Amanda moved slowly into the building being extra cautious with each step she took. She couldn't see where she was going and had to rely on this man holding her arm to steer her in the right direction.
"Can I please take off this blindfold now so I can see where I am going?" Amanda said angrily.
"Now, now, Mrs. King. We are almost to our destination."
Amanda heard a bell ding and what sounded like doors sliding open.
"Step forward" the man told her.
Amanda did as she was told and soon realized she was in an elevator. The elevator began to ascend and stopped after a very short ride. She figured they went up 2, maybe 3 floors at the most. The elevator dinged again, and she again heard the doors open.
"Ah, we're here" he said as he pulled her out of the elevator by the cuffed wrists.
Amanda could tell she was standing on plush carpet. The room was warm and smelled of cigar smoke and maybe fireplace ash. She heard the door being shut behind her.
"You know, Mrs. King, I've waited such a long time for us to meet face to face. When Addi Birol said that he had you in custody, I couldn't wait to get my hands on you."
Amanda stiffened at this comment. She didn't know who was talking and what connotations that comment held.
"If you ask me, $2 million was a bargain for the great Scarecrow's beloved Mrs. King. And of course, to me, you have value all on your own. It was you that sent me to Lubyanka Prison. You made me a prisoner in my own country, so I thought I would return the favor and make you a prisoner in your own country."
"Who are you?" she said angrily.
Amanda felt her blindfold being forcefully ripped over her head pulling her hair as it went. It took her a moment to allow her eyes to adjust to the lighting in the room. The room was a very large office covered in wood paneling and bookcases full of books. A thick, deep red carpet with gold trim covered the floor. There was a large mahogany desk with a red padded chair behind it. Standing in front of the desk was a tall, sandy-haired man, well dressed and all too familiar.
"I'm hurt that you don't remember me by my description. How many Russian agents have you sent to the Lubyanka? Should we ask Harry Thornton and see if he remembers? Or should I say Kolinsky?"
Amanda's mouth dropped open as her eyes focused on the man in front of her.
"Gregory!" she said in a breathy, exasperated tone.
Gregory smirked at Amanda.
"So, you DO remember me! Good. I would hate to have gone to all this trouble and not have you remember who I am. Have you enjoyed your stay so far?"
Amanda stared at him and the smug look on his face. She became enraged in a way she never had before.
"Let me go! Now!"
Gregory began to laugh.
"Now why would I do that? I have taken such care and expense to make sure that you were my prisoner. Moving you from house to house, keeping you secluded from anyone that could possibly recognize you. I must say that I've done a pretty damn good job, too. It's been over a year and not one person even knows you are still alive. And the BEST part? Not only do they not know you are alive, but they don't know that you have been in Washington, DC this entire time."
Amanda's face dropped in shock.
"What?" she squeaked out.
Gregory smiled widely.
"That's right. You've been no more than 10 miles from DC the entire time I have had you. I wanted to come see you many times, but I had to make sure the timing was right. And last night, I found out that the timing couldn't be better!"
"What did you find out last night?" she asked.
"All in good time, Mrs. King. All in good time."
There was a soft knock on the door and Gregory yelled for the person to enter. A young woman with dark hair walked up to him and the two began speaking in low tones. Amanda stood in the middle of the room taking in all the information she had just learned. She had been so close to Lee and her family this whole time! Why didn't Lee find her and rescue her?
"My boys…." She whispered as heavy tears began to stream down her cheeks. Her legs began to tremble. "This whole time I was so close to them."
Gregory and the woman finished their conversation. The woman looked at Amanda for a moment and then walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.
"Oh, there now, Mrs. King. It will be alright. Here, come have a seat. This will all be over very soon."
Gregory guided Amanda to a chair. She sat down and tried to keep herself from trembling. Gregory handed her a tissue to dry her eyes. Amanda sat in silence trying to push her feelings down and push them aside. She needed to get out of here. She could feel Gregory looking at her.
"Did you like my gift?" he said.
She looked at him blankly.
"The dress. Don't you like it? It's very much like the one that you wore to the New Year's Eve Party a few years back."
Amanda looked at him, shocked at what she was hearing.
"Oh yes, I was there, and I remember you well. You looked stunning. And you were with Lee Stetson. That also drew some attention to you. You have no idea how much he is hated in Moscow. Well, maybe now you do."
Amanda tried to focus on breathing as she listened to Gregory talk.
"It has really been very…satisfying watching the great Scarecrow self-destruct over this last year. He became a mere shadow of the agent he used to be. He became obsessed with finding Addi Birol and avenge your death."
Gregory began pacing around the room clasping his hands together in delight as he recounted the details of Lee's torturous year.
"And of course, Birol didn't have you. I did! You were right under his nose the entire time. But he wasn't looking for you, exactly. To him and the rest of the world, you are dead, Amanda King! I guess you could say that your death was the end of Lee Stetson."
Amanda's head shot up and looked at Gregory.
"What do you mean the end of Lee?"
Gregory walked over to his desk and grabbed a piece of paper. He became almost giddy when he read it. He walked over to Amanda and handed it to her. Lifting her hand-cuffed hands, she took the paper and read it.
"As of December 3, 1987, the status of Agent Lee Stetson, code named SCARECROW, has been changed to AGENT LOST: DECEASED."
Amanda read and reread the paper several times. She was not comprehending what the paper revealed. Lee wasn't dead! She would know if he was dead.
"No!" she screamed. "It's not true. I don't believe you!"
Gregory snatched back the paper and smiled in her face.
"Oh, it's true! He's been missing for the last 6 months in search of Birol. He wanted to take revenge on your killer. But as we both know; you are very much alive and now we know that Scarecrow is DEAD!"
Amanda's throat closed and she couldn't breathe for a moment.
"They are literally having a party in Moscow over this news. And tonight, we are having one here! That is why you and I are finally meeting face to face! Ah, such GOOD news!"
Amanda coughed heavily as her body forced her to take in air once again. Her hands her trembling so badly that the chains on the cuffs began to make clinking noises. Hot tears began to spill out of her eyes and down her cheeks. Her heart was beating so loudly in her chest and in her ears that it was difficult to think.
"Pull yourself together, Amanda," she said sternly to herself. "If he's telling the truth, you're in Washington. You've got to get out of here and to the agency. Focus. Focus. Lee's not…"
She was so distracted by the news of Lee's death that she didn't hear what Gregory had said to her. She only caught the end of his chatter.
"So, all this moving house to house is now over." Gregory stated matter of factly.
"Are you going to kill me?" Amanda asked with as little emotion as she could muster.
"Kill you? Of course not! I am taking you with me back to Russia. I will be treated like a hero for my great capture of you. And the best part is that I won't have to keep looking over my shoulder wondering if Scarecrow was coming to take you back."
"Taking me to Russia?"
"Yes! We will leave in the morning. I imagine that life there will be…rather unpleasant for you" he said with a smirk. "What is the American expression about payback?"
Amanda swallowed hard as she began scanning the room once again for a means of escape. The reality that no one had been looking for her was setting in, hard. They all thought she was dead. No one would know she was in Russia. She'd never be able to escape. What must her mother and boys be going through? And Lee? What did Gregory mean when he said he has enjoyed watching Lee suffer? What had happened to him? He wasn't dead! She refused to believe it. She needed to get out of this building, wherever they were. She couldn't let them take her to Russia.
The woman from earlier returned and entered the room carrying a beverage on a tray.
"Martinovic asked me to bring this drink to you. He said he hopes that you will change your mind."
"Thank you, Katrina."
Gregory took the glass and smiled at Amanda.
"Do you know what he is hoping I will change my mind about?"
"No, I can't say that I do." Amanda said dryly.
"He's hoping that I will change my mind about bringing you back to Russia with me."
"Oh?" she said as her eyes perked up. "I like that idea, too."
Gregory just laughed softly to himself.
"Oh, I don't think you would like that idea if you knew what the alternative was."
"What's the alternative?"
"He wants to have you for himself…. all of you. Since you have been my…. guest, you have been treated rather well, wouldn't you agree?" Gregory paused and took a sip of his drink. It must have been strong from the look that appeared on his face as he swallowed. "No one has molested you, or worse…. no one has beat you or starved you. You have had clothes and shelter provided. I cannot guarantee that the same would be true of Martinovic. He finds you very desirable. I highly doubt that you would remain….as well treated, shall we say."
"And what is going to happen to me in Russia?"
"Well, I can't be 100% sure. If I were to guess, I would say that you will be questioned about everything you know as an American agent, and everything you know, or should I say knew, about Scarecrow. And then they will probably question you about somethings that you don't know about, but they won't believe you so they will use every means possible to get the information out of you. After that, if there is anything left, well you probably will be put in a prison somewhere desolate and very cold."
Amanda stared at Gregory. An angry fire began to erupt in her gut.
"You're lying."
Gregory laughed.
"I assure you; I am not." He said as he drank the rest of his drink in one swallow. "We are leaving for Russia in the morning. Tonight, there is a party celebrating the death of Lee Stetson."
"You're lying about Lee being dead. Anyone could have typed up that document saying he died." She said fighting back tears.
"Well, I suppose that is true. Except for the fact that our inside person got this message directly off her boss' desk. I believe you call him Dr. Smyth. Masha, or Maggie as she goes by in America, has been an endless resource for us. And from what she reported, Billy Melrose and Francine Desmond were also quite devastated upon getting the news of Scarecrow's demise."
Amanda brought her hands up to her head and pressed hard, as if trying to push the bad thoughts away.
"I did feel some sympathy for Billy. He and I weren't exactly friends, but we understood each other's position. It's difficult losing a valued employee."
As Amanda pulled her hand out of her hair, her finger brushed against something- a bobby pin! She quickly pulled it out of her hair and hid it in her hand. She was sure she could pick the lock on the cuffs with it. She had been so overwhelmed with information and upsetting news since arriving at this building, she completely forgot she had any pins in her hair.
Katrina once again appeared at the door, this time carrying two champagne flouts.
"Sir, it is time to head to the celebration. And once again, I am asked to give you this from Martinovic. We are to toast this time to Scarecrow's death!"
As Katrina clinked glasses and toasted with Gregory, Amanda began to work at the lock on her cuffs. She kept her eyes glued on the two of them as she worked the first lock and sprung it open. Thankfully, Katrina and Gregory were too busy laughing to hear the click. Amanda immediately began working on the second cuff. Within seconds, the second lock sprung open, and her hands were free. However, this time Gregory heard the click and began to cross the room to see what she had done.
Amanda sprang to her feet and tried to grab the heavy bookend on the shelf closest to her, but she was too slow, and Gregory grabbed her by the arm. Amanda quickly turned to face him as she prepared to use some of the self-defense training she had been learning at the agency before she was taken. She prepared to bring her arm down hard when suddenly Gregory crumpled to the floor. Amanda stared at his body on the floor for a moment in amazement and then quickly remembered that she was not alone in the room. Katrina was still there.
"I thought he would never pass out!" Katrina said. "Come, let's go!"
Amanda looked at her inquisitively.
"Come, Amanda! We don't have time to waste. We need to get you out of here!"
"So, you can bring me to Martinovic?"
Amanda looked at the open door behind Katrina. She was going to try and get past Katrina and make a run for it.
"No! Please! We must go NOW!"
Katrina grabbed Amanda by the wrist and pulled her into the hallway. They took a sharp left and then a right. Amanda didn't trust this woman that was leading her to God knows where. Amanda began to fight and pull away from Katrina.
"No! You must come with me!" Katrina said in a very hushed but intense whisper.
Amanda continued to struggle and broke free of Katrina's grasp. As she turned to run, she was grabbed very hard by a tall, bearded man who Amanda assumed to be Martinovic. He clasped his hand hard over her mouth and pulled her flatly against the wall of the hallway. He was behind her and had one arm tightly around her waist, pressing her arm into her side, his hand grasping the hand of the other arm. She watched Katrina look side to side down the hallway and nod to Martinovic that the coast was clear. Amanda was forcibly pulled down the hall, all the while her mouth covered. Katrina unlocked a door, nodded to Martinovic, and proceeded to run down the hallway. Martinovic pushed Amanda through the open door and into the room, closing the door and locking it behind them. His grasp loosened on her. Amanda swung around to look Martinovic in the face but before she could complete this task, she was again grabbed, hard. Martinovic pulled Amanda to him and kissed her so hard that she thought her lips would bleed. The beard rubbed uncomfortably against her mouth. She was repulsed. She mustered every ounce of strength she could and pushed herself away from him. She quickly realized they were in a storage room of sorts. Amanda grabbed the closest thing she could find and swung it hard against the side of Martinovic's head. He went down like a sack of potatoes. Amanda began to step around him and open the door, but his body was blocking it. She got down on all fours and pushed him as hard as she could.
"Amanda.." he said as he tried to hold on to consciousness.
She froze and her blood ran cold. She knew that voice! She longed to hear that voice every single day of the last year. Kneeling beside his head, she turned the man to face her. It took her a moment to recognize him. He had a shaggy beard and unkempt appearance, but finally she saw him.
"Lee!" she gasped.
"I found you" he said as he closed his eyes, and the world went dark.
