, to some degree, maybe she really did feel that way. Taking Lee's hands into hers, she began, "Lee, maybe I do feel that way— a little. But, please understand that I love you, and I would never push you away…not because of my fears. I know that there is always a chance that neither of us will come home. It's a risk we take everyday." She looked down at their hands before continuing, "I hated saying any of those things to you. I hated having to kiss Mark in front of you. I kept hoping that—"
Lee pulled his left hand from hers and put a finger to her lips. "Amanda. I realize that that was all part of your cover. I'd say you played the peacock dance quite well." He smiled at her. "I know how hard it is to have the one you love listening while you try to 'seduce' someone else." He looked into her eyes to see that she realized what he was referring to.
She pulled her gaze from his and looked towards the wall. "Lee, I knew you were just doing your job when you were with Sonja. You had no idea that I was just playing a part."
Lee gently guided her face to look back at him. "Amanda King, I could see it in your eyes. Last night, at the party, when you were telling me once again to leave you alone, I could see the love in your eyes. The words stung, I can't lie to you about that. But, the way you looked at me, I had to keep telling myself that you were working on something. I couldn't believe—I would never believe—that you didn't love me."
Amanda allowed herself to look into his eyes. "Lee, promise me that we will never have to lie to each other again. Promise me that no matter what Dr. Smyth, or anyone else, asks of us, we will never, ever, put each other through this again," she pleaded.
"I think we can keep that promise. You know me, I have no problem breaking the rules." He flashed her a grin.
"I'm serious, Lee. This has been the hardest assignment I've ever had to deal with. Knowing that I had to lie to you, and not really knowing if you'd ever be able to forgive me once you knew the truth," she scolded him.
He leaned in and placed a kiss on her cheek. "Okay, I'm sorry. I'll try and be more serious. Speaking of being serious, I do have one question. Why weren't you able to tell me more, to include me?"
She looked into his hazel eyes and nodded. "You know that Dr. Smyth approached Mr. Melrose and me while you were gone. A few of Dr. Smyth's informants found out that Mark seemed to be on the take. Dr. Smyth noted that he had an interest in me, and thought that I would be perfect for the assignment. So, I befriended Mark. About a week before you came back, Dr. Smyth pulled Mr. Melrose and I into the office one night. Mr. Melrose was afraid that you would return home early…he knew you were getting disgusted with your current assignment…"
Amanda paused as she noticed Lee adamantly nodding his agreement. Sighing, she continued, "Well, Mr. Melrose and I both felt it was best to tell you what was going on before you came home. We didn't want to keep you in the dark. However, Dr. Smyth firmly told us that if we did, it would mean not only my job, but Mr. Melrose's too. His explanation was that 'Scarecrow has proven that when it comes to Mrs. King, he can not sit back and let the operation go on as planned.'" She stopped once more and let her eyes close and then re-open, before finishing, "I didn't really care about my job; I only cared about your safety. But when he threatened Mr. Melrose's job, I agreed. Mr. Melrose has done so much for us --and I couldn't just--"
"I'm a professional, Amanda. I would've just made sure that you were safe!" Lee protested.
Amanda smoothed his hair with her hand, allowing her fingers to linger in the soft strands. "Lee, I know you're a professional, the best agent around, but you're also a man."
Lee shook his head. "I'm not quite following you here." He, once again, placed her hands in his. "I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize your safety."
"That's what Mr. Melrose and I both insisted, but Smyth brought up what happened during the Addi Birol case."
"What does that have to do with anything?" Lee's voice held a hint of anger at the audacity of Smyth bringing up that case.
"You took the case into your own hands, disregarding direct orders to stay out of it. You even involved other agents without proper authority." Amanda tightened her grip on his hand.
Lee stood, running his fingers through his hair. "I had to get you away from that madman. I couldn't just sit there and let him kill you."
"Exactly. Smyth may be crude in his ways, but he was right. He reasoned that if you became fearful for my safety, you would've run in and taken me out of the situation without thinking twice about it. You would have let your temper get in the way of your judgment." Amanda stood and placed her hand on his shoulder. "You know he was right."
Lee turned to face her. "Would that have been so bad?"
"Lee, you have to understand. I wanted so desperately to tell you. I never wanted to hurt you, but I also couldn't let you protect me this time. I was the one who was out to protect you—"
"Amanda—"
Amanda placed her finger to his lips. "No, Lee. It wasn't just my safety, or your safety, on the line this time. A lot of agents are dying, and I'm the only one in the position to help." Amanda sighed and returned to sit on the bed. "Unfortunately, keeping you in the dark, seems to have worked against us. Maybe if we had pulled you in, what happened here tonight might not have happened." She placed her head in her hands.
Lee watched the woman he loved struggle with her emotions. He knew that things had turned out badly, but in the end they had found each other again. He needed to reassure her that everything was going to be all right. Kneeling in front of her, he placed his hand on her chin and tilted her face to meet his loving gaze. "You would risk you own life to protect me…to protect others." Lee calmly stated.
Amanda looked into his eyes, seeing all the love she cherished in them. "Yes."
"I love you so much, Amanda. I realize in the job that we have, sometimes it's necessary to keep things hidden, but I promise that from now own, we'll do our best to keep our true feelings known. No matter what the Agency tells us, okay?"
"Yes." Amanda smiled warmly.
Rising from the floor, he said, "Stay right there." Walking over to his dresser, he pulled out the blue velvet box.
Heading back to the bed, he knelt down on one knee in front of Amanda. "Amanda King, you are the best, the bravest, most beautiful woman I have ever known. Will you marry me?"
"You still want to, after all that's happened?" she asked as a small smile crossed her lips.
"If anything, I've learned just how much you'd go through to prove your love for me. Yes, I want you to be Mrs. Lee Stetson, now more than ever. Will you marry me?"
"Oh, yes, I'll marry you. I guess we really are the luckiest two people on the face of the Earth," she replied, as a tear of joy slid down her cheek.
Lee took her left hand in his and gently placed the ring back on the finger where it so rightfully belonged. As he did, Amanda moved her gaze from the ring to Lee's eyes. She saw in them the love that she had feared, not long ago, would have be gone forever.
"True love never dies," she whispered and moved her hands to cup his face. Leaning in, she placed a kiss on his lips and released the passion she had wanted to bestow three days earlier. He eagerly accepted her kiss and returned it with the same intense passion.
Sliding her hands along his face to his shoulders, she invited him to rise. Lee didn't hesitate. In one fluid motion, he rose from the floor and leaned down with her as she lay back on the bed.
They began to explore each other in a gentle but passionate urgency. Lee renewed the fervent kiss they had shared moments before, as Amanda roughly pulled his shirttail from his pants. She slid her hands along the bare skin of his back, pulling him closer to her body.
Lee let his hands wander down her arms and back up her sides. Feeling her warm hands exploring his flesh, he released her mouth and looked into her passion-filled eyes. "Amanda, I need you."
"Make love to me, Lee." Amanda whispered huskily as she quickly undid the buttons of his shirt.
Lee released an animal growl as her lips found his neck and began to place kisses down his bare chest. Her lips grazed across each of his hardened nipples as she made her way down to his waist. Lee needed to feel her bare skin next to his. He pulled back and sat next to her on the bed. "May I?" Lee asked as he began to unbutton her blouse.
Amanda nodded, keeping her eyes fastened to his. Lee's face became serious as he looked at her soft pale skin. "Are you okay?" she asked, noticing his expression.
"You're really here, and you're all mine." Lee tenderly touched her soft skin with his fingers.
"Yes, I really am." Amanda wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him to her.
She reveled in his strength, the hardness of his shoulders, the power of his arms, all held in check in deference to her fragility. His heart pounded against her own, while his hands cherished her tenderly, stroking her, discovering her. Their eyes locked as their bodies joined in that wonderful union as old as time.
As their breathing slowed, they remained locked together, enjoying their new intimacy.
"I love you, Amanda. I have never felt so complete," he whispered into her ear.
"I love you, too," she whispered back.
Regretfully, he pulled out of her warm haven and rolled onto his back. Amanda curled herself alongside his body and rested her head on his chest. Wrapping his arms around her, Lee grinned. "Now this is the welcome home I had anticipated."
Amanda turned her head to look at him. "This is the way I had planned on welcoming you home, but..."
"Shh...it's okay. We're back where we belong, with each other." He hugged her to him and placed a kiss on her forehead.
"Thank you," she whispered, rising to place a kiss on his lips. She lowered her head back onto his chest and closed her eyes. The exhaustion of the last few days had finally caught up to her. Feeling safe and at peace for the first time in a month, she drifted off to sleep.
Lee gently rubbed his hand up and down her arm and listened to her even breathing. He thought about just how much his Amanda had been willing to go through to ensure his safety. He didn't know exactly what she had endured or what their next steps would be, but at the moment he didn't care. Right now, all he cared about was the woman in his arms and that her heart was still his. He smiled at the thought and closed his eyes, letting sleep take him as well.
Amanda awoke a few hours later, still in Lee's arms. She gently touched his face, reveling in how peaceful he looked at that moment. Looking down at her left hand, she smiled as she realized that she hadn't dreamed any of it. They were together, and only hours before, they had proven their love for one another. Amanda gently stroked his chest as the memory of the feelings Lee had evoked from her body only hours before ran through her mind. She had never felt that way with any man. She had lost all control and let him take her to a new level of passion. They truly had become one person when they made love.
Lee shifted slightly in the bed as her name came to his lips. Amanda smiled, knowing he was dreaming of her. "Shh…everything's going to be all right," she whispered as she gently moved his arm from around her waist and wriggled out of bed.
She glanced at the clock and realized it was already past eleven. Picking up his shirt, she pulled it on and glanced back at the slumbering man, then headed towards the bathroom.
As she looked around the room, she realized how close she had come to ending their life together. She had been sent to kill Lee. A shudder went through her body as she looked at the shattered glass on the floor. She knelt and began to pick up the glistening fragments and felt hot tears cascade down her face. Lee had forgiven her so easily for lying to him, for trying to take his life. She dropped the fragments in the trashcan and placed her head in her hands. "How are we going to get out of this one?"
Chapter 14
Lee opened his eyes to find Amanda no longer in his bed. For a brief moment, he thought that maybe it had all been a dream. Sitting up, he saw their scattered clothes lying around his room and knew that it had all been real.
"Amanda?" he called out.
She hurriedly wiped the tears from her face with the palms of her hands, then stood and glanced around the corner of the door at Lee. "I'm in here."
"Want to come back to bed?" Lee asked, mischievously as he flung the covers back on her side.
"Just a minute." Amanda ran cool water in the sink and splashed some on her face.
"Are you okay?" Lee asked when he heard the water running.
"Yes… no." She shook her head as she walked out of the bathroom and sat next to him on the bed.
"What do you mean? You don't regret us making love, do you?" Lee wrapped his arm around her shoulder as she tucked her head under his chin and against his chest.
"No, Lee! I would never change the fact that we made love. It's the only thing that's right in my life right now." Amanda pulled back and looked into his worried eyes.
Lee held her gaze. "I just didn't want to rush you into it. I wanted it to be special…"
Amanda gently caressed his jaw and placed a light kiss on his lips. "It was more than special. It will always be more than special between us."
Lee leaned forward to prolong the contact, opening his mouth and intensifying the quick kiss rapidly. Amanda moaned as he laid her back on the bed, pinning her with his weight. "I love you, Amanda."
"I love you, too." Amanda ran her fingers through his hair as she felt the heat grow between them.
"Lee..." Amanda whispered as he started to unbutton the shirt she was wearing and began to seek her sensitive spots along her neck and down her body.
"Mmm…." Lee gently ran his tongue down the valley of her chest.
Amanda closed her eyes against the electricity that was running through her body. "Lee…I was supposed to have killed you."
Lee pulled his head up to look at the tears forming in her eyes. He rolled to his side and pulled her into his strong arms.
"But, you didn't. When you turned the gun on yourself—I've never been so scared in my entire life. You would've taken your own life to save mine." He held her tightly and stroked her hair.
"I only knew that I had to kill. I couldn't kill you—your words made me realize what I was doing." Amanda gently rubbed his smooth chest.
"I guess true love can conquer anything." Lee brushed her hair with his lips.
"I'm expected back in New York tomorrow, Lee. How are we going to pull this off?" Amanda ran her fingernails over his abdomen, watching fascinated, as his muscles quivered.
Lee smiled at Amanda's words. 'How are "we?"' At least she wasn't planning on heading back up there without him. "Well, we'll have to figure a way to contact Billy without rousing any suspicion." Glancing at the clock, he remarked, "It might not be too hard; he should be home by now."
"Lee, what if his lines are tapped? What if someone is watching me? Can we take that chance?" Amanda pointed out.
"I had my place swept for bugs after the Agency team went over your house this morning. It's safe. We need to call in the backup on this one, Amanda. It's too risky to send you back to New York," Lee whispered his last words. The thought of her alone with Mark sent waves of anger through him.
"You call Mr. Melrose while I get ready to go." Amanda wiggled out his tight embrace and slipped off the bed.
Lee shook his head. "Where do you think you're going!"
"I can't stay here! You may have had the phones checked, but what about someone watching the place? Do you think that they would believe that I stayed here with your dead body?" Amanda shed Lee's shirt and began dressing herself in her own clothes.
"You're not going to leave this apartment without me!" Lee rose and began to dress as well.
"Why don't you call Mr. Melrose while I fix us something to eat. Maybe the two of you can come up with a quick plan." Amanda sat on the bed and put on her shoes.
Lee joined her on the bed. "It's going to work out, Amanda."
Amanda smiled warmly at him as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "It will with you by my side."
"Let's do it then." Lee gave her a quick kiss on the lips and headed into the living room to call Billy.
Amanda rummaged through Lee's cabinets in search of something edible while she listened to Lee's frustrated tone. As she heard Lee hang up the phone, she emptied the contents of two chicken noodle soup cans into a pot and placed it on the stove.
Forgetting to turn on the burner, she left the kitchen and joined him in the living room. "So, what did Mr. Melrose have to say?"
"He's going to send Kevin over here to find my body in a couple of hours. He'll call in the Agency coroner's team to make it look like I really am dead, and I can disguise myself to be your shadow." Lee pulled her into his arms.
Amanda rested her head on his chest. "Sounds like a plan. So, what do I do?"
Lee hesitated, taking pleasure of just holding her in his arms.
Amanda pulled back to look into his hazel eyes. "Lee?"
"Billy wants you to leave here in about an hour. He's going to send someone to follow you home; He's already sent someone similar to your appearance to your house. If they follow you home, you can slip out the back, and they'll think you're still at home." A wide smile crossed his lips.
"What?" Amanda confused by his expression.
"Billy said for you to take the same route you used on the agents when you and I escaped them during the Stemwinder incident. He said we had them so confused about which way we went, they felt like they were chasing their tails." Lee softly laughed at the image.
"Like I told you then—it's my neighborhood. I know where all the loose boards on the fences and mean dogs are." Amanda playfully slapped him on his stomach.
Turning more serious, Lee continued, "He'll have an Agency van pick you up two streets over at the corner bus stop. Then they'll take you to a safe house where all of this can be sorted out. They'll take me out of here in a body bag for all to see, and I'll join you shortly after that."
"Sounds like you two have come up with a good plan. Let me turn on the stove and heat our soup up so we can grab a bite to eat before I have to go." Amanda pulled away from him.
"I can think of a few other things I'd rather do while we wait." He wiggled his eyebrows at her, and closed the distance between them.
Amanda laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I imagine we could manage to find something to do with our time. I think I need a shower." Amanda placed an inviting kiss on his mouth and squirmed from his embrace. "I'll race ya' there. Winner gets to do whatever they want to the loser." She turned and ran to the bathroom.
Lee smiled when he heard the water running. "This is one race I don't mind losing."
Half an hour later, Amanda was filling Lee in on all the events of the last three weeks while they ate the chicken noodle soup Amanda had started earlier. "I really need to get going, Lee." Amanda placed her dish in the sink and headed to retrieve her coat.
"I know. I'll join you as soon as I can." Lee followed and wrapped her in his arms.
"I'll be waiting." Amanda returned his embrace.
Lee pulled back slightly and looked at her. "You be careful."
"I will. You be careful, too." Amanda wrapped her fingers in his hair and pulled him to meet her goodbye kiss.
Lee reluctantly pulled back, ending their shared excitement. "I love you."
"I love you, too." Amanda gently touched his face then turned and picked up her coat. "I'll see you in a little while."
Lee followed her to the door. "Count on it."
"Bye." Amanda briefly kissed him and headed out the door, pulling it closed behind her.
Lee looked down at his attire or lack thereof, and decided to get dressed before "wonder boy" showed up.
A man sitting in car outside Lee's apartment watched as Amanda left building. Picking up his car phone, he dialed his superior. "Andre, please."
"Hello? This is Andre."
"She's exiting the building now."
"Good, follow her. I don't want any unexpected surprises."
"Yes, sir."
Andre hung up the phone and rolled a full vial in his fingers. "I'm surprised the effects of my drug have lasted this long. She's quite strong-willed."
Mark shook his head. "You gave her enough for four adult men."
Andre turned his cold eyes towards Mark. "I don't have to explain my actions to you!"
Mark focused his eyes on the monitors in the room, unwilling to meet his boss' glare. "No, Sir. I just don't understand why it took so much of the injection to make her comply with your wishes. It has not required as much for others."
"You really are quite blind to the aspects of life. It's called love. Now go and prepare to pick up our little helper at the airport." Andre turned his leather chair back towards the monitors.
"Yes, Sir." Mark left the man to his 'work.'
Andre listened to the door click shut behind Mark. He rose from his chair and poured himself a drink. Lifting his glass to the monitors, he toasted himself on his latest victory. "Here's to the fall of the mighty Scarecrow."
Lee arrived at the safe house at approximately the same time as Billy and Rupert. The three walked up the narrow path to the safe house in silence, wanting the privacy of indoors to discuss things. Billy spoke to the agent guarding the front door, and the three entered. "Amanda." Lee called as he entered the house.
"Lee!" Amanda rushed from the small kitchen to greet him. "Are you all right?" She pulled him tightly against her. "I was getting worried, I figured you'd be here ahead of me."
"Yeah, I'm fine. I took the long way here, just to be sure I wasn't followed. Are you okay?" He returned her embrace.
Amanda nodded against his chest. "I am now that you're here." She released Lee and looked at the men who had accompanied him. "Hello, Sir. Uncle, what are you doing here?"
"I told Billy to keep me posted, otherwise I'd head back to New York. When he called and told me that my nephew was playing dead, I found a way to get to Lee's apartment." He flashed her an innocent smile. "I wanted to make sure that my services wouldn't be needed anymore than just a messenger, dear Niece," Rupert finished answering, and then gave her a hug. "Good to see you among the living, nephew." He gave Lee a wink and walked into the living room to sit on the couch.
Billy turned to Amanda. "He showed up at Lee's apartment the same time as the 'clean up crew,' and I couldn't talk him out of coming. Now, would you two like to fill me in on exactly what happened?" Billy removed his hat and coat.
"Have a seat, Billy, its kind of complicated," Lee replied.
Billy took a seat on the couch next to Rupert and made a mental note regarding Lee's attitude towards him. He wasn't as agitated and angry as he had been the last three days. From the way that his two agents were looking at each other, he knew that Amanda had told Lee everything. With all the frustrations he had endured in hiding the truth from Lee, he couldn't wait for the explanation behind this one.
As Amanda pulled a chair in from the dining room, another knock came at the door. Lee quickly put his hand on his gun, and guided Amanda back into the hallway.
Billy nodded to Rupert to open the door as he stood to the side with his gun drawn.
"Can I help you, sonny?" Rupert narrowed his eyes at the young agent.
"Mr. Melrose told me to meet him here," Kevin replied.
Billy returned his gun to its holster and waved for Lee to reenter the living room. "Where the hell is the guard?"
"He had to relieve himself." Kevin shrugged his shoulders. "I told him I'd watch till he got back."
Billy closed his eyes and ran his hand over his balding head at the lack of professionalism some of his employees had. "Get in here. I'll go find my missing agent," Billy huffed.
Rupert closed the door behind Billy; he then returned to the couch to study the new addition to the small group.
"Kevin, what took you so long?" Lee asked, returning to the living room.
"I got a little tied up explaining your death to all of your friends." Kevin rolled his eyes.
"Next time, I get to die and you explain it to everybody."
Lee shook his head. "Deal!"
Kevin walked into the living room and took a closer look at the older man on the couch. "Excuse me, but didn't I see you just the other night with Mrs. King?" he asked.
Rupert squinted his eyes at the younger man. "Ah, yes, you must have been the young man waiting for a cab."
Lee looked at Rupert then to Amanda and then to Kevin. He just shook his head. This whole chain of events had been one unexpected situation after another. He didn't really care anymore. As long as he knew Amanda was still his partner, nothing else mattered.
"Remind me to have a talk with Beaman about his class on 'how to stay at your post,'" Billy grumbled as he reentered the house.
"Now that the gang's all here, we might as well get down to business." Lee took a seat on the armrest where Amanda was seated. "Amanda, do you want to start?"
"I guess I should." She looked up at Lee to draw strength from him. "The last report I gave was through Rupert. I informed him that we have a mole inside the Agency. Well, this morning, Mark brought me to his associate's office, a Mr. Andre. I'm pretty sure that Andre is not this man's name. I'm also positive that I've seen his face before, or at least his likeness. Maybe he's a relative of someone we know," Amanda began explaining.
Kevin watched this woman with extreme interest. He watched, too, as Lee's face held a warm smile towards the woman seated beside him. He had not seen this side of the Scarecrow before. He shrugged his shoulders and took a seat on the couch beside Billy and Rupert.
Amanda glanced over at Lee and saw love and compassion in his eyes. "Anyway, Mark brought me to meet Mr. Andre. The man seems to run a hypnosis/massage business of sorts. He brought us into one of the offices. I was sitting there, and the next thing I knew I was at Lee's apartment, aiming his gun at him."
Billy shifted his gaze to Lee, who had positioned himself behind Amanda's chair. He had put his hands on her shoulders the minute she had mentioned the part about the gun.
"Andre apparently hypnotized her. He probably figured she was the best one to get close to me and take me out," Lee gently squeezed her shoulders, reminding her that he was there for her. "I was able to break the hold he had over her, but it was a close call."
"Lee informed me that I was about to take my own life instead of his," Amanda finished, placing her left hand over Lee's hand. "The thing is, I don't remember much after sitting in Andre's chair. I'm sure they expect me back in New York, once I complete my task."
"Billy, do you think Doc McJohn could re-hypnotize her to find out exactly what went on in that office?" Lee asked.
"I suppose," Billy replied, a slight smile crossed his lips. Amanda's hand glistened with an engagement ring. 'It's about time.' Billy surmised, nodding to himself.
"We'd have to have him come here." Amanda tilted her head back to look at Lee. "Lee, I think the best course of action is for me to head back to New York and inform them that I completed my task."
"Amanda, I don't think it's a good idea to send you back there," Lee moved to sit beside her once again.
"Lee, think about it. Since everyone assumes your dead, you're free to move around as you please. You can come with me and be my back up. I can wear a wire. They wouldn't suspect a thing. Especially with Billy making it seem like you really are dead." She stood and was now looking directly into Lee's eyes. "This is the best chance we have of catching both the Agency leak and this Mr. Andre."
"She's right, Lee," Billy put in. "Officially, Amanda still works for I.A. She has been our only hope from the start, and she still is. I'm going to wake up the good doctor and have him come over."
While Billy made his phone call, Kevin began to wonder just what exactly was going on. "Lee, does this all tie into the recent Agency murders?" he asked.
Lee looked at the young man. "Apparently, I was the next victim. A fact which everyone was trying to hide from me," he replied, a hint of annoyance in his voice.
"Lee, you know we weren't trying to hide it from you," Amanda shook her head and placed her hands on her hips. "We were hoping to have the answers before you got back and could possibly become involved. If we could have found things out earlier, then you wouldn't have been in the dark about anything."
"Besides, we were under strict orders to leave you out of this, Scarecrow," Billy added, returning to the living room. "Doc McJohn should be here in about half an hour. While we wait, we might as well stop rehashing the past events and come up with a plan to trap whoever is behind this."
By the time a very sleepy Doctor McJohn arrived half an hour later, a tentative plan had been arranged. Amanda would head back and pretend to still be under hypnosis. She would be outfitted with a listening device, which would be hidden inside whatever mechanism Leatherneck could come up with. Lee, disguised with facial hair and glasses, along with Kevin, would follow her to New York. Rupert agreed to stay put and not leave D.C. Lee promised to continue to use him to feed information to Billy, if necessary. The finishing touches all stemmed from what the good doctor would find out from Amanda's memory.
"Amanda, do you remember anything from the time you entered the office to the time you arrived here at Lee's?" McJohn asked his patient, who was sitting comfortably on the couch.
"I do remember that Andre's office was quite relaxing, actually. Once we were seated, I remember him mentioning that I looked tired, as if I didn't have a good night's sleep. I thought it was odd that he would make such an observation. The truth is, I didn't sleep at all last night," Amanda explained.
"Why did it strike you as odd that he made the observation?" McJohn asked.
"It wasn't so much that he asked, it was more the way he said it. It was almost as if he had been there in my room." She paused and looked around at the small group. " I was pretty sure my phone lines were tapped, but I wonder if he…" she shuddered at the thought of someone spying on her like that. Lee stood behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder for support.
"Billy, do you think this Andre had cameras planted in her room?" Lee turned to his boss.
"It's possible, Lee. Amanda, you didn't talk with anyone other than Rupert, did you? I mean in your room." Billy questioned her.
"Only Mark, when he came by to get me this morning. Other than that, I met with Francine in her room, and Rupert at his hotel," she replied.
Lee perked up at the mention of Francine's name. He turned to look first at Amanda, and then at Billy. "Do you mean to tell me that Francine was in on this, too?" he demanded, more than a little agitated. Then he looked at the young man who had been forced on him as a partner. Squinting his eyes in frustration, he asked, "I suppose you were too, weren't you?"
The young rookie looked back at Lee and replied, "Honest, Lee, you probably know more about any of this than I do. All I knew was that the great Scarecrow was going to need a new partner, and I thought it would be a great opportunity." He defended himself, and then turning away, muttered under his breath, "boy what a mistake that was."
"Lee, Amanda needed some sort of backup. Francine was the one who jumped at the chance to help save you. It was her idea to follow Amanda from the shadows. Most of the places she went with Mark, I could always find a way to send Francine there as well." Billy explained.
Lee stood in silence. So much had happened since he had left a month ago. Now, all he wanted was for this whole ordeal to end and so he get back to the way his life was before he went to London.
"Do you mind if we get back to business?" Amanda interjected. "It's late, and I know we would all feel much better if we could get this all straightened out and get some rest before tomorrow."
"I guess you're right. Go on Doc." Lee remained firmly planted behind Amanda.
"Thank you. Now, Amanda, "Dr. McJohn began his questioning again, "what happened after Andre made the observation?"
"He said that I looked like I could use some help relaxing. He began massaging my shoulders and eventually began rubbing my temples. I remember his voice was real even, almost hypnotic. The next thing I remember was standing in Lee's bedroom pointing a gun at him." Amanda looked up at Lee as she finished. Her eyes full of sorrow at what had almost happened.
Lee returned her look and gave her a smile, letting her know it was all right. That he knew it wasn't her fault.
"You don't remember anything else?" the doctor asked.
"I'm sorry, Doctor McJohn, but I really don't." She shook her head. "Do you think you can re-hypnotize me and find out exactly what happened during the time I don't remember?"
"I'm sure I can hypnotize you, but I can't promise the results." He shrugged his shoulders and looked at Billy.
"It's worth a shot. Are you up to it, Amanda?" Billy asked as he looked from Amanda then to Lee.
"Yes, I am, Sir," Amanda replied. She turned to look at Lee and let him know this was what she wanted.
"All right, then. I'll need complete silence." McJohn looked around the room, noting everyone nodding their understanding. Taking out a pocket watch, he sat on the edge of the coffee table in front of his patient. "Amanda, I want you to think of a blank sheet of paper. When your mind is clear, I want you to focus your eyes on my watch."
Amanda did as instructed. McJohn waved the watch back and forth, speaking to her in monotone "Just keep watching the watch. You're eyes are growing heavy. You're beginning to feel very sleepy. Let your eyes close. That's it. Now, when I count to three, you will fall asleep. One…Two…Three."
Everyone watched as Amanda's head slumped. "She really is a quick study, isn't she?" McJohn remarked. "Now, when I snap my fingers you will be back in Andre's office. He will be massaging your shoulders, and you will recount what you said to him."
With a snap of his fingers, Amanda's eyelids opened and her head snapped up so she appeared to be looking straight ahead, but her eyes were distant and far away.
"Where are you, Amanda?" McJohn asked.
"I am in a velvet chair, relaxing. It feels so good to let the stress leave my body," she replied, her voice as distant as her eyes.
"Do you know who is talking to you?"
"Yes, it is Mr. Andre, but he told me to call him just Andre."
"Good, do you remember what he is asking you?" McJohn inquired.
"All I remember is his instructions. He told me to forget everything else." Amanda mechanically answered.
"What were his instructions?" McJohn asked.
"Andre instructed me to kill Lee Stetson."
"Then what happened?" McJohn continued to probe.
"He was upset with me when I refused. I told him no." Amanda shook her head.
Billy rose and stood beside Lee, offering support. Lee eyes remained focused on his lifetime partner.
"What did he say?" McJohn asked.
"Told me I would feel a prick in my arm." Amanda replied.
McJohn furrowed his eyebrows, looking up at Billy. "Did he give you an injection?"
Amanda nodded.
"What happened then?"
"I wanted to refuse, but it was hard not to accept his orders." Amanda voice remained calm.
"Did you accept his demands?" McJohn continued.
"Yes." Amanda nodded.
"Then what happened?"
"He told me that if I failed, someone else would be sent in my place. I was to kill or be killed if I failed. He asked if I understood."
A look of understanding crossed between Lee and Billy. She had turned the gun on herself because she had been told that if she didn't kill Lee, she would die anyway.
"Did he give you any other instructions?" McJohn asked.
"Yes, he then told me that I was to take a flight back to D.C. and head straight for Lee's apartment. If he wasn't there, I was to wait until he came back. Get him to let his guard down, and kill him with his own gun."
"Was there anything else?" McJohn waited for an answer.
"If I succeeded, I was to take an 11 am flight back to New York and meet Mark back at our hotel."
"Okay, when I snap my fingers, you will fall back into a deep sleep." With a snap of his fingers, Amanda's eyes shut again, and her head slumped back down. "Now, when I count to three, you will awaken and remember everything that happened in the last twenty-four hours. One…Two…Three." On the last count, Amanda's head popped up and her eyes opened.
She looked at Lee and her eyes grew wide with shock as the memories of the last few hours came flooding back to her. She put a hand to her mouth and gasped. "Oh, my gosh! What if you hadn't been able to get through to me? Oh, Lee." Lowering her eyes from his gaze, she stared at the floor.
"It's all right, Amanda. It's all over now." Lee quickly knelt before her and pulled her the sleeve of her shirt up. His eyes saddened as he noticed the small prick in the bend of her arm. "What did he use Doc.?"
"I'm not sure. It could be any number of things. I'll have to draw blood and run it through the lab to be sure. We'll need to take her back to the Agency hospital to run some tests." Doctor McJohn stood beside the couple.
"I can't go." Amanda looked at Lee then to Billy.
"You have to!" Lee insisted.
Amanda took his hand in hers. "I feel fine. Whatever it was, it must have worn off by now," Amanda reassured him.
Lee looked up to Billy for support. "Tell her, Billy. Tell her that she needs to go to the hospital."
"Lee—" Billy started.
Amanda placed her hand on his cheek and turned his face to meet hers. "Lee, I have to get on that plane tomorrow. If I don't, then all of this will have been for nothing," Amanda pleaded.
Billy shook his head. "She's right, Lee."
"I could draw some blood here and run it back to the lab. We should know something by tomorrow morning," McJohn explained.
"I don't like it." Lee stood and began to pace.
Amanda rose from her seat and stood in his path. Placing her hand on his arm, she shook her head. "Lee, we don't have a choice."
Lee's eyes softened at her touch. Smiling briefly at her, he turned his attention back to McJohn.
Kevin's eyes grew wide at the sight before him. He had expected Lee's temper to explode at her refusal, instead he watched as the beauty calmed the beast before her with a simple touch. Glancing over at Billy, he saw amusement dancing in his boss' eyes. Kevin realized then that this was not an unusual occurance between Scarecrow and Mrs. King.
Lee looked at the determination in her eyes then looked at McJohn. "I want us informed the minute you hear, Doc."
"I'll be sure you do. I need to go to my car and grab my medical bag." McJohn left the four alone in the room.
"We need passage for Kevin and I on the eleven o'clock flight, Billy" Lee remained focused on Amanda.
"I'll take care of it first thing in the morning. You and Kevin will fly back under assumed names. Amanda, do you think you can convince them that you're still under hypnosis?" Billy let his eyes fall on the female of the best team he had.
"I'll do my best, Sir," she replied.
McJohn reentered the house and opened his bag. "I need you to take a seat, Mrs. King."
Amanda sat back down on the couch and rolled up her sleeve, offering her arm to McJohn. Lee stood behind her as he watched McJohn pull the syringe from his bag. Seeing Amanda's body begin to tremble, he placed his hands on her shoulder, gently massaging them. Smiling at his touch, Amanda looked back at him thanking him for his reassurance.
"Why can't she remember it all, McJohn?" Billy turned to the doctor.
"In some cases, it's a repressed memory, or he could have used a form of hypnosis that I'm not familiar with yet. It could be a variety of reasons, but she appears to be of a normal state of mind," McJohn reassured him, placing the cap on the end of the vial of blood he had just taken from Amanda.
"Thank you, Doctor. I'll get Leatherneck to come up with that device to give you. Lee, Amanda will need to head to the airport early in the morning. I'll have an Agency van pick her up here."
"What about the other woman?" Amanda asked.
Billy turned his attention towards his female agent. "I'll have our decoy head to the ladies room, and you can already be there by the time she arrives. I'll have her wear a coat identical to Amanda's. That way you can board the plane, and they'll be none the wiser."
Lee nodded.
Billy smiled, again noticing the shimmering diamond on her left hand. "I'm sure you two will be comfortable here. An agent will be just outside, not leaving his post, if he knows what's good for him. Come on gentlemen. Let's get going. We have a lot to do tomorrow."
McJohn and Kevin followed Billy to the door.
"Kevin, I'll meet you at the airport. You'll have to stop by the Agency and pick up our tickets and passport," Lee called from the living room.
"Will do, Scarecrow." Kevin looked at the woman on the couch. He realized that once this case was over, he was out of a partnership.
"I'll make sure the rumor mill is going that you're dead, Lee. I don't think it'll be too hard to convince folks, since we dragged you out in a body bag today." Billy smiled as he headed out the door.
Rupert rose from his seat and walked over to Amanda. Giving her a hug, he whispered, "You be careful, Niece."
"I will, Uncle," Amanda responded, placing a kiss on his cheek.
Rupert then turned towards Lee and ordered, "You take care of her, Nephew. She promised me a dance, and I expect to collect."
Rupert looked to see that the others had left the house. "Diamonds look beautiful on you, my dear." Winking, he headed out the door to catch up with his ride home.
Amanda looked at her left hand and gasped. "Lee! I left my engagement ring on."
Lee smiled and pulled her into a tight embrace. "It's going to stay there if I have anything to do with it."
"Lee, I can't wear it tomorrow." Amanda sighed into his chest.
"After this case is over, we're going to make some changes. I'm going to get to know your family better, and then we're going to make our relationship public. I will not live my life without you by my side." Lee pulled her back to look in her eyes.
"I love you," Amanda whispered as she pulled him back into her embrace.
"I love you, too. I know you're exhausted. Why don't you go ahead and get ready for bed. I'll be there in a minute." Lee kissed the top of her head.
Amanda pulled back to look at him. "Do you think it's a good idea for us to sleep together? I mean, with all the eyes around watching us."
"I'll lock the bedroom door, and the guard is assigned to the outside of the house." Lee pulled her closer to his body. "I really don't give a damn what everyone thinks. I'm not letting you out of my sight tonight."
Amanda smiled into his chest, and nodded. "I'll be waiting." Amanda stepped back a bit and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.
She headed into the bedroom to get ready for bed. Pulling off all of her clothes, except her underclothing, she crawled into bed to wait for her fiancé.
Lee walked around the house, making sure that everything was locked and secure. He reached the bedroom to find Amanda already curled up in bed. She looked so peaceful lying there asleep.
He went into the bathroom to prepare for bed. Emerging, he turned off the lights and locked the bedroom door. After setting the alarm for 7am, he eased his way into bed alongside Amanda. She moved slightly as he put his arms around her in a protective cocoon. He let the intoxicating smell of her hair take his mind off of other things and allowed himself to drift off into a peaceful slumber.
To Be Continued….