A/N: This has been running through my head for the past couple days after some quality time with my worn out SMK tapes. What if Burn Out had ended differently and that bullet hadn't missed? I came out of fanfiction retirement for this, because the idea just wouldn't go away.

Now, I am all for realism, and researching for fanfictions; however, the show apparently was not. Mill Creek is over three hours drive from DC…so they drove Amanda three hours to get her close enough to the mill so she could hitch a ride with Travis, back to DC to get the truck with the money, and then back to Mill Creek…quite the accomplishment in one day. So those of you from the Amherst County area… I am taking some liberty because the show made me, and I apologize.

This story is complete, but I'm still not sure about the ending, so I am posting this in parts. It'll be completely posted by the end of the weekend.

A Caring Deception

Amanda had tunnel vision. She could feel a hand on her, bushing her toward a steep embankment, but her eyes were fixed on Lee's. Out of her peripheral vision she saw Harris hand a gun to her partner, but she refused to look away from his eyes.

If he had a plan, she didn't want to miss his signal.

His entire face was masked in intense concentration.

Sudden fear gripped her heart. He didn't have a plan. Glancing in an instant at the gun, then back into his hazel eyes, she realized they both knew what had to be done. Squaring her shoulders slightly she wanted to convey her trust in him, and her determination to make the shot look convincing. It was the only way, and she wished she could tell him she accepted the risks.

A bitter taste instantly filled her mouth, and she could feel the adrenaline pulse through her.

Watching his line of sight shift to her left side, she knew where he would be aiming. The pop echoed in her ears as if she were under water. She instantly fell to her left, hit the ground hard, and found herself rolling down toward the river.

Finally coming to a stop, she held her breath, hoping her acting had fooled them. Her shoulder hurt for the impact with the ground, and her side burned.

The sound of her heart pounded made it difficult to overhear the conversation above her. She strained to pick up on any detail that would help Lee, but soon found the pain in her side becoming unbearable. She wondered if she had scraped it in the process of pretending to die.

Finally, the voices above her stopped, and she heard a vehicle start. 'Mill Creek Reservoir,' she repeated in her head, while she waited another minute. It had taken all her will power to not move. She was growing cold, and the pain was increasing, demanding that she move to a more comfortable position.

Satisfied she was safe, Amanda pushed up with her right hand, the pain that had been an intense burn suddenly become a white hot searing pain that jolted up her body. Tears sprung to her eyes, and she somehow managed to roll over on her back. Looking down, she saw the bright red spot growing on her pink sweater.

She had to get up somehow. She had to get help to Lee, and she needed a doctor. With great effort she attempted to sit up, but quickly found herself flat on her back again, and succumbing to a wave of darkness.

--/--

"I know how you feel. It's not easy killing a woman. But the half-million should help ease the pain," Brackin was explaining.

Lee's mind was racing. He wanted to make them stop the car, and run back to Amanda. It had been close range, he thought his aim had been good, but she fell so quickly. He had to find a way to get a message to Billy. If she was shot, someone needed to check on her.

"Yeah, and just where is all this money supposed to come from," he asked on auto pilot. He was playing his part, but his focus was on Amanda. The more he thought about her, the less sure he was that he missed.

--/--

Lee couldn't believe his luck. They had trusted him enough to leave him alone. He watched them enter another building, and once he was sure he was out of their sight he began searching for a way to get a message to Billy.

He couldn't believe his luck when he saw a man walking down the stairs to his right. Quickly flashing his badge at the startled messenger, he began speaking. "I'm a federal agent. I need you to get a message to the number on the back of this card," he explained handing him the emergency contact card every agent carried in their wallet. He glanced at the man making sure he was with him.

"Is this for real?" he asked taking the card, and looking at Lee's id again.

"This is a matter of life and death. I need you to call that number and say 'The lion has left the den, but a cub is missing'. You got that? Say it," he demanded urgently.

"The lion has left the den, but a cub is missing," the young man repeated seriously.

Nodding his approval he continued, "They'll transfer you to a man named Billy. You tell him to take a helicopter Muddy Creek at the intersection highway 29 and 6. Amanda needs help."

The man nodded, but didn't move.

"Please," he begged, dropping his guard, his emotions evident, "My partner's life may depend on this."

"Ok, 29 and 6!" the messenger agreed, and took off running.

Letting out a shaky breath, he noticed the truck had pulled up. Now all he had to do was wait for the money to be loaded, and he would make his move. The sooner this was done, the sooner he could see Amanda safe and well.

--/--

Amanda opened her eyes. She was confused, but a slight move of her arm resulted in pain and her memory instantly returned. Looking down, she noted the blood spot had grown considerably. Placing as much pressure as she could on the wound, she bit her lip. Using the other hand, she felt her back blindly. It felt wet. Bringing her hand to her face, she saw the blood, and knew the bullet had passed clean through her. A good sign in that there wouldn't be much internal damage, but it also meant she was bleeding out from her back as well.

Looking around, she had no way to place pressure on her back. She shifted to her side, hoping her weight on the flat ground would be enough. Knowing she had to get up, she wasn't sure she had the strength. She was cold, and tired. A distant roar was in her ears, and she shook her head.

She didn't want to die like this. She didn't want Lee to know she died because of his bullet. Insanely she wondered if she threw herself in the river would she still be found.

The roar was becoming intense, and she wondered if she would fall asleep again and never wake up.

"Amanda!"

Hearing her name, she closed her eyes. "Great, I'm hallucinating now too," she mumbled.

"Amanda, can you hear me? Where are you!" the voice insisted.

A distant recognition of the voice caused her to look toward the road. When she saw no one, she knew she was hallucinating, but before she turned away, the face of Billy Melrose appeared.

"Amanda!" he exclaimed, and then looked behind him. "She's over here!"

"Billy?" she wasn't quite believing her eyes, until he was scrambling down to her, and kneeling at her side.

He moved her hand away from her wound, and replaced it with both of his. He pushed down as hard as he could, and looked into her pale face. "Amanda, it's ok, help is here. Stay with me," he told her.

"Lee?" asked searching around her; sure he had to be right behind him. Paramedics running toward her were all she could see.

Shaking his head, he let the paramedics take over. "He got us a message through a civilian that you needed help. That's all we know," Melrose told her. "Do you know where he is?"

Thinking, Amanda tried to ignore the pain as she was rolled to her side.

"Through and through. She's lost a lot of blood," a man's voice informed them.

"Mill Creek Reservoir," she announced as they settled her down on a backboard.

A c-collar was descending on her, and she brought her hand up. "I don't need that. I was shot in the side," she complained.

"Amanda, let them," Billy asked, and brought a radio to his mouth. "Blue team, head over to Mills Creek Reservoir. Yellow team, pick me up at alpha location."

Amanda brought her hand up to Billy's, getting his attention. "Please don't tell Lee," she begged, her teeth beginning to chatter from the shock that was setting in.

Setting the radio down, he took her hand. "Don't tell Lee what?" he asked confused.

"We're ready to load her up," one of the medics announced.

"Don't tell Lee the bullet hit me," she explained.

The back board was lifted gently, and the group began walking up the embankment.

"Amanda, he's going to figure it out when he gets to the hospital," he explained sure she wasn't thinking clearly.

Squeezing his hand, she tried to shake her head despite the neck brace. "Don't let him come. Tell him something…tell him I needed to get away for a few days… please," she implored him, the pain threatened to engulf her again, but she needed to know her boss understood.

They loaded her onto the helicopter while another landed down the road. "Ok Amanda. I'll come up with something, and send Francine to the hospital," he explained, still not understanding what her insistence was all about.

Closing the door, he backed away, and watched her fly off. Stickiness on his hands brought his focus to the drying blood that covered them.

TBC