A New Partner

Chapter 13

This was it.

Rex Ramos had cocked his gun and he was going to shoot her.

Amanda straightened up; she would not flinch.

But as she watched him, Ramos's eyes suddenly widened at something he saw at the window. It was as if he had seen a ghost and then-

BANG! BANG!

It happened so fast. From outside the window, Amanda heard two shots whiz right by her. She watched in horror as the bullets hit its intended mark—Ramos's chest.

Ramos could not have looked more surprise as he clasp onto his chest while blood suddenly stained his shirt. He looked horrified as the hand he used to cover the blood was stained with the red liquid. His legs became rubbery as his body suddenly collapsed onto the floor. He gasped once and was still.

Amanda whipped her head around to see who shot Agent Ramos. To her surprise, she saw Lee at the opened window, his gun poised, ready to fire away again if Ramos moved.

"Lee?" she whispered, looking as though she was in a state of shock. Perhaps it was just hopeful imagination, she thought. But when the image of Lee didn't fade away, realization sunk in and joy filled her heart, "Oh my gosh...Lee!"

It was really him!

But how? Why?

As she continued looking out the window, he suddenly disappeared. He was gone. Amanda rushed to the window and looked out. Perhaps it was a mirage, after all.

Until she heard footsteps from outside heading into the tiny room. Anticipation filled her heart and it thumped wildly when his silhouette suddenly shadowed the doorway, the sunlight shining behind him. He was unexpectedly dressed in traditional farmer's clothes: a simple white cotton v-neck shirt with matching white cotton pants and huarache sandals.

His eyes looked relieved upon seeing Amanda and their gazes held for a split second longer. Then he was all business as he came over to the fallen body and knelt down to examine the body.

Amanda stayed where she was at, but leaned slightly over.

"Is he... " she questioned.

"He's dead," Lee verified his tone certain, as he now stood.

He heard her catch her breath. When he looked over her way, she was gnawing her lower lip nervously.

"Hey, Amanda, you okay?" he asked, knowing she had a lot to take in.

Her hesitant eyes swept over his calm one and then in one swift movement, she wordlessly ran towards him as he instinctively opened his arms to her.

"Lee! It's really you!" She joyously exclaimed as she fell into him, wrapping herself tightly around his torso. He felt so good, so solid, "I can't believe you're really here!"

His arms safely encircled her, and she felt safe and secure.

A gruff yet gentle sound came from his throat as he rubbed her back in a soothing rhythm. The heat of his body permeated the layers of clothing between them, warming and comforting her. She stayed motionless against him. There wasn't anywhere she'd rather be.

And then the tears came.

"Ohh, Lee, it's been… so... tough... " she murmured into his shirt.

"Shhh...I'm here...sshhh..."

She quieted down as Lee closed his eyes in total contentment. Why did she always feel so good in his arms? he wondered to himself. Why was he the one who always felt at peace, that all was right in the world? He couldn't believe that less than a week ago, he wanted nothing to do with her.

He held her for a moment longer, reveling in her closeness, enjoying the quiet intimacy. He ran his hand through her hair, enjoying its silkiness. Lee felt his blood surge as his heart yearned.

He then silently murmured, "I'm glad you're safe, Amanda. Thank god I came in time to save you."

And suddenly he felt cool air between them as she pulled away from him. She was now looking at him with confused eyes.

"What?" he questioned, looking baffled, "What is it?"

She stepped even further away from him, as if she didn't recognize him. Her eyes were large and questioning.

"Did you just say you came in time to save me?"

Lee didn't understand any of this, "I did. The GUY was about to shoot you!" he made a gestured towards the body on the ground.

Amanda strangely look exasperated, "No, Lee, he wasn't going to shoot me! I had full control of the situation!"

They faced each other like challengers ready to do battle. All those pining thoughts were a long-ago memory now.

Lee forced his feet to be still and his arms to remain at his sides when he wanted to reach out for her again, but he didn't. He hated himself for being frustrated with her, but he did. After all, he just save her life.

"What do you mean you had full control of the situation?" he testily asked, "The guy had a gun trained on you! It was cocked, and he was about to shoot you!"

"No, he wasn't," Amanda stated, shaking her head as Lee stared at her with astonishment. She then explained, "You see, Lee, I had suspected that Agent Ramos wasn't a good guy, so the other night when we were out for dinner at the restaurant, when Agent Ramos had gone to use the men's room, I had secretly gone into his jacket, the one that he had slung over the chair, and removed all the bullets in his gun! So he may have tried to shoot me, but no bullet would've come out!"

She managed to say that all in one breath.

Hmmm, not bad, Lee thought.

"Oh, o-kaaay..." he accepted, "that was quick thinking on your part, Amanda, but you weren't out of the woods yet, even with an emptied gun. What would you have done after the guy had discovered he had no bullets in his gun? How would you have fought him off?"

"With the shovel," Amanda stated matter-of-factly.

He looked baffled, which seemed to be a common expression for him in dealing with Amanda, "What shovel?"

"The one in the corner," she said gesturing to one of the corners. And sure enough, hidden in the shadows of the dimmed room was a shovel leaning against the wall, "I figured, Agent Ramos would have been so surprised at the gun not firing that it would have given me time to rush over, grab the shovel, and bop him on the head with it!"

"Oh."

Lee almost looked disappointed.

He wanted to tell Amanda how smart and brave she was, but, of course, that would only encourage her to want to do more of these dangerous, crazy missions and get herself more into trouble, and…

"Lee?" Amanda was carefully watching him.

"Hmmm?" he absentmindedly asked, wondering how he was going to send Amanda home.

"So what happens now?" she asked, her eyes wide and alert.

"Now?" he snapped back to reality, "I guess, first...we need to get rid of the garbage," he simply stated, gesturing at the fallen body.

#

As Lee dug up a shallow grave for the body at the church's grave site area, Amanda had put all her luggage and packages in the trunk of Lee's rental car. She had also crudely constructed a makeshift cross from two random sticks she had found on the ground.

When Lee was done piling on the dirt, she silently placed the simple cross at the head of burial-site. She then bowed to say a small prayer. Lee watched her in silence. A part of him wanted to reach out and pull her towards him again.

To, uh, comfort her, of course.

He continued to watch her, a million thoughts going through his mind, and when she unexpectedly turned his way, their eyes met. Lee's mouth went dry at the high color in her cheeks and the redness of her lips.

She looked down at the ground, breaking their connection.

"I'm ready to go," she quietly announced.

But before they left, there was one thing Lee needed to know.

"Amanda?"

"Yes?"

"Did you care about him?" he quietly asked, looking away and staring at the grave.

"What?" Amanda seemed shocked by the question.

Lee tried to sound nonchalant, although he still could not look directly at her, "Did you care about him, have feelings for him?"

He didn't know why it was important for him to know. But even in agony, Lee could see the man was handsome and knew how men were naturally drawn to Amanda's innocence and exuberance.

Amanda gave him an incredulous look, "You did see he was ready to shoot me, didn't you?"

"Yes, but...you had spent a lot of time together, and sometimes things happen..."

Her lips formed a straight line, "And you think I'm so desperate for a man that I would fall into the arms of anyone who is assigned my partner?"

He stared straight ahead, his eyes contemplative. When he, at last, turned towards her, he looked at her in a way that made her breathing quickened, "He was never your partner, Amanda."

He had stated it with so much certainly.

Amanda caught her breath. What was he saying? She knew her attraction to Lee was growing the more time she spent with him, but could he be feeling something for her as well?

Then she quickly pushed that thought aside. After all, they were not suited to one another whatsoever.

So instead of responding, she let the subject drop.

"I'll be in the car," she informed him, before turning and walking away.

Lee hung his head, allowing a slight breeze to blow through his hair. Why is it that everything regarding Amanda turned into a clumsy situation? He internalized. Perhaps hugging her had sent the wrong signal. He should not lead her on. He will have to remember that. Sighing heavily, he also returned to the car.

#

They drove in silence for a time.

At last, Amanda broke the silence.

"I have so many questions, Lee," Amanda stated from the passenger side of the car as they continued down the road, "and don't worry, it's about the mission."

He smiled for the first time and from the passenger side, Amanda couldn't help noticing his dimple, "YOU have questions?" he sarcastically asked, "It'll be next Tuesday before I finish asking mine!"

She returned his smile, "Let me ask, first."

He acknowledged, "Okay. Fire away."

"First things first," she said, "how did you even know where to go to save me?"

"You mean, almost saved you, since you ended up saving yourself," he corrected her as he checked his rear-view mirror, "Simple. I used the data from the tracker that Billy gave you."

She stared at her bracelet, "I had forgotten about that! But how did you know I possibly was in trouble and may have needed some help?"

Lee bluntly answered, "Because that man you were with had previously killed someone."

"Oh, you mean, Miguel Esteban," Amanda sadly verified.

"No, I wasn't referring to the informant, Amanda. The man you were with had previously killed someone else."

"Oh no! He had? Who?"

"Agent Rex Ramos."

"He killed himself?" she scrunched up her face, "Lee, I don't understand."

Lee stopped the car to let a farmer and a cow cross, "Amanda, the man you were traveling with was NOT Rex Ramos!"

She looked surprised and distressed at the same time, "He wasn't? Oh my gosh! So if he wasn't Agent Ramos, who was he?"

Lee proceeded on, "His name is Ray Herrera and he is...or was... part of the Santana cartel. The Santana gang have been successful with operating an illegal drug ring in Honduras and wanted to expand their business. They had already destroyed the gang that had previously run their illegal business in central Mexico and the next step would be to eliminate any informants or law enforcement people working against these illegal drug operations."

"Oh my gosh," was all Amanda could say.

"Have I answered your questions?" he asked.

"Just one more," she stated, "Can we stop at the next village and get something to eat? I haven't eaten all morning because FakeRamos was grumpy and now I'm starved!"

Lee chuckled, "Sure!"

#

They stopped in this one village that had only one street going through it. The restaurant was nothing more than an adobe hut with three wooden tables and some chairs outside. Amanda wanted to order something filling that would stick to her ribs, so she ordered Mexican fried rice with carnitas. Lee ordered two authentic shrimp tacos.

During this time, Amanda gave details to Lee about FakeRamos. How from the start he wanted to be the one to hold onto the ID packet and how she wouldn't give the packet up, so he reluctantly had to drag along to the identifications.

Once again, Lee admired Amanda's ingenuity.

"I hate to think what would have happened if you had given FakeRamos the ID packet to him on that first day," Lee stated, his eyes suddenly saddened, "if you had, you and four of the agents would probably be dead by now."

"But I still couldn't save Miguel," she ruefully sighed, "and FakeRamos was the one who had the second informant, Mr. Ramirez, jailed as well."

"I wouldn't worry too much about Paco Ramirez, Amanda. The next time we pass a phone booth, I'll give Billy a call. I'm sure the State Department will be able to work out some kind of deal with the Mexican authorities. Your Paco Ramirez will be out in no time."

Amanda's spirits were instantly lifted as she turned to face him, "You really think the State Department will be able to get Paco and the others out of jail, Lee?" she wistfully asked.

"In all likelihood, yes," Lee confidently assured her, "but the State Department is not the one who will save them. You were the one who kept him and the others safe from the cartel."

Pride swelled inside Amanda. Lee was actually proud of her!

"But my mission isn't done yet," she told him, after some more thinking, "I still have to find the other informers to verify they are who they claim to be and find which one is the mole."

And it was at this point that Lee knew she was determined to continue on the mission.

He tiredly sighed, "And I guess this is the part where I tell you not to interfere, tell you to wait in the car, and tell you I can handle this."

Her eyes sparkled for a second, and then looked tentative, "...buuut, you're not going to say it this time, are you?"

"Not this time," Lee announced, "You have more than proven yourself on this mission, and if you'll allow me, I'd like to join you until the mission is complete."

Amanda couldn't believe what she was hearing, "Really? You're going to go along with me on the rest of this mission?"

"I hope you'll say yes," he half-teased, "I'm in the mood for a little adventure myself! And believe me, Amanda, you've got this..."

Amanda couldn't believe that they were now definitely a team!

She sat taller, her head held high as she stared out the front passenger window, a smile playing on her lips, "No, Lee, you're wrong. WE'VE got this!"

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