Chapter 6

The brisk winter wind assaulted Amanda like a slap in the face as she stepped through the restaurant door that Steven was holding open for her. Although dinner had been somewhat enjoyable, she wished more than anything that she was anywhere but here. Her date for the evening wasn't a bad guy, but she felt like a fraud, after all she was here under false pretenses. She had managed to get through dinner by making light conversation and pretending that Steven was just an old college friend, who she was catching up with. Of course she'd been telling little white lies about her life, and omitted any mention of her sons or her previous marriage. Now, however, as she stood outside in the cold January air, she was rudely reminded of what was to come next, of how the next scene in this little play was supposed to proceed and it wasn't one that she was looking forward to at all.

Steven looked appreciatively at the brunette standing in front of him. She seemed to be a million miles away, lost in her own world. She was probably thinking about that jerk from last night, and truthfully, he could understand her thoughts being somewhere else. His were as well. He kept thinking about his little boy and what he was being forced to do to ensure his son's safety. Reaching out, he lightly touched his date's arm. "Penny for your thoughts?"

Amanda shook her head slightly and smiled shyly. "Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I haven't been very good company tonight, have I?"

Steven chuckled. "Nonsense, I couldn't have asked for a more charming and beautiful dinner companion."

Despite the cold air, Amanda felt her face blush. "You're too kind, Steven."

"I never lie to beautiful woman." Steven took Amanda's hand in his and bringing it up to his lips, he placed a lingering kiss on her fingers.

A shiver ran up and down her spine, and Amanda fought the urge to rip her hand from his. His warm lips on her fingers held a promise of what he wanted out of this night, and she had to keep telling herself that this was only a job, and that she was just playing a part. "You really are very sweet, Steven and I had a very nice time, but it's getting late…"

Without letting go of Amanda's hand, Steven looked pleadingly into her eyes. "I don't suppose I could convince you to come back to my place for a hot beverage, a sort of rain check for the one that I offered last night?"

Amanda looked down at her hand in his. "I really should be getting home…" Hoping that she had kept herself from sounding too eager, she glanced up at Steven and sighed. "Then again, it'd be a shame to end this wonderful evening too soon." She shivered again as thoughts about where this night was heading crept back into her consciousness. "So I think I will take you up on your offer." She smiled demurely at her date. "Shall we go?"

Steven's face beamed as he offered his arm. "With pleasure."

Amanda forced herself to slip her arm through the one Steven was offering. Falling into step beside him so that he could lead her towards his apartment, she couldn't help feeling like she was on autopilot as she did her best to compartmentalize her own feelings and emotions. Instead, she thought back to what had transpired in the restaurant and realized that if anyone were to ask her what she'd had for dinner, she wouldn't be able to tell them. She'd have to ask Francine later, as her order was most likely transmitted through the wire and had been recorded. What little conversation she did remember, just made her feel guilty. She had pulled on all her Agency training and had managed to convince Steven that she was glad that things were over between her and Lee. She had lied and told him that Lee had been cheating on her. Of course none of it was true, and she was just thankful that her husband wasn't listening, and that he would, hopefully, never get a hold of the tapes. She'd have to remember to talk to Mr. Melrose about putting the tapes under a higher clearance level than Lee's.

No matter how much the lies made her feel guilty, Amanda just had to keep reminding herself that she was playing a part in a play, and that nothing she said was real. That she, Amanda Stetson, wasn't the one saying these things, but her alter ego for the night, Amanda West, was. And apparently Amanda West was playing her part extremely well, because Steven was either too distracted himself, or was really and truly quite smitten with her. Otherwise he wouldn't have invited her back to his place, would he? She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she hadn't realized how far or how long they'd walked until it dawned on her that they had actually stopped walking and were now standing in front of what she assumed was Steven's apartment complex. Her assumptions were confirmed when the doorman greeted her date by name.

"Mr. Richmond, rather chilly evening to be out, isn't it?" The elderly doorman asked as he held the door open for the blond man and his date to enter the building's lobby.

"Yes, Walter it is. You try and stay warm." Steven smiled as he allowed Amanda to enter through the door ahead of him. Once inside the lobby, he took her hand in his and led her towards the elevators.

"How long have you lived here? I guess it's a pretty long time seeing as how your doorman, Walter wasn't it, seems to know you. I always wondered why apartment buildings hire older gentlemen to stand at the door. They can't really provide much protection and it seems awfully cruel to make elderly gentlemen stand outside in extremely cold weather." Amanda stopped rambling when she noticed Steven staring at her with an amused expression on his face. "Oh, my gosh, I'm sorry, I tend to ramble sometimes."

Steven let out a good-natured laugh "I'm just amazed that it took you so long to take a breath." He reached out and pushed the up call button.

Amanda let out a self-conscious chuckle. "It's a gift I inherited from my mother." She mentally berated herself. 'Get it together, Amanda. You've got a job to do.' Feeling Steven's fingers rubbing ever so gently across the fingers of the hand he held, she stared at the elevator doors, willing them not to open. Unfortunately, the doors in front of her did open, and she took a deep breath as she followed Steven into the waiting car. As the doors closed, she glanced over at her companion and tried to swallow the apprehension that was rising within her. Her mind drifted to the last time she had ridden in an elevator with Lee. Although it seemed like ages ago, in reality, it had only been two days. It had taken them no time at all to arrive at Lee's apartment building for their 'early lunch' and even less time to get from the car to the elevators. The second the elevator doors had closed they were in each other's arms, sharing a passionate kiss and unable to keep their hands from roaming all over each other's bodies. That elevator ride had been an extremely enjoyable one, and was so much different from the one of trepidation that she was experiencing now.

Amanda glanced down at her hand in Steven's, and she couldn't help but wonder how far she was going to have to go tonight. He hadn't tried to kiss her yet, but she knew, from the hunger she'd seen in his eyes outside the restaurant, that that step wasn't very far away. Once they shared that first kiss, she didn't know how she was going to be able to push the guilt away and had a feeling that, no matter how far things went, she was going to have a very hard time looking her husband in the eye for a very long time. She was very thankful that Mr. Melrose had banished Lee almost sixty miles away in Rockville. She was so deep in thought, that she jumped slightly when the elevator dinged, alerting her to their arrival on Steven's floor.

Steven smiled warmly as he led Amanda out of the elevator and down the hall. He'd brought quite a few women down these halls, but not one of them seemed as nervous as the beautiful brunette beside him. He knew she'd just broken up with someone, someone who obviously hadn't been treating her the way she deserved to be treated, and he had every intention of making her feel like a goddess tonight. The deed he was being forced to do the day after tomorrow made him want to savor every last moment until then. Amanda West was probably going to be the last woman he got to spend the night with for a very long time, because after Friday he was either going to end up in jail or dead.

Reaching his apartment door, Steven reluctantly let go of Amanda's hand and dug his keys out of his pocket. Unlocking his door, he opened it and stepped aside to let her enter ahead of him. "Home sweet home. Or, as the saying goes, it's a place I can hang my hat." He followed Amanda inside and shut the door behind him. "Most of my days and nights are spent working so I rarely spend too much time here."

Amanda stepped inside the apartment and glanced around. She could truly believe that he didn't spend much time here. There were piles of magazines all around and what furniture there was, didn't appear to receive any kind of regular dusting. Aside from the small piles of clutter, there were only half a dozen pieces of furniture. A small coffee table was in front of the brown leather couch that sat facing the fireplace, and in the corner beside the fireplace was a tiny entertainment center with a few records, a stereo and a television set. To her right was a small kitchenette with a table and two chairs. To her left was the hallway, which had only two doors. Since one was open, she could clearly see that it was the bathroom, which meant that the other door led to the bedroom and she shuddered slightly.

Steven stepped behind her and gently began to remove her coat. "Make yourself at home." He turned and hung her coat on the coat rack just inside the door. "I'll go and rustle up that coffee."

Amanda nodded and glanced around the room again. There was definitely no denying the fact that this was a bachelor's pad. Except for the lack of furniture, it reminded her of the first apartment of Lee's that she'd been to and she had a sudden urge to start cleaning the place, but instead, noticing a few pictures on the mantle, she put her purse down on the coffee table and walked over to the fireplace. A photo of a young boy, who probably wasn't much older than nine or ten, caught her eye. Looking around the room once more, she realized his face smiled back at her from three other pictures in the room. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but the little boy in these pictures, he kind of looks a little bit like you…is he yours?"

Steven pulled two mugs down from the cabinet as well as a bottle of whiskey. He figured that a little alcohol might go a long way in making Amanda relax a little, but not so much that he would feel like he was taking advantage of her. Turning towards the living room, he let out a sigh. "Yes, he's mine. He's the only thing in this world that really matters to me."

Amanda turned to face Steven. Neither his file nor Francine had mentioned that he had been married before. "I take it that since you're living alone, that you and his mother are no longer together?"

Steven realized that the coffee pot had stopped percolating and turned to begin pouring the hot beverage. "I wouldn't say that we're not together anymore, because truthfully we never were. We met in college. We were young and impetuous, and definitely not careful." He finished pouring the coffee, and added a few drops of whiskey. Picking up the two mugs, he walked into the living room. "John was the result of our one passionate night. Neither one of us was ready for marriage, but Anna, that's John's mother, wouldn't hear of not keeping him." Walking over to Amanda, he handed her one of the steaming mugs. "I'm glad she did, keep him that is. I can't imagine my life without him."

Amanda moved over and sat down on the couch. "Do you get to see him very often. I mean, it seems to me that you work a lot and you said you only get two nights off a week."

Steven sat down very close to Amanda. "I usually have every other Saturday off and I spend it with John." His gaze fell to the picture on the mantle and he let out a long disheartened sigh. "Unfortunately, his mother took him on a little trip and I haven't seen him in almost a month." Needing to change the mood so as not to think about the unexpected trip, under heavy guard, that his son and Anna had been forced to take, he rose from the couch and placed his mug down on the coffee table. "How about a little music?"

Amanda nodded. "That sounds wonderful." She was thankful for his suggestion, because it provided her with the perfect opportunity to put the knockout drug into his coffee. Keeping an eye on her companion, she put her own mug down and then removed one of the faux buttons from her blouse. Leatherneck had placed two new buttons on her shirt earlier. He had placed the one with the wire along her collar, and the other, which had been placed along the wrist of her blouse, was actually the knockout drug. She had been afraid that if she got too nervous she wouldn't remember which button was the right one and might accidentally put the wrong one in the drink. However, after having voiced her fears to Leatherneck, he had assured her that she wouldn't be able to make that mistake. While one of the buttons was a real pearl with the mini wire inside, the other was the pill wrapped in a tiny sheath of pearl-colored paper. If she could pull the paper off, then she had the right one. Glancing over towards the stereo, she assured herself that Steven's attention was still busy trying to find the right music to fit the mood. She quickly removed the tiny wrapper and dropped the pill into the coffee. She watched as it quickly dissolved and left no trace that the drink had been tampered with. Then, after shoving the small wrapper into the pocket of her skirt, she reached over, picked up her own mug and leaned back into the leather cushions.

Steven placed the needle down on the record, turned the volume up to the perfect level and then walked back over to the couch. Sitting back down, he placed his arm around Amanda's shoulder and pulled her closer to him. With his free hand, he moved a few of strands of hair away from her neck. Playing with the strands, he began placing light kisses on her neck, letting his other hand move tenderly up and down her arm. "Have I told you how beautiful you are? Your skin, it's like silk." He felt her shudder, and assumed that he was having the desired effect on her. Releasing her soft hair, he took the mug from her hand and placed it on the table. He then placed his hand on her leg and began a slow massage up and down.

Amanda shuddered again. She was sure that Steven was mistaking her actions for desire, when they were really feelings of distaste. She turned to look at him. "You know, I don't usually do this, go back to another man's apartment on the first date."

Steven removed his hand from her leg and brought it up to slide her blouse a few inches away from her neck. He began to trail kisses along her collarbone. "I promise, that whatever happens here tonight, I won't think any less of you in the morning." He placed another kiss on her neck. "I have a feeling that after the way that jerk treated you, cheating on you like that, that you need to be shown just how desirable you are." He placed a kiss on her chin. "Let me wipe away all those unpleasant memories of him." He then captured her lips with his.

Despite her best intentions, Amanda's body began reacting to Steven's soft lips on hers. No matter how hard she tried to deny it, he was a very good kisser. She leaned into the kiss, and wrapped her arm around his neck. She let her hand wander up into his hair. It wasn't soft like her husband's; suddenly, at the same instant that the memory of her husband came back into her mind, she felt Steven's hand on her waist inching its way closer and closer toward her breast while the other crept up her thigh, and she let out a small gasp. Taking a deep breath, she placed her hands on his chest and abruptly pushed away from him.

"I'm sorry." Steven smiled apologetically at her. "I'm taking this too fast, aren't I?"

Amanda shook her head as she slid a little further away from him. "It's not that, really. I just…I just need to take a few minutes, do you mind if I use your bathroom?"

Steven removed his arms from around her. "No, please be my guest."

"Thank you." Amanda rose from the couch. "I promise not to take too long." Wanting to run towards the front door and out of his apartment, she took a deep breath and made her way towards the bathroom instead. As soon as she entered the small room, she closed and locked the door behind her, and then turned on the water. Taking a deep breath, she pulled the collar of her shirt closer to her mouth. "Francine, I'm fine, just taking a break. I know you can't respond, well you can but I won't be able to hear you, but I just wanted to tell you that I have to give you a lot of credit, this is a lot harder than I had imagined, and I pretty much figured it was going to be difficult. I feel like I'm cheating…well you know what I mean. Anyway, I also wanted to tell you that I was able to put the drug in his drink, so hopefully I can get him to drink the coffee and the drug will work fast. I really don't want to be here any longer than necessary, and I really don't feel like knocking him out with a lamp. Oh and later, you'll have to tell me if Steven's brother was as bad as Steven is, his hands are all over the place. If I didn't know better I'd think he was part octopus. Anyway, I'd better get back out there, I don't want him becoming suspicious or worried."

Amanda threw a little water on her face, and then dried it off again. Turning off the water, she turned and, putting her hand on the doorknob, took a deep breath. 'You can do this. Your country is depending on you.' With that pep talk over, she took another deep breath and opened the bathroom door. She walked back over to the couch and as she sat back down, she noticed that Steven's mug was now empty. She breathed a mental sigh of relief. Now she only had to play her cover until the drug knocked him out. "I'm sorry if I took too long." She sat back down in her previous spot on the couch. "I really didn't mean…" Her words were cut off when Steven captured her lips with his once more.

"I can wait all night." He murmured against her lips. He then began to trail kisses along her cheek and her neck.

"You've been so attentive, and I guess I'm a little hesitant because I feel as if I'm using you." Amanda sighed dramatically.

Steven placed his hand on her collar and once again pulled it slightly aside, giving him better access to her neck. "I'm not expecting any kind of commitment, I just want to show you how beautiful you are, and treat you as you deserve to be treated." His hand moved to the top button of her blouse and he quickly unbuttoned it. Moving his lips along her skin, he unbuttoned the next two buttons and began kissing his way down to her chest.

Amanda repeated her mantra, 'You're Amanda West, not Amanda Stetson, and your country is counting on you,' and forced her hand to move to the back of his neck, and ran her fingers through his hair.

"You taste so good, Amanda. Your skin is so soft." Steven murmured as he kissed the top of her breast while his fingers continued to unbutton her blouse. He smiled against her skin when he heard her moan of pleasure. When his hands reached the top of her skirt, he deftly untucked her blouse and, in one smooth motion, pushed her blouse off of her shoulders and helped her remove her arms from the sleeves. As the blouse fell to the couch with a flutter, he looked hungrily at her exposed upper body. Raising his eyes, he looked at her passionately. "I think it's time we took this someplace a little more comfortable, don't you?"

Amanda forced herself to nod, and as she felt herself being picked up and carried towards the bedroom, she glanced back at her discarded blouse and prayed that the drug would take effect very, very soon.

SMK SMK SMK

Francine sat in the van listening to her partner, and had to give Amanda credit. She was playing the role of a jilted woman extremely well. In fact, Amanda's usual naiveté was working extremely well for her. She was coming off as a woman who had been cheated on, but wasn't all that eager to jump into bed with the first warm body that asked her. She could hear rustling through the mike and could only imagine where Steven's hands were. She held her breath when she heard Amanda gasp. "Come on Amanda, you're doing so well, don't blow it now."

"I'm sorry, I'm taking this too fast, aren't I?"

Francine heard Steven ask her partner. "Come on Amanda, hang in there." She said aloud, not that her partner could hear her.

"I'm sorry, I just need to take a few minutes, do you mind if I use your bathroom?"

Francine hoped that Amanda was just taking a break to recollect herself, but just in case, she reached behind her and grabbed the small medical case that contained the syringe of truth serum.

"No, please be my guest."

"Thank you. I promise not to take too long."

Francine heard the bathroom door click and turned, ready to head out of the van and to her partner's rescue, if that's what Amanda needed.

"Francine, I'm fine, just taking a break. I know you can't respond, well you can but I won't be able to hear you, but I just wanted to tell you that I have to give you a lot of credit, this is a lot harder than I had imagined, and I pretty much figured it was going to be difficult. I feel like I'm cheating…well you know what I mean. "

Francine couldn't help but laugh at her partner's rambling. If Amanda was rambling, that meant she was nervous, but from her words, she knew that Amanda had no intention of taking the easy way out.

"Anyway, I also wanted to tell you that I was able to put the drug in his drink, so hopefully I can get him to drink the coffee and the drug will work fast. I really don't want to be here any longer than necessary, and I really don't feel like knocking him out with a lamp."

Francine laughed again as she remembered their earlier conversation. She had only been slightly joking at the suggestion of using that method to knock Steven out, however, she had a feeling that her partner would probably use a lamp if necessary.

"Oh and later, you'll have to tell me if Steven's brother was as bad as Steven is, his hands are all over the place. If I didn't know better I'd think he was part octopus. Anyway, I better go back out there, don't want him getting suspicious or worried."

Francine made a mental note to let Amanda know that yes, Daniel had been all hands, too. Guess things like that were family traits. She turned and placed the medical case back on the shelf she had grabbed it from. She was just about to turn back towards the recording equipment when the back door started to open. Reaching for her gun, she pulled it out and aimed it towards the intruder.

"Francine, don't shoot, it's just me." The uninvited guest announced as he climbed in the back of the van.

Francine let out a loud grunt as she put her gun back in its holster. "Lee Stetson, what the hell are you doing here? Do you have any idea how many rules you're breaking by being here?" She looked down at her watch. "And, if I'm not mistaken, you're supposed to be on a stakeout with Fielder right now. Billy's going to have your hide."

Lee took a seat on the small vacant chair along the wall. "I know, but I had to check in on Amanda."

Francine turned towards the freshman agent sitting in the driver's seat. "Johnson, would you mind going to get me a cup of coffee, and get yourself one, too."

Johnson gave Lee a curious glance. "Are you sure, Francine?"

Francine nodded. "Yes, Johnson, I'm sure. I promise that you won't get into trouble for leaving your post, especially since I, the senior agent, ordered you to go. Now go." She watched as Johnson nodded and then climbed out of the van. She waited to hear the driver door close shut, before turning and glaring at Lee. "You can drop the act, Scarecrow. You drove all the way over here because you want to find out just how far she's willing to go. You're one jealous man, Lee Stetson."

"I am not jealous! I'm just worried about my partner. I'm a male, and I know what kind of hormones run rampant through a man's body." Lee leaned back against the van and crossed his arms across his chest. "How long have they been in there?"

Francine shrugged. "Not too long, a half an hour at most. How did you find me anyway?"

"I knew where the restaurant was, so I drove around until I found the van." Lee paused when he heard Steven's voice.

"You taste so good, Amanda. Your skin is so soft."

Lee tensed when he heard his wife let out a moan of pleasure. Was she enjoying herself or just playing her part very, very convincingly. His fists clenched as his mind wandered back to the reason he had driven over here in the first place. His original plan to come by and check up on his wife earlier in the evening had been slightly derailed when Billy had given him additional paperwork that just had to be done before he left for his surveillance assignment. He was convinced that it was his section chief's way of ensuring that he didn't have any free time to go over to Alexandria. Which, if that was the case, seemed to work perfectly, because before he knew it, he had only twenty minutes to get over to meet with Fielder. However, once he had gotten in his car, the need to check up on his wife overpowered any amount of common sense he might have had. So, instead of getting on the Beltway towards Rockville, he found himself heading towards Alexandria, while images of Richmond kissing and fondling his wife played over and over in his mind. The closer he got to his destination his jealous mind seemed to take over all rational thoughts, as he remembered the conversation he'd overheard between Francine and Amanda in the Q-bureau this morning. He kept wondering if Amanda was actually attracted to Richmond and exactly how far would she willingly go, and if she would react to all his caresses and kisses like she did when they made love.

"I think It's time we took this some place a little more comfortable, don't you?"

Lee let out a low growl. "Why that son of a…"

Francine glared at him again. "That son of a what, Lee? For someone who claims not to be jealous…"

"Francine, why are we only hearing music? Where did they go?" Lee began to move forward, ready to bolt out of the van.

Francine placed her hand on his arm. "Don't you even dare think of running to her rescue. I haven't heard one sound from Amanda that sounded anything like she was in distress. She can take care of herself. She already got word to me that she was able to put the drug into his drink. I'm sure she got him to drink it." She fixed him with a hard stare. "In case you've forgotten, I'm supposed to be Amanda's backup and we've already worked out a code so that if she needs my help I'll know. Besides, you're not even supposed to be here. If you go off half-cocked now, you'll blow the whole operation."

Lee wasn't paying any attention to what his friend was saying. "Where was the mike that Leatherneck outfitted Amanda with?" He was beginning to grow very worried and despite his protests to the contrary, the little green monster was rearing its ugly little head. His mind was replaying all the various scenarios that had been running through his head the whole drive over here, and he had a pretty good idea of what was taking place inside Richmond's apartment at this very moment.

"Leatherneck put it in a button on her blouse." Francine gave her friend a sympathetic look. "I'm guessing that he's carried her off to the bedroom and she was forced to leave her shirt behind."

"More like she chose to leave it behind so that she could enjoy herself without worrying about the Agency equipment recording the entire rendezvous and me hearing it later on. That way she wouldn't have to admit how far things really went." Lee glared at the recorder willing voices to come back through the mike.

Without a moment's hesitation, Francine reached over and smacked Lee hard on the back of his head.

"Ouch!" Lee brought his hand up and began rubbing the spot his fellow agent had just struck. "What the hell did you do that for?"

"Because it was the only way I knew how to physically knock some sense into that addle-minded male brain of yours." Francine glared at him and shook a finger in his direction. "If you think that Amanda wants to cheat on you, then Richmond was right earlier when he told Amanda that she was better off without you."

"Francine…I don't know what you're talking about, Amanda and I, we're just partners." Lee's voice was laced with anger and jealousy. "Wait a minute, what did you mean when you said that Richmond told her she'd be better off without me?"

"During dinner. Amanda's been playing her part, pretending to be the jilted woman and that you, the man he saw her arguing with last night, cheated on her." Francine stared at him with a knowing expression on her face. "And you can drop the whole 'we're just partners' speech. I know the truth. Amanda and I had a very nice heart-to-heart today. And even if we hadn't, I've seen the way the two of you look at each other when you think no one's watching." She kept her tone of voice cool and even. Seeing the skeptical look on her friend's face, she let out a frustrated sigh. "Now you listen to me, Lee Stetson. You need to get your head out of your ass and start acting like an agent and not a jealous man in love. Then you need to realize that the woman in there," she pointed towards the apartment complex, "who's putting her life and her principals on the line for her country loves you and would rather die than betray you."

Francine took a deep breath. "And furthermore, if you think that a woman enjoys throwing herself at a man to get him talk, you are sadly mistaken. Speaking from experience, I can tell you that it is neither fun nor enjoyable in the least. You feel like you're prostituting yourself, and when you're involved with someone else, it's even worse. Do you think Amanda would feel any better if she was in your position and the roles were reversed?"

Lee shook his head. "No, I know for a fact that it's not easy. I still don't know how she kept her emotions under control when she had to listen to me with Sonja Chenko, during that whole Stemwinder mess."

"Knowing what I know now, she was able to do it because she loved you and she trusted you." Francine's voice softened a little. "You'd know how much she trusted you and had faith in you if you'd seen her when we sat in Billy's office listening to the tape of you and Sonja the night they dragged you off. She defended your honor in a way that I've never seen her do before. She trusted you, Lee and you need to trust her now."

Lee looked down at the floor of the van, feeling properly chastised. Francine was right; he was letting his jealousy take over. The whole ride over here, he'd let his overactive imagination get the better of him. But he knew better, he knew his wife and he knew that she didn't want to do this any more than he wanted her to. If it wasn't for their stupid secret marriage, she wouldn't be in another man's apartment and he wouldn't be sitting in this van thinking all sorts horrible thoughts about where Steven Richmond's hands and lips were. He needed to trust his wife and needed to believe that she would only go as far as necessary. Perhaps it was better that he wasn't able to hear what was going on, because he would probably be in there in an instant, beating the man within an inch of his life for even laying a hand on his wife. Billy had been right to send him to Rockville. The sudden ringing of the van phone interrupted his thoughts.

Francine reached over and picked up the receiver. "Desmond … yes, he's right here … hold on," she held the phone out to Lee, "It's for you."

Lee put the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"Scarecrow, when Fielder called to say that you never showed up, I just knew I'd find you there. I've given you a lot of slack over the years, but this one takes the cake. Don't think you're getting off with just a warning this time, I'm putting an official reprimand in your file."

Lee rolled his eyes and muttered. "Well it isn't the first, and I'm sure it won't be the last."

"I'm in no mood for your attitude, Scarecrow. I'm giving you exactly forty-five minutes to get over to Rockville, or so help me…"
"I'm going, I'm going." Lee handed the phone back to Francine. As she placed the receiver back on the base, he moved towards the back door. Stepping out of the van, he looked back at his friend. "Watch out for her, Francine…and call me the minute it's all over."

Francine nodded. "I promise, now go before Billy sends out the National Guard to personally escort you to Rockville." As the door started to close, she called out. "She'll be just fine, Lee, just keep believing in her love for you." She watched him nod before his face disappeared behind the now closing door. She glanced back up when it started to open again. "Lee…Billy's going to…"

Lee poked his head back in the van. "Relax, I just have a really quick question."

Francine raised her eyebrows in exasperation. "What?"

"What exactly did you and Amanda talk about in your little heart-to-heart?" Lee eyed his friend curiously.

Francine shook her head. "That's need to know Scarecrow and right now," she reached out and grabbed the door handle, "you don't need to know. Now, goodnight." She pulled the door shut and locked it. She then glanced down at her watch before turning her attention back to the recorder. She had been so busy dealing with Lee's insecurities that she hadn't had a chance to worry about her partner. Now that the distraction was gone, her concern at the long silence upstairs was beginning to grow. 'Come on Amanda, where are you? I'm going to give you five more minutes and then I'm coming in after you. Lee's jealousy is one thing, I don't know if I could live with your guilt if you have to go all the way.'

SMK SMK SMK

'Come on drug work your magic,' Amanda thought to herself as she ran her hands tantalizingly up and down Steven's back. Things were not going according to plan. He should have been out cold by now, but instead, things were progressing much further than she had anticipated. Her skirt had just joined Steven's shirt on the floor and he was now kissing his way back up her stomach, while his hands were fondling her breasts.

"I know I've said this already, but you really are one beautiful woman." Steven kissed a portion of skin just above her belly button. Suddenly his eyes began to droop and, shaking his head to clear the fog of sleep that had just begun to hit him, he tried to focus on his goal. Moving his hand up, he unclasped Amanda's bra and as he pushed aside the lacy fabric, he began to slip the straps off her shoulders. Leaning his head down, intent on taking her soft breast into his mouth, he found himself unable to fight the onset of sleep, and his head dropped unceremoniously into the valley between her breasts.

Amanda let out a sigh of relief as she lifted his head off of her breasts and pushed him away as fast as she could. "It's about time." She muttered aloud. Rolling the blond man over onto his back, she re-clasped her bra before sliding down off the bed. Bending down she picked up her skirt and fought back the tears that threatened to escape. If he hadn't passed out when he did, she was sure she'd have reached for his bedside lamp. Pulling her skirt on, she zipped it up and headed out of the bedroom, intent on retrieving her discarded blouse. As she passed the bathroom, she stopped and caught her disheveled reflection in the mirror. Smoothing her hair, she pressed her fingers to her nose, hoping to keep the tears at bay. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the shower and was very tempted to jump in and wipe away all remnants of Steven's hands and lips from her body, however, she knew she had a job to do.

Tearing her eyes away from the bathroom, Amanda headed over to the couch and picked up her blouse. Slipping her arms through the sleeves, she glanced one more time towards the bathroom. 'There'll be time to wash away the memory of tonight later.' She began buttoning her blouse. "Francine, I'm back online and Steven is out cold. Hopefully what Leatherneck said about the drug is true and that he's not really out, but in a semi-conscious state. So if the drug works, all I have to do is ask him questions and he'll have no choice but to answer me truthfully, as if he were talking in his sleep." Buttoning the last button, she took a deep breath. "Sorry, I didn't mean to ramble, guess I'm just glad that he's finally out." She began walking back towards the bedroom. "I'm heading back in to start questioning him."

Amanda entered the bedroom and moved over to the bed. She put the pillows up against the headboard, and then placing her hands under Steven's arms, she pulled him up into a sitting position. She than sat down next to him so that the mike would be able to pick up everything he said. "Steven… Steven can you hear me?"

Steven nodded his head slowly. "Mmmhmmm…"

"Good, can you tell me your full name?" Although Amanda was eager to get all the questions out of the way and get out of here, she wanted to make sure the drug was working.

"Steven Michael Richmond."

Amanda nodded. She knew from his file that that was correct. "Okay, I want to know what your responsibility on Friday at the Inauguration will be."

"I'm going to be part of President-Elect Bush's close personal detail."

"So when he's being sworn in, where will you be?" Amanda adjusted her position on the bed slightly when Steven's hand moved involuntarily closer to her leg.

"I'll be standing right next to him."

"Steven I understand that you're planning on killing the President-Elect, is this true?"

"Yes."

Amanda took a deep breath, at least their intelligence had been good and what she'd put herself through tonight hadn't been for nothing. "How and when are you planning on killing him?"

"A poison-tipped pen will be delivered to my apartment Friday morning. Then, I'm to wait until he's walking out to the steps and then stab him with it. He'll be dead before he finishes taking the oath."

Amanda shuddered slightly. She wasn't sure which was worse, poison coursing through your veins or a bullet. "Steven, why are you doing this?"

"To save my son."

Amanda's eyebrows furrowed. "Your son is in danger?"

"Yes, they took him and his mother to ensure that I do this. If I don't their captors said they'll both face a fate worse than death."

Amanda felt as if someone had just clamped a hand around her own heart. No wonder Steven was doing this. "Who took John and Anna?"

"Anton Stoev."

"How did you get mixed up with Anton Stoev?" Amanda tried to keep her mind focused, but thoughts of Steven's little boy in the hands of someone like Stoev made her blood run cold.

"I gambled away my savings and started borrowing money from a man who turned out to be Stoev's cousin."

Amanda couldn't understand anyone's need to gamble, and couldn't help but wonder just how much money someone had to be in debt for that it to be worth the life of a young boy. "How much money do you owe Stoev's cousin?"

"I owe close to a quarter million dollars. So Stoev took John and Anna as collateral. If I kill Bush, then my debt has been repaid and they go free. If I don't he said he'll turn them over to the Libyans."

Amanda shuddered. After her rescue from the hands of Birol, she had asked Lee what would have happened to her if she had been sold to the Libyans. Lee had been reluctant to tell her at first, but she had told him that if he didn't tell her, she had other resources and would find out. Lee had finally relented and when he was done telling her, she wished she had never asked. He had told her that she would have been a prisoner for two or three years in the desert, most likely forced to do things no one should be forced to do, and every so often they would parade her around, doing everything in their power to try and break her will to live. Then one day, they'd succeed and her will to live would be replaced by only one wish…to die. He had glossed over the more graphic images of what her imprisonment would have been like, but she had gotten the picture. She swallowed the bile that had begun to rise and forced herself to focus back on the task at hand. "If you should fail, does Stoev have a backup plan?"

"Yes, Stoev managed to bribe the driver of Bush's car. I don't know what the driver's role will actually be, but Stoev did say that he'd be equipped with a poisoned dart gun."

"Okay Steven, you rest. You have a busy few days ahead." Amanda moved off of the bed and began walking out of the bedroom. "I hope you got all of that, Francine. The Secret Service is going to have their hands full on this one." She moved into the foyer and pulled a folded piece of paper from her coat pocket. As she began walking back towards the bedroom, her gaze fell on the picture of Steven's son on the mantle and her mind began to wander back to Khai's son and then her own two boys. Children were innocents, they should not be used as collateral to make their parents do things they wouldn't normally do.

Then again, she realized, that that was exactly why the bad guys always used them. Wasn't that why they had agreed to keep their marriage secret, so that they could protect her sons? Amanda began to wonder if Phillip and Jamie were in trouble, would she be willing to take another person's life just to save theirs? She quickly shook her head. She wouldn't and she wouldn't have to act alone, either. She'd get help. Mr. Melrose, Francine, and especially Lee would be there to aide her. Lee loved her boys as if they were his own. He'd never let anything happen to them, which was all the more reason to have a serious talk with her husband about ending the mystery part of their marriage. They owed it to themselves to become a real family, if for no other reason than to keep situations like tonight from ever happening again.

Taking a deep breath, Amanda turned and walked back into the bedroom. Opening the paper she read the note one more time to make sure that it left nothing to chance.

Dear Steven,

Thank you for a wonderful evening. I'm sorry that I slipped out on you, but you must have had a rough week because you fell asleep. In a way I'm kind of glad, because it kept me from doing something I know I wouldn't have felt right about in the morning. Ours was a chance encounter, and I'll never forget the man who made me feel desirable. Thank you and take care.

- Amanda

Amanda folded the note and placed it on the nightstand beside Steven's bed. She then turned and headed back out of the bedroom. She walked over to the coffee table and retrieved her purse. Noticing the two coffee mugs, she picked them up and walked into the kitchen. Not wanting to leave any evidence of the drug around, she placed the mugs into the sink and quickly washed them. She then put them in the dishwasher, making it look as if she had only rinsed them out. With that taken care of, she moved over to the door and removed her coat from the coat rack. "Okay Francine, the note is in place, I've wiped away any trace of the drug, and I'm out of here. I'll meet you back at the Agency." Putting her coat on, she glanced around the apartment one more time. Content that everything was taken care of, she opened the door and walked out into the hallway. Closing the apartment door behind her, she briskly walked down the hallway towards the elevator, eager to get back to the Agency, be debriefed and head home to try and forget that this evening ever happened.

To Be Continued…