Chapter 5

"Billy, thanks for coming," Karl Nagy said. "I'd like to speak to you about Amanda Stetson."

Billy nodded. "Okay, what can I do for you?"

"Jeremy Winters is going to retire in a month, so we'll have an opening in Analysis. I've heard good things about her. As her supervisor, what can you tell me about her."

Billy thought for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "When she looks at a data set, she can connect like dots like no one else I've seen. She's intuitive, and she can be tenacious if she thinks she's right, which she usually is. She works well with everyone. During her training classes, she even impressed Beamon with some of her results. Erik, Lee Stetson was an excellent agent, one of the best I've ever seen. But when he started working with Amanda, his case solve rate has gone up dramatically. She made him a better agent. In fact, I've noticed that she has that effect on everyone. Though I'd hate to lose her, I think she'd be ideal for Analysis. Is she a candidate?"

"Yes, she is, though I think it would be all but impossible to separate her from Scarecrow, would it not?"

Billy paused, knowing both agents were wrestling with decisions about their futures. He tried to decide how to tell Nagy to approach Amanda. "I'm just going to say this. If you offered her a job, you might be surprised at her answer."

"Really? That's interesting. I'll remember that. Well, thanks for your time."

Billy stood and started for the door. He paused and turned to face Nagy. "As I said before, I'd hate to lose her, but I'd never stand in her way. She's worked hard to prove herself."


Amanda absently picked up the phone receiver when it rang. "Amanda Stetson."

"Agent Stetson, this is Karl Nagy."

For a moment, she could not place the name. Then she remembered he supervised the Analysis department. Other than a nod in passing, she could not remember ever speaking to him.

"Oh, yes, hello Mr. Nagy." She shrugged as Lee looked curiously at her.

"Agent Stetson, I'd like to interview you to gauge your interest in a possible position in the Analysis department."

"Oh, gosh, Mr. Nagy, that's a surprise." She paused to buy some time to think. Would this be an option if she decided to leave fieldwork? She had always thought it looked like a fascinating area. Why not at least talk to the man? "I'll be glad to talk with you."

"That's excellent news. Will you be available at three this afternoon?"

She checked her day planner for any conflicts. "Yes, Sir, I'm available."

"Good deal. There's a meeting room next door to the department. I'll meet you there at three."

"I'll be there."

Amanda hung up the phone and looked at Lee.

"What did Nagy want?"

"He wants to interview me for a job."

"In Analysis? Amanda, that's fantastic."

Her expression grew mischievous. "Trying to get rid of me?"

He chuckled at her. "No, of course not. You would be perfect for the department. When's your interview?"

"Today at three, Gosh, I hate job interviews."

"Everyone does."

Amanda chortled. "Oh, come on, when was your last job interview?"

"Well, I've done a couple as a part of a cover story, but I guess the last real one was when Harry hired me. I hated it."

She clucked in sympathy. "Poor baby."

He perched himself at the corner of her desk, his eyes twinkling. "Maybe I could interrupt your interview like I did that one time. What was the name of the company? The Honeydew Typewriter Company?"

She poked him in the chest. "Don't you dare buster. And it was the Honeycutt Typewriter Company."

They both laughed at the memory. She had passed the company several times since that day. The sight of the building always made her reflect on the changes in her life.

"I'm not trying to get rid of you. This is a great opportunity, and you've earned it."

She took his hand. "I know you aren't. I haven't been offered the job yet. I still don't know if I want to leave the field. But I'm willing to talk to Mr. Nagy, and go in with an open mind."

He leaned over and kissed her. "I know you will."

"Do you know Mr. Nagy?"

"Not real well. He has a good reputation as a supervisor. I did a deep background on him when the Agency hired him.." He remembered what the background check had revealed. "His parents defected from Hungary when he was a boy. His father was a biochemist, think. He enlisted in the Army after he finished college and served 10 years in counterintelligence. When he quit the Army, they recommended him. He's very smart and he hates communism."

"I can see why."


Amanda put her pen down and shuffled the files on her desk, then sighed.

"How about I take you out to lunch?" Lee asked.

"You don't have to do that. I'm not very hungry."

"I think it'd do you good to get out of the building. Humor me, okay?"

"All right, you win."

"This is one of the few times I miss not having my apartment. Then we could skip lunch and go right to dessert."

"We can have dessert later."

"I'll hold you to that. How about we head over to Rodney's?"

"You are determined to get me out of here, aren't you?'

"I am."

She smiled at him. "You're very persuasive. Okay, you have a deal. I'll get some tomato soup."

They pulled on their jackets and went downstairs. "Mrs. Marston, we're going to run out for a bite to eat, if anybody is looking for us," Lee said, as they handed in their badges.

"I'll let them know. Enjoy your lunch."

"Thank you," Amanda said.

The deli, two blocks from the Agency, was a favorite among Agency employees. Though Lee was not obvious about it, Amanda saw him take a quick look around before they began the walk to the deli. As they were early for the lunch rush, there were tables available."

"How about we get two orders of tomato soup and split a roast beef sandwich?" Lee asked.

"The walk made me hungry, so that sounds good. I'll get us a table."

He kissed her cheek. "Sounds like a plan."

Amanda watched as Lee got in a short line to order their food. She smirked as she noticed the looks of the female customers. Sorry, ladies, he's all mine. Secure in his love and trust, she did not worry about him. On his part, he paid no attention to the looks.

Lee waited on the order in the pickup line. Once the order was ready, he made his way to their table.

He set the tray on the table and took the seat across from her. "Here you go. The soup smells delicious."

"Uh, huh. It's a perfect day for it, too."

Amanda took half the sandwich and placed it on a napkin. Then she took a spoonful of the soup and blew on it for a second. She eat a spoonful and made a sound of contentment. "That is so good."

They ate in comfortable silence. They did not need constant talk to be happy.

"Now, don't you feel better," Lee said after they had finished their meals.

"Yes, you were right, sweetheart. I did need to get out of the building and get some good food in me."

Amanda's expression grew serious. "You haven't talked about Sandoval. I saw you look around as we left. Do you think he's here yet?"

He slowly shook his head. "I still think he's coming overland, but I don't think he's here yet. It's not based on any information, it's based on, I don't know, my instincts. That's why I wasn't worried about going out at lunch. I wouldn't have done it if I thought he had made it here."

She took his hand and smiled lovingly. "I trust your instincts."


Amanda checked the time. It was two-fifty. "Well, I'd better get going. Wish me luck."

"How about knock 'em dead, kiddo?" Lee said.

"Okay, I'll take that."

"Just be yourself, and remember all you've learned."

"Thanks. I'll be back later."

Amanda went downstairs and said hello to Mrs. Marston as she passed through.

Amanda took a deep breath as the elevator descended. This is just a job interview, it's not an execution. Though she had never been an ego-driven person, it was important to know she could earn this job through her own merits, talent, and effort, not because she was just Lee Stetson's partner and wife.

She spotted the conference room Nagy had spoken of. Through the blinds, she could see him. With one last deep breath, she knocked on the door.

"Come in," Nagy said.

Oh, well, here I go…


Returning from the interview, she found a note on her desk from Lee.

Hey, I had to run down to see Leatherneck and pick up my gun. I just know your interview went well. I'll be back before long to hear all about it. I love you!

Amanda smiled and touched the note. His continued encouragement had given her extra confidence during the interview.

The door opened, and Lee stepped into the room. His eyes lit up when he spotted her.

"There you are," she said. "Get your gun back?"

"I did. Something was wrong with one of the springs. I checked it out on the target range. Good as new." He kneeled beside her desk. So tell me all about the interview."

Amanda hesitated, then smiled broadly. "Lee, I have to admit it went great. Mr. Nagy made me feel really comfortable. He didn't ask any 'gotcha' questions or anything. He seemed interested in me as a person."

"And the job?"

"It sounds very challenging and intriguing. The pay grade starts at GS-5."

His eyebrows rose in surprise. "I've always heard they get paid pretty well. That would be a nice bump in salary."

"That's one thing I don't understand. Field agents take the most risks, yet we seem to be on the bottom of the pay scale."

"It stinks. It's something that should be changed If you decide not to do fieldwork, is it something that you can see yourself doing?"

Amanda thought for a moment. "Yeah, I can."

"There you go then. You have options."

She hugged him, then a kiss. "Thank you for all the encouragement."

"No matter what you decide to do, I'll be cheering you on."

"I know you will."