Flashback: Part Two
Monday afternoon
"Damn it!" Billy shouted as he slammed down the phone.
Francine started to shake her head defiantly. She'd been telling herself for the last hour that it was all a big mistake. Somebody had lifted his fingerprints to throw them, but the look on Billy's reddened face told her that it wasn't a sick joke or even a stupid mistake. "Don't tell me they're confirming it?"
"Unfortunately, yes," he answered, pounding his fist onto his desk angrily.
"How the hell did he manage that?" she gasped incredulously.
"I don't have the luxury of getting the details on how right now. The clock is ticking. It has been since Friday!" he tapped a pencil nervously on the desk.
"Friday, and nobody noticed until now?"
Billy broke the pencil he was tapping. Pushing his chair back, sending it crashing against the wall, he stood up and paced his office. Gazing out into the bullpen, he shook his head before turning and explaining what he'd learned. "Late Friday afternoon, 'Abu Razzaq' was to be released from the same prison Birol is – correction, was being held. Razzaq bares a striking resemblance to Birol – same height, weight, appearance and cell block."
"They switched identities?" her eyes flew open wide; her voice was as agitated as Billy's. "How the hell did he pull that off?"
"I'll let the Bureau of Prisons work out those particulars for now. At the moment we have a big enough problem of our own. I'm upping the alert level to 'Delta Red'. Get this thing on the wire now! I want every available agent looking for Birol. Call the FBI, CIA, NSA, Metro and State Police and anyone else you can think of. Fax Birol's picture to all the wire services and news bureaus. I want everyone who can see looking for that bastard."
"The news bureaus? Billy, are you sure?"
"Francine, we're three days behind Birol. We're not sure if he's still in the country. We need to find Lee and Amanda, wherever they are. Hopefully they're still…"
Francine cut him off before he could finish his last sentence. "I'll have agents scour all of Birol's known hideouts. I'll alert our teams at the airports and have the tapes from the last few days at all the major airports reviewed and run the passenger lists."
Billy nodded his approval. "Do it, but Birol knows how we work."
"If he had a contact on the inside, he might have useful information."
"It's possible. Get Kendricks in here. You're going to need some help with all this."
Standing up and hurrying towards the door, she paused for a moment. "We'll find them."
"Yeah, but we better do it fast," he answered, before adding what she already knew. "Or we won't find them alive."
Wincing at the candor of his words she silently left his office. Knowing Birol's reputation he was probably right. The last time Birol crossed their path he'd captured Amanda first and then Lee. They were lucky to get out with their lives. Birol had obviously carefully calculated this latest incident. She hated to think about it, but would Lee and Amanda be as lucky this time?
It was almost midnight when Francine knocked on Billy's office door. They were both exhausted, but they knew that they couldn't give up. "We've got a lead. A property manager from an apartment complex in Fairfax called the tip line. She says she recognizes the picture of Birol from the news."
"When and where did she see him last?" Billy demanded anxiously.
"She claims to have rented him an apartment."
"What? Where?"
"Down in Fairfax. She doesn't remember the apartment building."
"What do you mean she can't remember? Doesn't she have the files?"
"She called from home. Like I said, she was watching the news when she recognized him. Her files are at the office."
"Go pick her up. I want to know what apartment or apartments he has and I want to know now!" Billy shouted loudly.
"I'm meeting her at the leasing office."
It was a little more than an hour later when Francine called her supervisor again. "Billy, we're at the leasing office."
"Was it Birol?" Billy asked.
"We don't know yet. This place is a mess," Francine commented as she glanced around the chaotic office at piles of paperwork stacked haphazardly. "It seems the person rented the apartment over the weekend when our tipster wasn't here. She says she saw him briefly when he dropped off paperwork early Monday morning. Apparently, the receptionist was fired on Monday and I could see why. She threw a temper tantrum before she left and tossed the files all over the place. If we find the paperwork it'll be through sheer luck."
"This is starting to sound like a wild goose chase," Billy lamented.
"I don't think so, Billy. Our tipster mentioned that the renter had an accent."
"This is Washington DC, Francine. A lot of people have accents!"
"Billy, I've got a feeling about this lead," she whispered into the phone. "This woman said he had the most haunting eyes."
Billy's tone and volume changed after her last comment. "Where exactly are you?"
"The Potomac Arms Leasing Office on River Road. Go two blocks after the light on Main and make a right. Follow the detour two blocks. The road is still flooded in sections, but this part of River Road is open again."
"Damn this rain. I'll be right there. Stay put," he yelled into the phone.
Holding the phone a couple inches from her ear she answered. "We'll be waiting."
Francine continued to help the woman alphabetize the files, but she was beginning to wonder if Billy was right about the veracity of the lead. It could take hours to confirm it was Birol or for that matter if it wasn't.
Luckily, with the late hour there was little traffic on the roads and Billy Melrose made it to the leasing office in less than twenty minutes. Francine saw the headlights of a car pull up and went to the door. She unlocked it and let Billy in before he could knock.
"You made good time," she observed as he hurried into the office.
"The rain finally stopped. What's the status?" he demanded immediately, an anxious look on his face.
"We're still looking."
"What do you mean you're still looking? He only rented the place on Saturday."
"Hello to you, too!" The bleary-eyed property manager glared up at Billy from a stack of paperwork on her desk which she was sifting through.
"William Melrose, from the Agency and you are?" he asked, extending his hand.
"Helen Fox, property manager. We manage several dozen different complexes throughout Northern Virginia. At any given time, we have over a hundred applications for people moving in or interested in applying for an apartment. Some of our apartments have waiting lists of up to six months…"
"I get the picture," he interrupted quickly. "How can we expedite the process?"
Francine handed him a file of leasing applications to look through. "We're still sorting the files. I've got most of the 'A's through F's in this pile. I've already checked the 'B's'. He wasn't in there, but I doubt he'll be using his own name."
"Have you checked the 'R's' yet, for Razzaq?" he asked.
"No, try searching over here," Francine answered with a raised brow pointing to another stack of files. "Help yourself Billy. I think 'R' is in there, but they're still not alphabetized."
The search continued for a while as a clock on the wall of the cluttered office ticked loudly. The three of them sat sorting and sifting through folder after folder when Billy finally pulled out a file. "I think I've got it. He's going under the name - Addi Razzaq!"
"How imaginative, using his own first name and Abu's last name. Easy enough for him to remember," Francine remarked as she came over to inspect the file.
"He's staying in Madison House apartment B5. Where the hell is that?" Billy demanded.
"Madison house is one of our furnished, economical properties."
"Where is it?" Francine pressed with an angry scowl on her weary face.
"Don't you need a warrant or something to go into his apartment?" Helen asked nervously.
Billy glowered at the woman. "This could mean life or death for two people. Of course, if you preferred, we wait until we have a warrant we can. We can also have dozens of housing inspectors doing code inspections for the next couple of weeks…"
"Not too far from here on Wilkes Boulevard near the highway," Helen quickly replied.
"Francine, get on the phone and get back up rolling. No lights, no sirens. Have them meet us at the corner. I want to surround him, not signal him and certainly not spook him. But if he's there and he tries to run, I want a tight noose around his neck."
"Right," Francine nodded as she picked up the phone and started making phone calls.
3:11AM Tuesday morning…
Less than an hour later, Billy and Francine dressed totally in black and protected by bullet proof vests stood within sight of the Madison House Apartments. The older, two story apartments were quiet at this late hour as most of the residents were sleeping. The roads leading to the building had been blocked off to limit the traffic in and out of the area. They met with the SWAT team leader to assess the situation.
"I've got two men on the roof, one in the back alley, the front door and every window," the SWAT leader advised. "If he's in there, he's not going anywhere."
"Any movement inside?" Billy asked.
"We've got ears inside, but we don't hear anyone talking. Someone's moving around in the living room. That's the front corner where the lights on," he pointed. "Can't tell you if it's Birol or not, but we think it's only one person that's up and moving."
"Is everything's a go?" Billy asked, as his stomach tightened.
"You want us to go in first, or follow you in?"
Billy glanced at Francine for a moment before he answered. As crack as the SWAT team was, the Agency would take care of its own. "It's our team who might be inside. We go in first, you cover us and the exits. If Birol tries to escape, it's shoot to kill."
The SWAT leader nodded, whispered something into his mouthpiece and gave the thumbs up signal to Billy. The three of them skulked stealthily towards the building, guns drawn. When they arrived at the front door, Billy leaned his ear to the door, but heard nothing. Removing a lock pick from his pocket and without a sound he inserted it into the lock. His eyes motioned to Francine to be ready. With a movement as swift as lightning, he picked the lock and threw open the door.
"Don't move, Birol, you're surrounded," Billy Melrose shouted out immediately, drawing his gun and giving the backup team warning that their suspect was indeed inside.
There was no further dialogue between the two men.
Birol wasn't about to give up without a fight. Exposed on the couch, he dove for cover as he reached for his gun. Shots rang out, the sounds penetrating the quiet night. The glass window behind Billy shattered as a bullet flew by him, only inches away. Then a thud as a body hit the floor before the silence returned.
Billy turned around to check on Francine who had been right behind him. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," she answered as she peeled herself off the floor and dusted herself off. She nodded towards the body that rested motionless on the floor. "I'm sure glad you're a good shot."
Billy watched a pool of blood circle around Birol's head. His shots hit him square in the forehead and the other in his chest. "Call the bomb squad. It looks like Birol's been rather busy. This whole place may be booby trapped," Billy remarked to Francine, noticing the small arsenal of wires, metal pipes, various powders and other incendiary devices in the room, he stepped back.
"What about Lee and Amanda?" she asked.
"I'll search the apartment myself – carefully. I don't want anyone to accidentally blow this place to kingdom come. Get the rest of the building evacuated and get an ambulance rolling."
"An ambulance?" Francine repeated, nodding towards Birol. "I don't think he's going to need it."
Billy's eyes scanned the room and answered in a hushed tone. "I'm hopeful somebody else might."
"I'm on it," she answered before disappearing into the darkness outside the building.
Billy Melrose went over to the body. Bending down he checked the pulse of Addi Birol – there was none. "Rot in hell, you bastard," he swore at the man.
Carefully stepping around the room, making sure there were no trip wires and touching nothing that resembled a bomb, Billy made his way down the short hallway. The doors to each of the rooms were closed. Unsure if Birol had an accomplice he flattened his body against the wall. Examining the door for any wires, he didn't see any. He reached for the doorknob and pushed it open. Thankfully, it wasn't booby-trapped.
Flicking on the light he observed there was no accomplice. In the room there was a twin bed with no sheets, an old dresser with what appeared to be used needles and drug paraphernalia on the top of it and several empty vials. Apparently Birol had gotten a hold of several kinds of drugs.
Swallowing hard, Billy scrutinized the body that slumped in the corner of the room shackled to a heavy wooden chair. He recognized the body as Lee Stetson, but he wasn't sure if he was unconscious, asleep or dead. A gag shoved into his mouth, his face bloody and swollen. Lee opened his eyes slowly, both of which were black, his right one more swollen than the other. His shoulders were lopsided, appearing as if he'd dislocated his shoulder trying to free his arms that were chained behind him. Blinking several times Lee struggled to lift his head, obviously a man who'd been taken to the edge of his limits. Billy hurried into the room, pulling out the rag that had gagged his mouth.
"Are you all right," Billy asked, glad that the man was still alive.
Lee shook his head mutely.
"Where's Amanda?"
Tears filled his eyes and he swallowed with difficulty but couldn't seem to find his voice. Finally, he tilted his head towards the next room.
"Does Birol have an accomplice?"
Again, Lee didn't verbalize his response, his head barely motioning a negative reply.
"I'll be right back," Billy promised before he left the room and opened the door to the other. Switching the light on in that room he saw her, her knees against her chest in a protective ball on a full bed, half naked. Her arms were handcuffed above her head and chained to the headboard of the bed. She had been beaten as well, and there was blood on her chest and the sheets. Billy's stomach turned at the sight.
"Amanda?" Billy called out softly, but there was no response. Again, he called to her, this time a little louder and more insistent, praying they weren't too late. "AMANDA!"
A moment later her eyes flickered open cautiously as her body tensed.
Her eyes followed him as he hurried across the room. Attempting to remove the gag from her mouth by undoing the knot proved fruitless. It was tied so tight it had cut into the skin on both sides of her mouth; her lower lip was bloody and swollen. Taking out his pocketknife he cut it off her. She groaned as he peeled the bloody gag from her dry mouth, pulling a scab off the one side and causing it to start bleeding again. "I'm sorry, Amanda, I didn't mean to hurt you. Are you all right?"
She nodded and hoarsely croaked out. "Lee?"
"He's alive," he answered as he started to work his lock pick on the handcuffs that held her arms above her head. Freeing her hands, she struggled to move her stiff and sore arms. Billy noticed immediately that there were bruises on both her wrists. Grabbing the sheet on the bed, he covered her. Her eyes blinked tearfully. Billy wasn't sure if she was crying because of the pain or because she was thankful to be alive.
"There's an ambulance on the way. We'll have you out of here in a few minutes." Billy sighed heavily with relief that they were both still alive, but he wasn't sure what condition either of them was in mentally and emotionally.
9:13AM Tuesday morning
Looking up from her desk, Francine saw an exhausted Billy Melrose cross the bullpen on a direct course for his office. He'd sent her home hours ago after they cleared the scene at the apartment building. Not being able to sleep she took a shower and changed before returning to the office and waited in the bullpen for news. Usually the grapevine would be buzzing, but nobody had any information on the condition of Lee or Amanda. Apparently, Billy was keeping a tight lid on things and she knew that wasn't good news.
Billy Melrose's appearance was haggard. Still wearing the same suit he wore on Monday, Francine assumed he'd yet to get home. The dark bags under his eyes confirmed he still hadn't gotten any sleep. Accosting him before he could close his office door she asked. "How are they?"
Shaking his head grimly he answered in a dejected voice. "Not good, either of them."
"They're alive," Francine offered in a hopeful tone, but she was all too familiar with the look her supervisor wore.
He nodded sullenly and rubbed his brow. "Yeah."
"Billy, they're alive," she repeated. "They both knew the risks…"
Holding up his hand, he shook his head for her to stop. "Francine, I don't need the canned spiel from you."
Francine shifted from one foot to the other apparently at a loss for what to say. "Is Doc Kelford going to allow them to go home?"
Billy's eyes widened. "Not for a couple days. They're both too weak to go anywhere. Besides, he wants them both to talk to Pfaff before they get clearance to go home and then we still have to do a debriefing on them both."
"You're not going to debrief them today?" she pressed with a raised eyebrow.
"No, they aren't coherent enough at the moment. Dr. Kelford is still trying to figure out all that Lee was injected with and Amanda… well Doc Kelford hasn't finished examining her. They both will need some time. A lot has happened."
Francine's eyes flew open in alarm, not entirely certain what Billy meant by his last statement. Swallowing hard she wanted to ask a particular question but, in all honesty, she didn't want to know the answer.
Billy pushed past Francine and went into his office sitting down at his desk. Francine leaned on his door frame.
"Was there anything else?" he asked pointedly.
"There's got to be something I can do to help."
"Give them a couple of days, maybe then they'd welcome a visit. At the moment they don't even have the energy to see each other."
"That's not a good sign."
Rubbing his hand on his forehead he continued to explain. "They both asked how the other was doing, but they've been shackled, beaten, drugged, tormented and dehydrated. They're past exhausted. It'll be a couple of days before they feel normal again…"
"Normal? You think after what Birol did to them they can achieve that again?"
Billy reached for the antacids in his pocket, popped a handful into his mouth and chomped them down as if they were his breakfast. "Let's hope for both their sakes they can."
"What have you told Amanda's family?"
"A moderated version of the truth… that their cover was blown and there were some problems, but they're safe and will be home in a few days."
"Would you let them know I asked about them? If they need anything…"
"I'll do that but, Francine, get out of here. You're as exhausted as I am and there's nothing you can do for Lee or Amanda right now. You did a great job the past 24 hours, really. Without your help we might not have found them alive." Billy nodded towards the exit. "Be careful out there, all right?"
"Birol's dead, Billy, what's to worry about?" she asked with a raise eyebrow.
"He wasn't and isn't the only threat out there."
"I'll be careful. I'm always careful," she nodded in a quiet voice.
"So were Lee and Amanda," Billy mumbled before he folded his hands to his elbows and put his head on his desk.
Francine sighed heavily as she pulled the door to his office closed giving her supervisor much-needed peace and quiet. His warning rested heavily upon her. Lee and Amanda always were careful and they nearly lost their lives at the hands of a mad man despite the fact. She wondered if they'd ever be the same again…
End Part Two
Flashback: Part Three
Sunday Night…
"No…don't, no… NOOOOOOOO," Lee screamed and thrashed.
"Lee, Lee, sweetheart, wake up." Amanda shook him gently until he sat up. Clicking on the light she reassured him. "It's just a nightmare."
His eyes darted around the room as he desperately gasped for air. Finally, his eyes locked on his wife. "Amanda?" he croaked out.
"It's all right, sweetheart," she comforted him in a tender voice, but she could see he was soaked in sweat; she knew it was a flashback. "You were having another nightmare."
"Mom…" Phillip's voice called out followed by a light knock at their bedroom door.
Squeezing Lee's hand reassuringly she answered her son. "Yes, sweetheart, come on in."
The door cracked open slowly and her son's voice was barely a whisper. "Is everything all right?"
"Everything is fine."
"Lee must have watched the 'Centauri Conquest'. Some of the kids at school have seen it and they said it was pretty gruesome," Phillip surmised.
"Which is why I won't let you stay up late to watch it," Amanda reminded her son in a motherly tone.
"I'm sorry I woke you up. You've got school tomorrow. You better get back to bed," Lee suggested to his stepson.
"Night."
The door was barely closed before Lee kicked his legs from under the sheet and stood up.
"Where are you going?" Amanda asked in concern.
"I need a drink."
"I'll warm you up some milk," she offered as she started to get up.
"Stay in bed. I was thinking more like a bottle of scotch."
"A bottle of scotch isn't going to help you get to sleep."
"It will if I drink enough of it," he countered stubbornly.
"Then you'll wake up feeling worse than before and have to deal with a hangover. Lee, drinking is not going to solve the problem!" she cajoled patiently. "You need to talk to Pfaff again."
"Amanda…"
Shaking her head, she interrupted. "Lee, you've had nightmares every night since we got home."
"You've had them, too."
"Not every night and mine aren't waking up the entire house," she whispered tersely.
He raked his hand anxiously through his hair. "I just need some sleep."
"Getting drunk isn't going to help - talking to Pfaff will. He's helping me," she pleaded, but Lee turned away.
"I'm happy he's helping you, really I am," he answered pacing a short path next to their bed. "I'm just not comfortable talking to him about… what happened. I don't like shrinks…"
"You've barely given him a chance," she argued, deeply troubled for her husband and partner. Their first abduction by Birol was bad enough, but this latest kidnapping by the terrorist had been horrifying. "Try a couple more sessions with him. If you still feel the same way I'm sure he could recommend someone else who you might feel more comfortable talking with." She stood up, crossed the room and reached out for him.
"Don't," he pleaded as he shivered and pulled away. "I need time to work through this."
"I know that. I was there, too!" she snapped in frustration at her husband's attempt to distance himself from her. "We can work through this together. Talk to me."
"I can't. Not yet. Everything's too fresh in my mind. I've got to do this my way, at my pace," he insisted. He quickly grabbed his bathrobe and hurried out of the room.
She stopped at the door and watched as he disappeared into the darkness. All she could hear were his bare feet scurrying down the stairs. A cold shiver went down her spine as a flashback started to impede on her consciousness.
"Relax, Amanda," she warned herself drawing in a deep breath and backing herself onto the safety of their bed. Focusing on overcoming her own traumatic memories was proving difficult enough. She wasn't sure how to reach her husband.
Late Monday morning…
It had been quiet in the Q Bureau all morning. Amanda kept busy working on the backlog of reports they needed to catch up on. Printing out yet another report she sat at her desk and scrutinized it one last time before taking it down to Billy Melrose's office. Lee had errands to do before his appointment with the Agency psychiatrist so Amanda wasn't expecting any interruptions for a while.
"Amanda, where's Scarecrow?" Billy asked when he barged into the Q Bureau.
Startled by the intrusion, her eyes flew open wide and her face flushed. Then, realizing it was only Billy she took a deep breath and tried to calm her frayed nerves.
"I'm sorry, Amanda," he said in a gentle voice. "I didn't mean to frighten you. I should have known better after all you've been through."
"That's all right, sir. I was pretty absorbed in this report," she whispered in a trembling voice, willing her body not to shudder. Glancing down at her report for a few moments she collected her emotions before looking at her watch. Finally, she smiled up at her supervisor. "Lee had an appointment with Dr. Pfaff this morning. He's probably still down there."
"No, Pfaff called me a few minutes ago. Apparently, he didn't show up. According to Pfaff he cancelled Friday's session as well."
Frowning at the information she wasn't sure what to tell her supervisor. She had hoped after his nightmare last night he would reconsider talking with the Agency psychiatrist. "I'll mention it to him when he comes in, Sir."
"Amanda, we both know he's avoiding him, but he won't be cleared to return to the field until Pfaff gives his authorization."
"Sir, Lee's aware of that. He started cleaning out the garage yesterday; he probably lost track of time." Covering for him despite her reservations, part of her wanted to tell Billy the truth about his reoccurring nightmares, but she wouldn't betray her husband's confidence – not yet anyway.
Lee knew and understood the edict that until they both worked through the psychological issues from their last encounter with Addi Birol they'd be tied to desk jobs. Amanda had been to see Dr. Pfaff regularly since their release; Lee had gone once – only after he'd been told he wouldn't be allowed to go home until he talked with him.
"Amanda, how are you doing?" Billy asked in a sympathetic voice as he pulled up a chair and sat down.
Pondering the question before she answered she finally shrugged. "I'm doing all right, I guess. Dr. Pfaff tells me to take it a day at a time." She took a long cleansing breath and turned away from her supervisor, trying to suppress the feelings that at times seemed to overwhelm her. A warm hand covered hers for a moment, and she smiled at her supervisor's attempt to comfort her.
"It takes time, but I know you'll get through this," he encouraged.
Clearing her voice, she choked past the tightness in her throat. "I know, but at times it feels like it was only yesterday."
"Maybe you need a little more time off?" he suggested. "None of this is priority. I think you're pushing it coming back this soon."
"Sir, my family doesn't know what really happened. Being at home trying to pretend everything is all right is too much for me to handle," she quickly reminded him. "At least here I feel like I'm getting something accomplished and people understand."
"One day at a time then, Amanda." He patted her hand once again and stood up. "And when Lee finally gets in tell him I want to see him – immediately."
"Yes, sir, I will." She waited until she heard his footsteps fade away before picking up the phone and calling home. Knowing that the longer Lee put off working through his encounter with Birol, the more difficult it would be.
"Damn it, Lee, pick up the phone. You can't avoid me forever." Venting her emotions, she slammed down the receiver in disgust when he didn't answer. Feeling as if she had no choice left but to confront him with her concerns about his behavior, she grabbed her purse and left the office.
Since they'd been discharged and allowed to go home things had been tense. Their conversations were no longer personal and comfortable but forced and aloof. The gentle touch of his hand guiding her on the small of her back, something she used to take for granted, was a distant memory. When their hands now touched, he'd pull away as if he'd been burned. At bedtime, a brief and awkward kiss was the only attempt at intimacy. Lee's old habit of avoidance was becoming common. Amanda knew she'd have to break through to him before he built a wall even she couldn't penetrate.
Pulling into the driveway on Maplewood Drive, she immediately noticed his Corvette in front of the garage. Breathing a sigh of relief, she hurried to the front door hoping he had been out in the garage cleaning when she'd called. Just as she put the key in the lock and opened the door a taxi pulled up in front of the house and honked its horn.
"Lee!" she shouted as she rushed in and almost plowed him over.
"Amanda, what are you doing home?"
From his expression she knew he was surprised to see her home in the middle of the day. Her eyes immediately locked on the suitcase in his hand and a guilty look on his face. A hundred questions flashed through her mind as she stood in front of her husband.
"Where are you going?" she asked accusingly.
"I um, I… ah, really can't say… Ah, um, it's need to know…" he stammered uncomfortably as he looked away.
Shaking her head, she knew he was lying. She pushed the door behind her closed and leaned against it for support as her legs suddenly felt like rubber. "Where are you going?" she asked again, this time it was less a question and more of a demand.
"I can't say," he answered and nodded towards the door. "The taxi's waiting for me."
"Let him wait," she snapped tersely as she reached for the suitcase. "Now answer me; where are you going?"
"On assignment," he lied, still not able to look her in the eye and pulling the suitcase from her grasp. He nudged her from the door and reached for the knob. "It's need to know."
Reaching for his hand, she gripped it tightly. "Lee, I'm no fool. You're not ready for fieldwork. You know it, I know it and Billy knows it. Let's drop the pretense and tell me what the hell is going on?"
He glanced out at the waiting taxi, but no explanation was forthcoming.
"Let's sit down and talk," she pleaded, trying to stay calm, but her heart was racing fast, demonstrating to her that she had already lost control.
The taxi honked the horn again. Lee pulled on the door forcefully and opened it.
"I can't," he choked out shaking his head. His eyes were red and glassy as if he had been crying. "I'm really… sorry. I wish I could, but I can't do this your way. I have to do this… my way." His voice was cracking when he finished.
Amanda's body began to tremble. Opening her mouth she was at a loss for words. Trying to wet her now parched lips with her tongue, her mouth was dry as cotton. "Please don't go," she finally managed to force out hoarsely as tears spilled from her eyes.
He looked away. "I have to…"
Reaching out for his arm, Lee slid past her. Her hopes of stopping him were quickly dashed when he snapped it away. "Lee, please," she cried, but her plea went on deaf ears.
He hurried down the steps and out the gate without another word. Leaping into the taxi he never turned back to look at her standing there. Instead, it only sped down the street and her world continued to fall apart.
End Part Three
FLASHBACK: Part Four
Tuesday morning
Francine pulled up in front of the house at 4247 Maplewood Drive. After noticing Amanda's loaner car was in the driveway she walked up to the front door and knocked on it. Hearing somebody coming to the door she was relieved they were home. Moments later Mrs. West opened it.
"Can I help you?" Dotty West asked politely.
Putting a friendly smile on her face she greeted Amanda's mother. "Hello, Mrs. West, I'm Francine Desmond. I work with Lee and Amanda. I really need to speak with them."
"Yes, I think we've met before. I'm sorry though, Lee's not here," Dotty began to explain. "And Amanda's not feeling well this morning. I'll let her know you stopped by."
Grabbing the door before she could close it, Francine shook her head. "Mrs. West, I'm sorry to hear that Amanda's not feeling well, but I have to talk to her right away. It's urgent."
Dotty frowned and reluctantly let her in. "Amanda, you have a visitor," she called up the stairs to her daughter.
There was no response from Amanda. "She might be sleeping. I'll go up and check."
Nodding to Dotty, she watched as the older woman went up the stairs and disappeared into a room. While she was alone, Francine took the opportunity and swiftly explored the downstairs to assess if there were a problem, but there weren't any signs of trouble in the house. Everything seemed to be as life in the suburbs was supposed to be 'ordinary'.
Returning to the foyer, she waited with a pleasant smile painted on her face. It seemed like an eternity before Dotty finally returned, alone.
"Where's Amanda?" Francine asked in alarm, worrying that she'd been kidnapped again.
"She'll be down in a couple minutes. Would you like to come in and sit down? I could get you some coffee."
Francine glanced up the stairs impatiently. "No, thank you. I'll wait here, if you don't mind."
"I'll be in the kitchen if you change your mind."
Francine smiled politely and finally Dotty disappeared out of sight. Standing at the base of the stairs waiting impatiently she glanced at her watch. Half tempted to climb the stairs, she called out to her. "Amanda, hurry up!"
A few minutes later there was still no Amanda. Impetuosity won out and she ultimately rushed up the stairs. Knocking on the door she had watched Dotty slip into earlier she called out. "Amanda Stetson, open the door or I'm coming in."
The knob finally turned and the door opened slowly. Amanda, half hidden by the door was wrapped in her bathrobe, her hair disheveled; she wore no makeup and the bed was unmade. She clutched tightly at her robe, but Francine could see the faded black and blues on her neck where she was probably choked and the scabs on her wrist from the restraints Birol had used. Francine wondered what else had happened to Amanda that wasn't visible.
"I would have been down in a while," Amanda explained in a shaky voice as she gripped her robe to her protectively.
"Why didn't you call in this morning if you're sick? You missed your scheduled appointment with Pfaff. Pfaff called Billy. Billy called me. I tried calling you but the line has been busy or off the hook. He's frantic thinking something happened to you and Lee again," Francine began to lecture.
"My mother must have been using it. I was trying to get a little sleep once the boys left for school. I've got a terrible headache."
"Considering what happened last week, you should have called in."
"I'm sorry, Francine, but I'm still not myself."
Studying her colleague's appearance, she couldn't help but notice the dark circles under her eyes. However, it bothered her that Amanda wouldn't make direct eye contact. "Where's Lee? He missed his appointment with Pfaff yesterday and still hasn't rescheduled it. Billy wants to see him this morning – no excuses."
"He's not home."
"Where is he?"
"Out."
"Out where?" she pressed, her patience wearing thin.
Amanda shrugged, but didn't answer.
Francine noticed Amanda's eyes were starting to get glassy and she looked away. She could tell from the way she was acting that something was wrong, terribly wrong. "Billy ordered me to escort Lee to the office. I'm not leaving until you tell me where he is. Amanda, Billy's really concerned about the two of you. He thought that something had happened again."
There was a long uncomfortable silence in the room. Francine stared at Amanda waiting for an explanation. Her gut told her there was more to the story than just a sleepless night or a headache. Apparently, Amanda's emotional scars were deeper than the fading visual reminders of her recent ordeal.
"I'll call Billy and apologize."
Francine nodded, but then asked again. "When will Lee be back?"
"I don't know," she bit back angrily.
"Enough of the games, Amanda, where's Lee?" Francine snapped, tired of the runaround. "He still hasn't rescheduled his last appointment with Pfaff. Billy's ready to suspend him. Now he might wait until tomorrow to talk to you, but he was very clear that Lee Stetson is to be in his office this morning. Now for the last time, where is he?"
"I don't know where he is," Amanda snapped, but this time her voice was trembling.
The two women's eyes met briefly before Amanda turned away but Francine saw the anguish in them. Changing her tone Francine asked in a soft voice, hoping to cajole her to confide. "Amanda, I'm not the enemy. I know it's been a tough couple of weeks for both of you. I'm only here to help. Billy wants to see Lee today - as in this morning. You've got to quit covering for him and tell me where he is."
"You're not listening to me, Francine! I really don't know."
"Damn it, Amanda. I'm a trained agent. I know you're hiding something and I'm not leaving until I find out what. Either that or you're going to get dressed and come back to the office with me and explain it to Billy in person. Why don't you save us both the aggravation and tell me where your husband is?"
Amanda's tears began to flow. She collapsed down on the bed; her legs unable to support her weight any longer.
Closing the bedroom door behind her to give them privacy, Francine sat down on the bed next to her, feeling awkward. It was several minutes before Amanda's crying ceased.
"Lee left me. You were right all along, Francine," Amanda choked out, still half out of breath from her crying binge. "I have no idea where he went. I should have known, but I didn't listen. You told me sooner or later he'd walk out."
"Amanda, he didn't?" Francine gasped out, totally shocked by her admission. "I don't believe it."
Grabbing a tissue from her nightstand she blew her nose. "Well, it's true."
Francine shook her head and stood up and started to pace the room. "What the hell was he thinking?"
Amanda wiped her eyes with another tissue. "I don't know. I came home yesterday after Billy told me Lee missed his appointment with Pfaff to talk to him. There was a taxi out front honking the horn and Lee was at the door with his suitcase. He wouldn't talk to me. He just said he had to go. I haven't seen or heard from him since."
"He'll be back before you know it," Francine volunteered, trying to lift Amanda's spirits and be positive.
"You don't know that," she answered as she glanced down at herself. "Damn it, Francine, look at me. I'm a mess. No wonder he left."
"Amanda Stetson, you survived being kidnapped and tortured by one of the world's most notorious terrorist, not once, but twice. The fact that you survived the first incident with Birol astounded me. The fact you came back to the Agency the second time impressed the hell out of me and I'm not ashamed to admit it. If the roles were reversed, I'm not sure I could have done that."
"You would have, Francine."
"I'm glad we'll never have to find out," she answered and put a comforting hand on Amanda's shoulder. "I'll tell Billy what's going on, but you should really meet with Pfaff and work this through."
"Francine, I can't," Amanda insisted as she looked up at Francine. "Please don't tell anyone about Lee," she begged. "I don't think I could handle that right now. I haven't even told my family he left. I told them he was sent on an assignment. That's why I'm hiding out in my bedroom pretending to have a headache…"
"I've got to tell Billy the truth."
Amanda looked away, but didn't answer.
"Try to get a little sleep. I'll talk to Billy," Francine said quietly as she went to the bedroom door to leave.
"That's half the problem," Amanda answered in a defeated voice. "I'm terrified to go to sleep."
"You're afraid you'll miss Lee's call?" she surmised.
Amanda shook her head. "When I close my eyes, I see Birol's face. When I fall asleep, he's got me again, but this time I'm alone," she took in a short breath and tried to stifle a sob. "I am all alone…"
"Amanda, Birol's dead. He can't hurt you anymore."
"Yes, he can," she whispered, her voice trembling.
Francine knew she was right. It was obvious that even in death Birol still had a hold on both her and Lee. "Talk to Pfaff. At the very least he can give you something to help you get through this rough patch."
Wiping her eyes with a tissue she nodded. "I'll think about it."
"Lee will be back soon. I was wrong about you and Lee," Francine reminded her fellow agent as she stood up, went to the door, opened it up and prepared to leave. "He loves you and he needs you."
"I need him, too."
Francine looked at Amanda and shook her head at how fragile she appeared. She wondered to herself how a woman who survived Addi Birol could now give up so easily. Bracing herself for a possible backlash from the distraught agent she decided to confront her. "Then why don't you find him?"
Amanda stared at her and snapped. "I don't know where to look."
"I've never seen you give up like this before," she replied shaking her head in surprise. "I never thought you were a quitter."
"Do you have any idea what I've been through the last ten days?" Amanda bit back.
Francine closed the door once again glad to see Amanda fight back. "I haven't read the debriefings. Billy's locked them down tight, but yes, I do have an idea what happened. In my opinion there are two ways you can handle this. You can lock yourself up in your bedroom and wallow in self-pity or you can go out and find your husband."
"That's easy for you to say, Francine," Amanda challenged; a new fierceness showing in her swollen red eyes.
Francine noticed the change and decided to press on. "Use the skills that Lee and the Agency have taught you over the years, Amanda. It's got to be better than sitting in your room making yourself miserable. You love Lee and he loves you. Get yourself in gear and get to work finding him."
"I'm afraid," she whispered, the momentary fire in her eyes now fading.
"Of what?"
Amanda turned away.
"Amanda, God knows I never thought you and Lee would have been compatible enough to marry, but I was wrong. I admit it. Right now though, you're letting your insecurities eat you alive. Lee's running. We both know he's never been good at dealing with his emotions. I tried to talk to him last week, but he refused to even discuss any of it."
"He's shut down on me completely," Amanda confided.
"You've reached him before. You're probably the only one who can do it this time. Don't sit around and wait for him to come back. You might not be able to get through to him if you do."
Amanda glanced over at Francine. Their eyes met and they made direct eye contact. In a timid voice but a determined look on her face she answered. "Maybe you're right."
"I know I am. I'll talk to Billy. I can buy you a little time, Amanda, but he won't wait forever. He expects Lee on Pfaff's couch soon or he'll suspend him," Francine warned and then looked at her watch. Opening the door once more she smiled. "I better get back or Billy will be sending someone to look for me. Is there anything I can do for you?"
"No, Francine, you've already done enough," Amanda commented as she got up and stood at the door next to her.
"You'll find him, Amanda, and you'll work things out." With that said Francine gave Amanda a quick hug and hurried out of the bedroom, down the stairs and out the front door hoping that she'd done the right thing.
End Part Four
The entire story FLASHBACK is posted on my Angelfire website. Google search: IFF Film Library
HAPPY ENDINGS! Robin
